MooJohn
Well-Known LVC Member
Just thought I'd share my experience with replacing the serpentine belt tensioner. No pics but none are really needed.
• Put the car on ramps. You'll need to lift the engine slightly so the jack will be needed for that. Unbolt the power steering reservoir and tie it out of the way. It doesn't need to be disconnected and you don't have to touch the cooling system or reservoir at all. You will want to remove the small cross brace (8mm bolts) in that corner for extra room.
• Loosen the two engine mount bolts under the car on the passenger side. They're 21 mm. I left the nuts at the very end of the threads so it they couldn't pull completely out of the hole - saves potential issues getting it to line up if it ever came out completely. Use a floor jack to raise the passenger side of the engine just over 1 inch. You can lift by the oil pan if you put a block of wood on the jack cradle first. Remember, you're just "shifting" the engine, not really lifting it or the car.
• The serpentine belt tool was mostly useless because there wasn't room for it to go all the way to the "released" position once the belt was removed. I had better luck with a standard 3/8ths socket wrench with some muscle behind it.
• The tensioner uses a T40 torx bolt, and it's still a PITA to reach even with the engine raised but it is doable.
• When putting the new belt on, I started at the tensioner pulley. Once that's on properly the rest is easier to line up. Save the alternator pulley for last, popping the belt over it while also pulling the tensioner for the necessary belt slack. The 3/8ths socket wrench was used again, with another wrench placed over its handle for extra leverage.
• Make sure the belt is in the grooves on all pulleys before cranking the engine. You don't want it to pop off on the engine's first revolution!
The bearings on my tensioner idler pulley were shot. It had to be the source of my continued squeaking, even with a new belt last December. Someone had already changed the upper idler pulley (found out after it was removed) but for $18 it's good insurance to do again.
FWIW, the tensioner sold by AutoZone is Dayco - I'm not sure how it could be inferior to any other design. The bearing on the idler pulley I removed was stamped CHINA while the new one cleverly said PRC -- because we're too dumb to know that means People's Republic of China
• Put the car on ramps. You'll need to lift the engine slightly so the jack will be needed for that. Unbolt the power steering reservoir and tie it out of the way. It doesn't need to be disconnected and you don't have to touch the cooling system or reservoir at all. You will want to remove the small cross brace (8mm bolts) in that corner for extra room.
• Loosen the two engine mount bolts under the car on the passenger side. They're 21 mm. I left the nuts at the very end of the threads so it they couldn't pull completely out of the hole - saves potential issues getting it to line up if it ever came out completely. Use a floor jack to raise the passenger side of the engine just over 1 inch. You can lift by the oil pan if you put a block of wood on the jack cradle first. Remember, you're just "shifting" the engine, not really lifting it or the car.
• The serpentine belt tool was mostly useless because there wasn't room for it to go all the way to the "released" position once the belt was removed. I had better luck with a standard 3/8ths socket wrench with some muscle behind it.
• The tensioner uses a T40 torx bolt, and it's still a PITA to reach even with the engine raised but it is doable.
• When putting the new belt on, I started at the tensioner pulley. Once that's on properly the rest is easier to line up. Save the alternator pulley for last, popping the belt over it while also pulling the tensioner for the necessary belt slack. The 3/8ths socket wrench was used again, with another wrench placed over its handle for extra leverage.
• Make sure the belt is in the grooves on all pulleys before cranking the engine. You don't want it to pop off on the engine's first revolution!
The bearings on my tensioner idler pulley were shot. It had to be the source of my continued squeaking, even with a new belt last December. Someone had already changed the upper idler pulley (found out after it was removed) but for $18 it's good insurance to do again.
FWIW, the tensioner sold by AutoZone is Dayco - I'm not sure how it could be inferior to any other design. The bearing on the idler pulley I removed was stamped CHINA while the new one cleverly said PRC -- because we're too dumb to know that means People's Republic of China
