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View Full Version : Do tensioners go on these cars?


Anton CH.
03-24-2007, 06:45 PM
My belts have been making a squealing noise lately. Once I got the car jacked up and removed the belts and narrowed it down to a bad bearing on the A/C pulley -- it would catch if you spin it by hand. What are the chances that the tensioner went south as well?
632 Regal
03-24-2007, 08:16 PM
mine makes hellacious noises when I first start it up, good in about a minute and nothing seems to affect it (AC/steering wheel etc) but it goes away when I rev it up a bit.

Tensioners do go bad and they dont warn you before they do. you could replace them as a maintenance item I guess. Wonder how much they go for...
Russell
03-24-2007, 08:35 PM
tensioner PULLIES are about $20 or so from BMA. They are wear items and IMO repalced when the belts are replaced. The bearings in the pully gradually wears resulting in noise.

FYI, I sprayed the PS pulley on my car with CRC belt dressing. Noise stopped and has stopped for several weeks. However, I do not hear the noise when the weather warms up. almost 80 here in central kY today.
Anton CH.
03-25-2007, 01:07 PM
I was talking with my friend last night, he said that pulleys are just the plastic wheels and the bearing is part of the tensioner. Can someone confirm that?
Russell
03-25-2007, 01:32 PM
Several Pullies on the m50 engine have a bearing in the pully. Tensioners provide belt tension and most have no bearings. That said, I believe there is one M50 model that uses a combo pully/tensioner on the ps/water pump belt.
ryan roopnarine
03-25-2007, 01:53 PM
do you have the mechanical tensioner setup (looks like the belt tensioner on a ford) or the hydraulic tensioner setup (a pulley with a little shock absorber bolted on next to it)?
Guapo
03-25-2007, 06:59 PM
Yes.

I had one fall completely apart on me, taking all the belts with it. Caused my car to seriously overheat. Head gasket needed to be replaced.
632 Regal
03-25-2007, 07:50 PM
whoa... tensioner pully didnt stop makin noise today, sounded like the fan was hitting something so I removed that to see if it still made noise. indeed, loosened the belt and the pully can move all over the place. Ordered one up with a new AC belt and hopefully I dont need to drive anywhere for a few days.