M117 tensioner rail?
 

Where is the lower bolt to remove the tensioner rail? :confused:

I have the alt out, the alt bracket, etc.

It's under the alternator mount, a small bolt that gives access to a bearing that the arm rides on. Removing the bolt alone will not allow removal of the arm. The bearing is kind of tricky to remove, see other posts concerning this.

I've searched for a while and come up with nothing concrete. I have the PDF and I guess I need to pick up a bolt to slide it out? :confused:

What is described in a sentence in the manual took me an hour of finsessing and jiggling. First time, I used a bolt; not as easy as it sounds and it helps to jiggle around the arm while doing this. The second time on the 380, I made a hook out of really strong piano wire used in making model aircraft landing gear with about a 1/16" sharp bend at the end to hook the other end of the bearing and pull it out. Putting it back in is not that easy either; I used a lettered drill bit just under the ID of the bearing to guide, and then pushed it in the rest of the way. Liberal amounts of oil will help. Relieving all pressure off of the arm is a big help (pull the chain back and away from the arm by wiring it to something above it on the intake manifold - MARK IT TO THE GEAR FIRST).

I used a bolt that the O.D was a bit small and wrapped some electrical tape around it to increase the O.D. Enough to create a slight friction fit. The lower rail shaft was very easy to remove using this "special tool". You may have to experiment a bit with the number of wraps around the bolt

Joe O'Deven

Hrm...

so what holds the rail to the block is just a press fit pin like the upper rails?

Is there a way for me to just install the new lining without removing the tensioner?