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How to check belt tensioner?

'98 Explorer with 5.0L engine, 115K miles. Serpentine belt started chirping at start-up in cold weather. Driving through puddles with cold engine makes it worse - a deep puddle caused it to slip so bad that I lost power steering until the belt dried up -- bad deal! Couldn't do much about it, because it was away from home. Now back home, I am looking and everything appears normal. Tug on the tensioner, and it returns smoothly. Belt looks fine - no glazing or anything. I am thinking that the tensioner is weak, but how can you tell? FSM is moot on this. My ancient belt tension gauge shows about

75lbs, which seems very low to me, but there is no tension spec. I can see a mark on the tensioner saying 'LIFT' and a groove against it. Is the mark supposed to be within the groove? Mine is just past it. No experience with this spring-loaded type of tensioner. Help appreciated -- thanks!
Reply to
Happy Traveler
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If you still have the original belt in a '98, I would replace it before even considering whether there is a tensioner problem as well.

Reply to
Big Shoe

If you still have the original belt in a '98, I would replace it before even considering whether there is a tensioner problem as well.

Reply to
newman

Probably about now. According to what I've read "cracks" are acceptable. Small missing portions up to about 1/4" are OK. Missing portions next to each other are NOT OK.

Reply to
Ulysses

I just have the 4.0L engines but in order to move the tensioner I need to use a two foot long cheater bar. Can you move and hold yours with only a

3/8" rachet wrench? That might indicate a weak tensioner.

The only other thing I can think if is the belt is too long. I've read in the past of some people getting new belts that were just a little too long.

My Hanyne's manual has a picture of "belt wear indicator marks" on the side of the tensioner body. It's not clear to me if the marks indicate stretch or just plain loss of rubber. I did not see any marks on my tensioner.

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Reply to
Ulysses

Update: there was no indicator on the tensioner; at least not one that I could see. But the belt was dry, stiff, and stretched about 1" (compared to a new one that I just installed). So far so good. Thank you Big Shoe!

A couple comments:

1) If the tensioner has moved out range (which I could not tell), it's not the tensioner's fault, but the belt has stretched.

Reply to
Happy Traveler

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