Tensioner pulley gone?

[tWiStEdBird]

Well I'm drivin slow tonight (cop on my ***) about 35-40 and then I hear something making an odd noise like I hit something, dragged it, and then lost it. I look back and see something looked like a cap or something, so I just disreguard it. I'm driving for another minute or so, and then bam. Lights dim, power steering is gone, and voltage starts to drop. So I've already pretty much decided my belt is gone. Luckily I was just seconds from my house and got it back, popped the hood and antifreeze is leaking out of the fill cap. Belt is gone, and tensioner pulley is missing. I went back to try to find the pulley, but no luck. Then I look a little more and it looks like the thing must have broken. It has been noisy for a while and I thought it may just have been my alternator wanting to die, then today it was exceptionaly noisy. I also found some perfectly shredded pieces of the belt still hanging. I'm guessing the antifreeze was due to the waterpump not working so it just built up pressure and came back up. Any imput, or does it seem to be the case? Has anyone else had an idler break??

[ March 13, 2005, 04:15 AM: Message edited by: tWiStEdBird ]

[brink]

i thought mine did.. but my antifreeze leak just got on the belt and made it slip off.. its not a hard replacement..

[FirebirdGT]

Originally posted by tWiStEdBird:
Any imput, or does it seem to be the case? Has anyone else had an idler break??

Yes. This is becoming a problem for the early 3.8, which has a PLASTIC pulley. Replace it with the new GM METAL pulley p/n 24506756. The plastic one is no longer available from GM, but might be from Autozone, etc - don't use it. Replace the A/C idler pulley also.

I lost mine doing 80mph heading north on I-17 from Phoenix - that was fun.

[Voided_1]

I lost mine doing 70 on a 4 lane hwy in the far left lane, not fun trying to get across that with no power steering.

[mike h]

i lost mine while 10 miles from any civilization then my battery died once i got home. :-(

[tWiStEdBird]

Got a new metal pulley on now, so all is good to go!