Belt tensioner question

[Chadillac]

my tensioner failed the other night. Looks like the the tensioner popped out into the fan and banged the blades up. The pulley on top is completely wedged into the small pulley underneath. I’m not feeling a bolt head in the hole where it would seem to attach the tensioner. I’m confused on the removal of the tensioner and if I need to buy a motorcraft replacement or if any quality one will do.
Thanks in advance for any advice the IDI wizards in this forum can give.

 

[ttman4]

What yr is your rig?
I recently went thru same trouble on my '90 that's got the "94 IDIT in it.
IIRC it was a Torx head bolt on the tensioner bolt, or allen.....don't remember.
Went to ORileys & got new idlers & pulleys....weren't cheap.

 

[Chadillac]

its a 1994.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

In my opinion, all of the IDI tensioners are questionable. Some swear by the “with the shock style” versus “the one without a shock”: I’ve broken both Motorcraft versions.

I think Dayco and Gates have some good aftermarket tensioners available for gasoline engines, but I think the pounding of the high compression IDI engine (the same pounding that lead to the dual mass flywheel) kills the tensioners too.

Good luck and report back which one you buy. I’d buy two.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

From a couple of my old notes, the
tensioner pulley to tensioner bolt is a 15MM left handed thread. The tensioner to block is a Torx T50 normal thread. I seem to remember that at least one of the bolts had a specific shoulder on it as it was buried in a hole.

Lastly, don’t take any of this as gospel as there’s more than one tensioner version out there and my notes aren’t that good.

 

[ttman4]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[ttman4]

OK, Same as my engine with AC.
I was wrong about the tensioner bolt. IIRC I had to use a thinwall (size????) socket to put the actual tensioner itself on. The tensioner pully bolt itself is just a regular IIRC 3/8" bolt, this is what you relieve the tensioner to put belt on. The idler uses a Torx or Allen, don't remember.
My tensioner locked up, threw belt, spun off my clutch fan & blade, got radiator & the idler pully. (Don't use antiseize on clutch fan)
The new tensioner complete is Gates#38270 and one on Amazon I ordered:

Amazon.com

The tensioner pully alone is # 38005
The idler pully alone is #3801

 

[ttman4]

From a couple of my old notes, the
tensioner pulley to tensioner bolt is a 15MM left handed thread. The tensioner to block is a Torx T50 normal thread. I seem to remember that at least one of the bolts had a specific shoulder on it as it was buried in a hole.

Lastly, don’t take any of this as gospel as there’s more than one tensioner version out there and my notes aren’t that good.

Yes the tensioner to block is in a hole ( just went & cked) but don't remember what size.
And IIRC that one is the shouldered bolt. The Idler pully/bolt is the Torx or something. Like I say just now when I cked it's dark, cold, snowing.

& on EDIT.... tomorrow I'm gonna go look & see what size bolts, nuts, torx, etc, etc it all is & add them to my notes too!!!! (older I get more I try to keep & add to my notes!!!)

 

[ttman4]

Ok we better listen to @lotzagoodstuff cause he’s rite.
Just dug out my extra tensioner I ordered off Amazon & took couple pics here.
Shows the front countersunk hole where tensioner bolt attaches to block, and shows back side of tensioner where it attaches to block with alignment peg.
The tensioner to tensioner pulley bolt is 15MM (pic shows 9.8 on bolt head)

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Ok we better listen to @lotzagoodstuff cause he’s rite

They say a broken clock is right twice a day

Good for you for stocking a spare tensioner.

 

[Chadillac]

Thank you for the quick and detailed response! Mine seems to have a spring behind it and have never noticed a gap where I could actually see the spring.
Since it seemed to come forward into the fan and wedged itself onto what I assume is the idler pulley, did a bolt come loose or snap off?
And if I’m asking stupid questions I apologize. Im nowhere close to being a mechanic, I’m just learning as I’m going to keep this old girl on the road.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

A loose or broken bolt is possible, but the tensioners do wear out over time and it may have just come apart internally. From what I've seen though, they usually get some forward and back play in them and like the throw the belt off before they come apart. I think that the only way to know for sure is to take it off and then you can tell us what happened.

 

[ttman4]

Thank you for the quick and detailed response! Mine seems to have a spring behind it and have never noticed a gap where I could actually see the spring.
Since it seemed to come forward into the fan and wedged itself onto what I assume is the idler pulley, did a bolt come loose or snap off?
And if I’m asking stupid questions I apologize. Im nowhere close to being a mechanic, I’m just learning as I’m going to keep this old girl on the road.

As for as "stupid" we all started out stupid, or at least a bit slow.
I know one thing, I wasn't born knowing how to ride a bicycle, drive a car, or even how to ride a stick horse, I had to ask!!!
The tensioner is spring loaded, mine is. And that 15MM bolt head @lotzagoodstuff talking about is what I put wrench on & press/turn to left to get slack/room to put belt back on.
If the bearings went out of the tensioner pully it may have seized up, thrown belt & belt flopped round & got into fan blades....???
As I'm understanding things if the bolt to block snapped off or pully bolt broke something should move round or wiggle.
Let us know what you find.

 

[Chadillac]

Since the tensioner pulley is jammed against the idler. I have to remove the idler to pull the tensioner. What direction thread is the idler bolt? Im assuming it’s reverse but I really don’t want to break anything

 

[Chadillac]

i figured it out! Lefty loosey!