It moves fair bit plenty to get the belt over it’s likely seized.
So… this is the world of trouble bit. The tensioner needs to be assembled with a small smear of coppaslip on the ‘axle part’ and the threads on the end cap. Without it the heat will get to it and Itl seize. Itl shred belts constantly if gummed up like this.

You need a bmw (or equivalent) hex plug + solid spanner and try get the end cap off so you can slide the tensioner off it’s axle. You just want to get the cap off without unscrewing the whole thing. For me, only the whole oily bloody thing would come out, in which case itl need more attention, possibly requiring chopping the arm up in order to retrieve the other parts. See how it goes. If the cap comes off easy you are one lucky SOB

Have a read of this
 
Could I use a small clamp between the top and bottom of the spring loaded tensioner itself and squash it?

I don't mean the elbow bracket, just the top spring itself where it connects to the engine and top of the elbow pivot.
 
Without breaking anything, maybe. Your call. It should need a little pressure to release when removing a belt. Unbolted from the damper it should move by hand
 
Maby I should buy a new damper. I'll remove it tomorrow see what happens...

Do I unbolt the top first? When I get the new one how do I fit it?
 
Maby I should buy a new damper. I'll remove it tomorrow see what happens...

Do I unbolt the top first? When I get the new one how do I fit it?
Unbolt the top of the damper/tensioner first, undo the cap and remove the arm. I suspect the arm has seized on the pivot so you may have a problem.
 
So does this mean I'm now in the world of 'FAAAAACK!!!'?
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The arm is spinning freely on the cap/hex nut on the other side. Do I take the large hex nut off too?
 
The large nut looking piece is part of the axle the tensioner pivots on.
It bolts into the engine front with the boring as a seal.
The nut shape needs holding securely and the outer face with the female Allen key hole needs to undone. Then you can put the axle part back into in the engine and go from there. 👍
 
Be very careful how you hold the axle nut as the tensioner arm itself is not very strong in all directions if force is applied incorrectly 😵‍💫
 
I've sprayed penetrative oil inside. I'll let it sit for a while. I was deceived by the rubber washer into thinking there was a large hex nut threaded on the back but now I realise it's all one pice and the female hex side screws inside that.

Already chipped a bit of the lip off trying to wedge something in to stop it turning. Probably just buy another elbo bracket...
 
Right back again. Been a mixture of procrastination due to the weather but I finally got the cap off the tensioner sleeve... but as you probably know it wasn't easy. I actually ripped the vice mounting bolts through the table trying to get it off. Mind you the table was made of papier-mache! So I took it to the garage round the corner and get this... it took three men to get the cap off!
One to turn the breaker bar & two to stop the table turning!
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Right back again. Been a mixture of procrastination due to the weather but I finally got the cap off the tensioner sleeve... but as you probably know it wasn't easy. I actually ripped the vice mounting bolts through the table trying to get it off. Mind you the table was made of papier-mache! So I took it to the garage round the corner and get this... it took three men to get the cap off!
One to turn the breaker bar & two to stop the table turning!
View attachment 334064View attachment 334065
In the photo, the old tensioner arm looks OK so keep it as a spare.
 
Yeah, I would do but half the fluid has drained out of it now and the plastic washer has broken off it.
I'm not sure if it was broken to begin with. The actual elbow wasn't seized onto the sleeve. It did rotate but the cap was seized. So all I can think of is it must have been the tensioner itself that wouldn't budge...
 
Yeah, I would do but half the fluid has drained out of it now and the plastic washer has broken off it.
I'm not sure if it was broken to begin with. The actual elbow wasn't seized onto the sleeve. It did rotate but the cap was seized. So all I can think of is it must have been the tensioner itself that wouldn't budge...
I didn't say keep the tensioner itself, keep the arm as they are prone to breaking and even if it's not perfect it could come in handy.
 

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