Tried the zip tie trick on a 2013 Corolla belt tensioner and it snapped 10 seconds after I cranked it
I saw some guy on YouTube swear it would hold the belt while I fished the bolt back in, but it popped and I spent 20 minutes on my back in the shop hunting a 10mm socket while my boss laughed at me from the bay next door, so does anyone have a trick that actually works or am I just buying a real tensioner tool?
Zip ties have way too much stretch to hold tension on a spring loaded arm, that's why it popped the second you put any load on it. What actually works is a long wrench on the tensioner pulley bolt, or a breaker bar if you've got the room, and then you can either have a buddy hold it or wedge the handle against the frame rail so it stays put while you thread the bolt with your other hand. Another option is pulling the tensioner off completely, putting it in a vise, and using a pin or small allen key through the holes to lock the arm back, then you just bolt the whole thing on with the belt already routed. Sounds like a pain but it beats crawling around for a socket while your boss gets a free show.