Tensioner Pulley

Apr 15, 2004 10 Replies

Hello group,



I have a small tensioner pulley issue on my '99 SL1. I started the car the other day and the battery idiot light was sort of flickering, so I thought "damn it, there's that infamous alternator replacement", but upon further inspection under the hood I noticed that the belt can be taken off by hand. I drove it home this way and it made it fine, but I'm wondering what the replacement is going to be like. Anybody else have this happen to them? I replaced the belt last summer at around 65,000 miles.



Thanks



NG


Either the idler pulley came off, or, more likely, the tensioner 'blew up' (no, that's NOT the technical term :)

If the idler pulley is on, then replace the tensioner. You remove the wheel, cover thingie, and get at it from the side.

You need a 10 mm socket (1/4 drive, and a few extensions), and a 10mm box wrench helps too. Oh yeah, you need some other size that I can't remember off hand now.

Remove the pulley with that other size wrench (box wrench), then use the

10mm to remove two bolts and oput comes the tensioner. Put the new one back, then the pullley, then wrestle the belt back on :)

Have fun! :)

I picked up a tensioner at NAPA for around $60. Took about an hour to complete in my driveway. James

I also bought the NAPA one, I remember it being more like $80.

AutoZone rents a special tool that helps to hold the tensioner back while you slip the belt on. I did not use it, I just used raw muscle power. Arnold Schwarzenegger and I have a lot in common. Well, ok, just the hairline...

-David

Napa has many different prices for the same part. It depends on your account. I bought it through my company and we get a deep discount because of the quanity of parts we buy for our fleet.

Its easy. I changed mine in a parking lot once in about a half hours time with limited tools. Best bet is to take pass tire and wheelwells off and get it from there.

On another note, you're lucky you didn't hurt the motor if the water pump wasn't spinning......

The plastic one I've got has lasted 2 years. If you wanted to you could just put the old metal pulley on the new tensioner.

Why would you need some type of special tool? I didn't!

Sorry but as a matter of principal, I would not install a plastic one unless it was the last one on earth!

James

Ahhh, who needs principals nowadays anyway? Nobody seems to have principals, ethics, morals, etc at all nowadays!!

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