Tension Pulley

[IICODECll]

I just had my battery replaced (apparently my battery wasn't charging) at Pepboys where they informed me that my Tension Pulley and Vesper Belt was bad. I just had the belt and pulley replaced 2 months ago. So I look under the hood and see the belt is about to fall off the pulley. They told me it was 180.00 for the tension pulley and 110.00 for a new belt. The reason for it being 180.00 is that it's a dealer part, so here is my question: where can I find a tension pulley that wont cost me an arm?

I've looked around and saw ones for 14.95 and higher. Not quite sure if that is the same kind of pulley as the one for 180.00...

[Meatyshells]

Re: Tension Pulley

110 for a new belt!!! i would never go there again if they are going to charge you that much. It takes all of 3 minutes to switch a belt.
and i dont really know how it could go bad, how many miles do you have on your car? i have never heard of someone's tentioner going bad.

just get a 15mm socket put it on the tentioner and see if you can adjust the belt

[IICODECll]

Re: Tension Pulley

The new belts I put on them 2 months ago has < 9,000 miles on them. Had everything done when I put the new transmission in. The car in total has 113,000.

Those prices were without labor. They were just quoting me on the pieces.

[Meatyshells]

Re: Tension Pulley

so they want 110 bucks for JUST a belt? there's something wrong with that.
i think the chances are, there is nothing wrong with your tentioner. My car has 140k miles on it and i just changed the belt a little while ago with no problems. Check the belt patteren and make sure it's put on right.
the tentioner is basicly just a spring loaded arm with a wheel on the end of it, i dont see how it could go bad

[IICODECll]

Re: Tension Pulley

I'll take a 15mm socket wrench to it once it stops raining. I do see that it "looks like" the belt is about to come off one of the pulleys. I'll just see if I can move the belt back onto or adjust the pulley.

[Meatyshells]

Re: Tension Pulley

double check to see if it's routed right also, there should be a picture on one of the wheel wells. would suck to pay all that money and find out later the belt was routed wrong

[97rs4life]

Re: Tension Pulley

you sure it is your pulley and not your tensioner assembly? I can see the tensioner assembly costing 180 bucks, but the pulley itself is a 15 dollar part. If your assembly is bad though and worn out that can cause your belt to walk.

Take your belt off and spin the pulley to hear how the bearing sounds. If it is loud then it is worn

[IICODECll]

Re: Tension Pulley

you sure it is your pulley and not your tensioner assembly?

Pretty sure... as the paper I have says under notes "Advice: Tension pulley is bad. Needs new tension pulley when possible." I'll take the belt off when it's done raining. I did move the belt over more (when the rain let up), but it just shifted back to where it was before.

[IDoVoodoo]

Re: Tension Pulley

you can get the whole tensioner assembly for $60 at rockauto

[nascar24jd]

Re: Tension Pulley

I replaced my belt and tensioner last month and I think the total cost for the parts was around $40 for the tensioner and $30 for the belt.

I was a very simple install.

[NYTRYDR]

Re: Tension Pulley

i dont really know how it could go bad, how many miles do you have on your car? i have never heard of someone's tentioner going bad.

At about 140K miles on my 96 the idler and tensioner pulleys exploded. I am still finding pieces of them in the hood insulation. So it is possible. Pretty easy to replace.

[Kal-El]

Re: Tension Pulley

yeah i just finish replacing mine tensioner cuse it was making my belt walks then if any drop of water hits it falls off so got me a new its pretty easy to in stall and it comes with everthing u need cost me 70 bucks at auto zone with life time warrenty

[IICODECll]

Re: Tension Pulley

Anyone got links to the websites/parts?

[99pewterv6]

Re: Tension Pulley

rockauto.com good prices. I've ordered some stuff here before.

[Meatyshells]

Re: Tension Pulley

just remember when you are taking the pully off, it comes off oppisite. meaning you have to turn it to the right to take it off.
took me a little to figure that out lol