Parts for your 1991 Nissan Primera-Drive belt tensioner

1991 Nissan Primera drive-belt tensioner — is it actually there?

Short answer: no, a conventional spring-loaded drive-belt tensioner isn’t used on the 1991 Nissan Primera (P10). Technical sources including the Nissan Primera P10 Factory Service Manual (Maintenance/Drive Belts and Engine Mechanical sections), the Haynes Nissan Primera 1990–1999 workshop manual, and AU/NZ parts catalogues from Gates and Dayco show the P10’s accessory belts are tensioned manually via the alternator, power steering pump, and an adjustable A/C idler, not by an automatic tensioner. Nissan FAST (electronic parts catalogue) diagrams for P10 likewise depict slotted brackets and an A/C idler with a jackscrew rather than a spring-loaded assembly.

Why there’s no drive-belt tensioner on this model: the early-90s Primera runs separate V-belts or multi-rib belts for the alternator/water pump, power steering, and air conditioning. Each belt’s tension is set by moving the accessory on its slotted mount or by winding an adjuster on the A/C idler. This layout is simple, reliable and cost-effective, and it predates the later move to a single serpentine belt with an automatic tensioner seen on many mid/late-90s cars.

What owners should service instead: focus on the belts and the manual adjusters. Under the bonnet, tension is set as follows on typical GA16DE, SR20DE and CD20 P10 engines:

• Alternator/water pump belt: loosen the alternator pivot and locking bolts, adjust via the jackscrew or by levering the alternator, then re-tighten.
• Power steering belt: same deal — loosen the pump’s bolts, adjust, then lock up.
• A/C belt: tension is set using the dedicated idler pulley’s adjuster screw and locknut.

Keep an eye out for glazing, cracking, fraying, or squeal on start-up — all signs the belt’s due for adjustment or replacement. Don’t overtighten, excessive tension can chew out alternator, pump and idler bearings. Follow the factory spec for deflection/play and recheck tension after a short run-in, as new belts can bed in and loosen slightly. While you’re there, spin the A/C idler by hand — any roughness or noise means the bearing’s on the way out and the pulley should be replaced. Clean pulley grooves, check alignment, and torque the lock bolts properly so the setting holds.

Those chasing part numbers will usually find listings for belts and an A/C idler pulley, but no “automatic tensioner” assembly for a 1991 Primera in the above catalogues — which matches the factory procedure in the P10 FSM that specifies manual belt adjustment rather than tensioner replacement.

Popular questions

Does a 1991 Nissan Primera have a drive-belt tensioner?
No automatic, spring-loaded tensioner is fitted. The P10 uses manual adjustment: alternator and power steering belts are set by moving the units on slotted brackets, and the A/C belt is tensioned with an adjustable idler. This setup is documented in the P10 Factory Service Manual and reflected in AU/NZ parts catalogues.

How do you tension the belts on a P10 Primera?
Loosen the pivot and lock bolts on the alternator or power steering pump, use the adjuster (or gentle leverage) to set the correct belt deflection per the FSM, then tighten the bolts. For the A/C belt, wind the idler’s adjuster screw to set tension and lock it off. Recheck after a few hundred kilometres.

When should the belts be replaced?
As a rule of thumb, inspect each service and replace about every 60,000–100,000 kilometres or 4 years, sooner if there’s cracking, glazing, fraying, or persistent squeal. If water-pump or alternator bearings have suffered from past overtension, sort those at the same time.