I just received my underdrive pulleys today and wanted to attempt to install them. Well, I loosened the one 3/8" screw to drop the tensioner pulley (the belt did not go around this wheel...it was above the pulley itself; I presumed this to be the screw to loosen. It was hard as hell and then just dropped like a stone out of the way. With the belt off I attempted to remove the alternator pulley and saw that I will need to remove the entire alternator, so I figured I would close things up and work on the install in the morning. I put the belt back on and ended up pushing the tensioner pulley back to tense up the belt and then tightened the screw to it to hold it in place. Now when I start up the engine I have an ungodly squealing noise and noise that sounds like the pulley isn't tensing the belt or the belt isn't tense enough. What the hell did I do wrong? I turned the screw counterclockwise as my haynes manual recommended to drop the tensioner pulley out of way. What do I do to get rid of the noise and get things right again?

 

The bolt the arrow points to is the one I loosened to shift the pulley around. Is this the wrong bolt?

 

you make purrty arrows

 

Thanks...but an answer to my question would be even better

 

Bump.

I'm getting told I loosened the wrong bolt. My question now is what do I do to reset the spring and remount the unit correctly?

 

If you had to push the tensioner back in an effort to get tension on the belt, that is no good. The tensioner pulley is spring loaded and it applies tension without any adjustment required. The tensioner is free to pivot on the mounting bolt, so it isn't possible to use the bolt to adjust the tension.

My guess is that the hidden side of the tensioner is out now of position. You are supposed to tighten the pivot bolt with belt completely off of the tensioner pulley and the tensioner has to properly engage the bracket behind it. After the center bolt is tight, the tensioner can be rotated against the spring to allow the belt to be reinstalled.

When you're all finished and before you start the engine, be careful to ensure that the grooves in the belt are correctly positioned on the ridges of every pulley. The belt can self destruct in short order if the belt is even one tooth off on one pulley.

 

thats what i was thinking after i checked mine out

 

Well, I broke the tensioner assembly. There is a little metal stud on the back and mine sheered clean off. I managed to extract the stud nub but now I have to track one of these down tomorrow morning till I can drive the truck again...joy o joy.

 

one thing you are going to have to remember is you dont remove the belt till after you loosen the drive pulley

you need the belt to hold on to it and two people lol

we will get them on for you saturday

 

This is so frustrating... I hope I can get one of these assemblies tomorrow or I won't be there Saturday!

 

you will be there even if i have to pick you up lol

as in frustrating been there done that as long as we learn from it its all good