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Turn the adjustment bolt on the side, top or bottom of the pulley counterclockwise with the ratchet and socket until the accessory belt is loose enough to remove. Tighten the tensioner pulley by turning the adjustment bolt clockwise with the ratchet and socket until the belt is tight.
What happens if tensioner pulley is loose?
If the tensioner is loose the belts may squeak or squeal, especially when the engine is first started. It is also possible for the tensioner pulley or bearing to wear out, in which case the vehicle will produce a grinding noise from the pulley.
Why is my tensioner pulley wobbling?
If the tensioner pulley wobbles on its shaft, it means the interior shaft bearings have worn. This will cause a pulley misalignment. Bad bearings cause an audible growling noise. An excessively wobbling pulley can throw the belt off, causing all the accessories to quit functioning.
How tight should a tensioner pulley be?
When twisted either way from the middle, the tension in the belt must not be more than 12 inch. The belt is too tight if it is twisted more. The positions do not work for the vehicle.
How do you tighten a pulley?
Turn the adjustment bolt on the side, top or bottom of the pulley counterclockwise with the ratchet and socket until the accessory belt is loose enough to remove. Tighten the tensioner pulley by turning the adjustment bolt clockwise with the ratchet and socket until the belt is tight.
How do you align a tensioner pulley?
The accessory belt needs to be loosened before the adjustment bolt can be turned on the side, top or bottom of the pulley. Turn the adjustment bolt clockwise to tighten the pulley.
Is the tensioner pulley supposed to move?
The tensioner arm should move smoothly and freely. Solution: If you notice a binding, sticking or grinding tensioner arm, the tensioner should be replaced.
Can I drive with a bad tensioner?
Driving with a bad belt tensioner is unsafe since the tensioner is meant to guarantee ample tension that powers accessories. Wear on the belt tensioner will eventually cause the belt to slip, generate loud noise, and also create an unsafe level of heat along the accessory pulleys.
What sound does a bad tensioner pulley make?
When the tensioner or tensioner pulley fails, the loss of tension can cause the belt and pulleys to make high-pitched rattling or chirping noises. If the pulley bearing completely fails, it can also cause a squealing or even a grinding noise.
Can you drive without a tensioner pulley?
So, how long can you drive with a bad idler pulley? The safety recommendation is not to drive the car at all and take it to a mechanic immediately. You should be concerned if the vehicle makes squeaking or rattling noises. The car can still run for months or break after a few days.
Is belt tensioner supposed to wobble?
Causes of Belt Tensioner Wobbling A wobbling belt tensioner can result from many different causes. In general, belt tensioners tend to get noisy when they fail. If your belt tensioner is chirping or makes other noises, it is often an indication that the part is old and needs to be replaced.
Can you over tighten an alternator belt?
Dear Anthony: A belt should never be over-tightened. An over-tightened belt can burn out any bearing that the belt rotates on, including alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor, idler pulleys, etc. An over-tightened timing belt can ruin any pulley bearing it is connected with.
Should a belt tensioner wobble?
A bad belt tensioner spring will often cause the tension arm to bounce up and down with the cycling of the motor. This makes the belt wobble as the engine runs. These are definite signs that the tensioner needs replaced.
Do you tighten idler pulley?
Step 3: Tighten the Idler Pulley Tighten down to the torque that is recommended in the manual, made specifically for your vehicle. If you have to loosen the spring in order to adjust the tension, be sure to tighten it back down to the exact torque that it was before you touched it.
What is proper belt tension?
The proper tension is the lowest tension at which the belt won’t slip or squeal under peak load. However, there is still a wide range of tension between these two extremes in which a drive will operate sufficiently.
Can you adjust a tensioner?
Locate the adjuster bolt on the belt tensioner used to secure the serpentine belt, and adjust the tension by loosening or tightening the adjuster bolt with a racthet and socket while you simultaneously move the belt back and forth gently to find the proper tension.
What can happen if the belt tension in a belt drive system is adjusted to be too tight?
If a belt is too tight in a system, it can add stress to your bearings. The added stress to bearings can result into over amperage of your motor and potential motor failure.
What causes pulley misalignment?
Angular Misalignment This occurs when pulleys become “tilted” because their shafts are not parallel. Worn bushings and bearings can allow rotating shafts to become cockeyed in their bores. Premature bearing and bushing wear is often caused by the strain of excessive belt tension.
Why is my belt tensioner bouncing?
Excessive arm movement or bounce due to a worn damper: The damper moderates the action of the tensioner spring in much the same way that a shock absorber dampens a vehicle’s suspension. As the damper wears, the tensioner arm can bounce away from the belt, causing excessive belt slippage.
What problems can a bad tensioner pulley cause?
If the drive belt tensioner pulley has any sort of issue it can cause unusual and accelerated wear on the belt. A bad pulley can cause fraying on the edges of the belt, and in severe cases can even cause it to break. Other symptoms of a bad belt tensioner is failure of the belt driven accessories.
