I had a '98 Grand Prix 3800 (190,000kms) come to me today with a torn up tensioner pulley. Looks like the bearing seized, heated up, melted the plastic pulley. Replacement is a steel pulley with the same bearing.
This is the first tensioner pulley I've seen torn up. How common is this in everyone else's neck of the woods?
Steve
I'm on my first GM with the serpentine belt. 89 S-10 Blazer, with 260K miles. I've had to replace the idler (plastic pulley, just disappeared one day) and the spring loaded tensioner.
When I replaced the idler, I took the junkyard unit apart, and relubed it. Can't remember what I used. The tensioner locked up, and was squealing and being awful. The replacement didn't look much like the one I took off, but it has been working nicely. I oiled that one, also.
Just one man's experiences, but it's consistent with what you're seeing. Them things lock up, and make a mess.
Do you slap em in dry, or do you lubricate them some how?
The bearing is lubed at the bearing manufacturer, they are not dry.
Hasn't happened to me yet & I got almost 305,000 miles om mine.
LOL !
Harryface
05 Park Avenue, 32,839 91 Bonneville LE 304,991I don't have a lot of confidence in factory lube.
They are factory sealed. Mine probably would have gone 200k or 300k miles if I had not broke it by prying on it with a 3 foot crowbar.
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