belt tensioner

[jfp3205]

I had the serp belt break the other day and when we replaced it, i got a whine that sounded like a bad pulley that would come and go but not at idle. My shop told me it might be the bearing from the top idler tension pulley. I replaced just the pully part that mounts to a spring looking mount. Under acceleration the noise is still there and the pully looks like it is bouncing
could the entire assembly be bad and is this replaceable or could it be something else that is easy to fix?
Thanks
Fletcher

 

[Danielle]

If you have a long screw driver (sometimes call cabinet screw drivers) or a stethoscope (the kind made for our field, not medical) you can try to pinpoint it. Just put it on each accessory (p/s pump, alt, a/c compressor, etc) and try to find the loud one. Obviously not on the pulleys themselves as they are moving. My new tensioners also dance, even with the new shock absorber. I would definitely replace the whole assembly with your tensioner. I got the tensioner from NAPA for I think $49 and it came with pulley and shock.

You can also cheat and see if the noise is different with a/c on or off, or smell your alternator. I am making good use of my pregnancy and the super sense of smell haha

 

[jfp3205]

WOW, I paid Napa $40 just for the pulley

 

[boosted power]

Yeah I gave up on parts stores about a year ago, prices are usually at least double what you can get stuff for off the internet for. They are good to have around in an emergency, but between poor service, poor quality, and huge markup, most of them deserve to go out of business...

Anyways +1 on replacing the entire tensioner assembly. Not sure if the '92 has the stupid shock-absorber, but mine was completely worn out and I couldn't tell until I removed it.

 

[DaytonaBill]

Mine has the 'stupid shock absorber'...

When my former boss had the truck, it had a bad habit of throwing belts and Ford ended up installing the A/C and P/S cradle from a van and those use the shocked tensioner pulley. Since then, it hasn't thrown a belt...

And mine is a '92...