Accessory Belt Tensioner

i cant get this thing off to save my life...

You'll need to provide some more information if your asking for help. Your not giving us much to go on. Take pic's if unable to explain.
Where is your problem, what is your problem with getting the tensioner off. Or are you having trouble getting the pulley off.
Remember most of these pulleys are left hand thread.

Just in case you have not spotted this:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/Supercharged-3800-Tech-c2/Series-II-Engine-Transmission-f4/Write-Up-Replacing-Belts-and-Pulleys-t725.htm

It might help.

Bert

i think i got it, but here is what happened,

my alt went out on me yesterday afternoon, took it off and the pulley was dumb loose; like i could turn the fan blades on it, and the mechanism that turned the internal of the alt was not even spinning.

now, when i took the belt off i should have probably noticed that the spring on the tensioner had some play on it anyway, but i really dont know how much pressure to look for.

got the new alt on, and yanked the tensioner back to get the belt on, let it go, and smash! it fragged on me. now was i careless in letting it snap back into place; yes.

so what my problem was, is that i thought the spring arm and housing, came off but thats not the case at all, the whole Assembly bracket; connecting from the water pump with the cooling/heating lines attached have to come off and be replaced, i will start in the AM and do a write up tomorrow morning, seems easy enough, 4 bolts 3 coolant lines. alt needs to be removed for installation, some bolts look like a PITA to get to.

the one thing i do notice about the new tensioner, is that it cannot be moved by hand AT ALL, and i will need a hellova breaker bar to get this belt on.

Here is some more info that could possible help you solve the issue:\
http://www.gates.com/common/downloads/files/Gates/autoEducation/428-7174.pdf
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=2837&location_id=3373

http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=2837&location_id=3373

Bert

Plan on replacing the plastic elbow to the LIM if you are taking that piece off. It's almost guaranteed to break, they are very brittle.

That said, I thought the tensioner would come off without taking the heater hose /alternator mount housing thing off.

Yes, you should not be able to move the tensioner by hand.

Looking forward to the write-up, Lucas. Thanks in advance for anything you can provide.

Tensioner time... I was driving in heavy rains the other day and going through a deep puddle dislodged my S/C belt. I noticed that both my S/C and Accessory tensioners are really loose, so I am going after new ones. It looks like the accessory tensioner is only available with the entire housing that holds the heater hose coolant ports as well, is this true? Is there no way to get the tensioner without the entire assembly?

I have fresh pullies, just replaced them with my new engine a few months ago... but it looks like all the tensioners come with pullies as well, is that also correct? I checked monsterpartsonline and rockauto, looks like the gates tensioners are going to be my best bet at ~$62 each from rockauto.

Lucas wrote:

the one thing i do notice about the new tensioner, is that it cannot be moved by hand AT ALL, and i will need a hellova breaker bar to get this belt on.

That should be expected. You should not be able to move these by hand unless you are the hulk, or they are worn out.

With a help of wrench attached to wheel nut and using it as lever it can be moved, or is my tensioner worn out?
It wasn't movable by hand without any help.

That sounds pretty normal. I usually need at least a foot long bar on the 15mm socket to move it. (or T50 on the S/C tensioner)

deekster_caddy wrote:

Tensioner time... I was driving in heavy rains the other day and going through a deep puddle dislodged my S/C belt. I noticed that both my S/C and Accessory tensioners are really loose, so I am going after new ones. It looks like the accessory tensioner is only available with the entire housing that holds the heater hose coolant ports as well, is this true? Is there no way to get the tensioner without the entire assembly?

I have fresh pullies, just replaced them with my new engine a few months ago... but it looks like all the tensioners come with pullies as well, is that also correct? I checked monsterpartsonline and rockauto, looks like the gates tensioners are going to be my best bet at ~$62 each from rockauto.

I just replaced my original tensioner and it was a chuckle to see where the manufacturer'd used a die grinder to scrub the OE numbers out of the mold for the casting. The Gates and OE were identical down to the flash and knockout points on the mold, except for the GM numbers being ground out. I am happy with the Gates tensioner - it is tight, smooth, straight and quiet.

Albertj

deekster_caddy wrote:

I checked monsterpartsonline and rockauto, looks like the gates tensioners are going to be my best bet at ~$62 each from rockauto.

Did you check prices at the local auto parts store that carry Gates tensioners. I don't remember them being overly expensive.
Rather than waiting on RockAuto and paying shipping fees.

JT Newman wrote:

With a help of wrench attached to wheel nut and using it as lever it can be moved, or is my tensioner worn out?
It wasn't movable by hand without any help.

It is supposed to be tough to move.

Albertj

Rickw wrote:

deekster_caddy wrote:

I checked monsterpartsonline and rockauto, looks like the gates tensioners are going to be my best bet at ~$62 each from rockauto.

Did you check prices at the local auto parts store that carry Gates tensioners. I don't remember them being overly expensive.
Rather than waiting on RockAuto and paying shipping fees.

Actually I just use RockAuto to look things up. I buy from a local store, Indy Auto Parts in Peabody. They will order anything I want with no shipping, and I prefer to support my local speed shop when I don't want a GM part.