Parts for your 1998 Nissan Navara-Drive belt tensioner

1998 Nissan Navara drive-belt-tensioner: is it actually a thing on D22 models?

Short answer: no, a conventional spring-loaded drive-belt tensioner isn’t fitted to the 1998 Nissan Navara (D22). On the common 1998 engines used in Australia and New Zealand — the KA24E 2.4 petrol and the QD32 diesel (and similar-period TD-series diesels) — the accessory belts are individual V-belts or multi-rib belts that are tensioned manually via the alternator, power steering pump, and/or a screw-adjusted idler pulley. There’s no single automatic “serpentine belt tensioner” assembly to service or replace.

This is backed by technical sources: the Nissan Navara D22 Factory Service Manual procedures for KA24E and QD32 show belt adjustments done by loosening the accessory pivot/lock bolts and using an adjuster bolt or by moving the accessory to set belt deflection, there’s no reference to a spring-loaded tensioner unit. Likewise, Nissan FAST parts catalogues for D22 list belts, idler pulleys and brackets, but do not list an automatic drive-belt tensioner for 1998 build years. Aftermarket application guides from major belt manufacturers (e.g., Gates, Dayco) also catalogue belts and, where applicable, manual idlers for these engines without specifying an automatic tensioner. Some later D22 variants (e.g., early-2000s YD25DDTi or V6 in certain markets) moved to a serpentine system with a proper automatic tensioner, but that doesn’t apply to a 1998 build.

Why wasn’t a drive-belt tensioner used? The D22’s early engines were engineered around multiple belts for simplicity, cost control, and easy field service. Tension is set by repositioning the alternator or pump on a slotted bracket, or by turning an adjuster (jack) bolt on an idler. It’s a robust setup for utes that might cop a hard life, and it means fewer moving parts to fail.

What should be serviced instead? Focus on the belts and pulleys:

• Inspect belts for cracking, glazing, fraying, and rubber hardening, replace if worn or noisy.
• Set tension to spec (deflection or force method in the FSM) — too tight can knock out bearings, too loose will squeal and slip.
• Spin and listen to idlers, alternator and pump pulleys, replace any rough or noisy bearings.
• After new belts, recheck tension after the first few hundred kilometres as they bed in.

Technical sources referenced: Nissan Navara D22 Factory Service Manual (KA24E and QD32 belt adjustment procedures), Nissan FAST parts catalogues for D22 (1997–2000 listings), and Gates/Dayco application catalogues for 1998 D22 models sold in AU/NZ.

FAQs

Does a 1998 Nissan Navara have a drive-belt tensioner?
Not the spring-loaded serpentine type. The 1998 D22 uses manually adjusted belts via the alternator, power steering pump, and/or a screw-adjusted idler. That’s how the FSM and parts catalogues present the setup for KA24E petrol and QD32/TD-series diesels of that year.

How do you adjust the belts on a 1998 Navara?
Loosen the relevant accessory’s pivot and lock bolts, use the adjuster bolt (or lever the accessory in its slot) to set the belt deflection to spec, then tighten everything to the torque values in the FSM. Avoid overtightening — it can chew out bearings. After fitting new belts, recheck tension after a few hundred kilometres.

Which Navara engines did get an automatic tensioner?
Some later D22 variants (early 2000s, e.g., YD25DDTi or market-specific V6 models) run a serpentine belt with a spring-loaded tensioner. For a 1998 D22, that hardware isn’t listed. Always confirm by VIN/build date and consult the correct FSM for your exact engine.