I just replaced the serpentine belt on my 1997 Ford Ranger V6 4.0, ext. cab, 2wd, 5spd. My old belt was starting to show some wear, so I put in a new Gatorback belt.

When I pulled the belt off, the tensioner seemed to flex back and forth okay. When I spun the tensioner pulley, I could hear the ball bearings going click click click. However, the pulley seemed to spin smoothly. This is my first experience changing out the timing belt. Are the ball bearings in my tensioner supposed to be this loose?

A new Dayco tensioner assembly is only $40. If I were to replace the tensioner, is this an okay brand to use?

Thanks for your help!
-Joe

 

it is recommended to replace the tensioner whenever you replace the belt, but as long as it keeps the belt tight i dont see why its totally necessary, but it has a spring in it and springs do wear out. i have replaced the actual pulley itself on mine. the stock one does have ball bearings in it, and mine was missing a few. it almost left me stranded. i heard this grinding sound and couldnt figure out why till i watched the pulley dancing around and the sucker was cooking when i took it off. not sure what type of bearings the new ones have in them but i know they are sealed and real nice. if you are experiencing any doubt as to the condition of your pulley then you should replace the pulley, but down the road you may replace the entire tensioner which comes with the pulley and wish u just did the whole thing then for the 40 bucks.

 

Thanks Dave,

I ended up just replacing the entire tensioner assembly and now it works great. I guess an extra $40 is really a small price to pay for the security of a new tensioner pulley and spring. I'd rather replace it now than have to replace my $30 Gatorback belt AND the tensionser . . .

I'm glad I did it.

Thanks again!

 

Good advice, DDave!

Smart move, Joe!
I'd also take a good, long look at the condition of your idler pulley too.

Realize the importance of the belt -- it runs the alternator and the water pump, and if you were far from home when it would go out, it might cause you to end up with a $75+ towing bill too....because you sure don't what to drive it too far without a functioning water pump!

I know about such things:
I had a serpentine belt go away at 10pm & about 10 miles from home. What started it is the fiber/plastic idler pulley bearing apparently seized and then its pulley quickly burned away which caused the serpentine belt to get tossed. Running on just the battery, my headlights were barely making light within 5 miles, and the engine temps were climbing fast even-though the outside temp that February night was 10*F. Within two more miles, I ended up pulling into the first gas station and parking it & getting the Ranger towed the rest of the way home.
Without the water pump being turned, I didn't want to cook the engine or warp a cylinder head; and without the alternator making power, the battery couldn't keep the lights lite adequately enough to see or be seen by others in the darkness. Once home, I was lucky in that all I needed to replace was the idler pulley; (the belt was magically ok). I had to put the battery charger to bring the battery back up and refill the coolant as it had boiled most of it out (!!) but the engine was unhurt. Had it been warmer outside, I don't think it would have survived the event....

BarnieTrk

 

i thought my idler was going out so i bought a plastic one from napa for 20 bux. it works ok. turned out the original idler (steel) just needed the bearing greased.. easy. now it sits under the seat as a spare.
the oem one is much sturdier i would say. i also keep a couple of extra belts in the truck... just in case.. it would be silly to have to get towed for a busted belt.

 

I had a friend tell me that the plastic pulleys are actually better than the metal ones because they dissipate the heat quicker. However, I'm kind of from the old-school mindset of "Metal is Better"

I have saved my orig. pulley . . . I'll keep it under my seat along with the original belt.

how did you go about greasing the pulley?

 

the seals just pop out ( i used a small screwdriver) so you can re-grease the bearing.

yeah the plastic one 'seems' to be holding up after a couple of years/16k miles, but time will tell.

 

Don't forget to add the the under the seat stash the necessary tools/wrenches/pry bar in order to change the pulley and belt....otherwise it's tough to get those parts on.

BarnieTrk

 

i find it to be a strange coincidence that the plastic pulleys are also cheaper to make

 

Hmmm,,,,,, I'd have to question that theory.

-- Plastic is known for its insulating qualities.
-- Metal transfers heat much faster than plastic.

That's why they put plastic on the handles of pots and pans.

BarnieTrk

 

I have noticed the tensioner pulley on the wifes 96 Explorer limited 4.0 clicks.......Thought it was valve train noise, started listening.......take it out of gear, sound vanished, back in gear, clicking resumed. Noticed in gear the tensioner pulley "bounces" slightly, out of gear, no bounce. Followed the noise straight to the tensioner, ran with out the belt, no noise. Since the belt itself is silent, I am not going to pursue this, the clicking is so minor even the wife has not noticed it..............Seems to be a recurring issue with 4.0s

 

Old93junk,
It's your call, but if it was mine, I'd be shopping for a replacement pulley tomorrow and changing it the next evening. No fuss, no muss. Done at my convenience - not when it decides to finally seize, toss the belt, causing the vehicle to go down - while in the midst of rush hour...when tow trucks take 2hrs to get to ya...

You know it shouldn't be clicking. It won't heal. It needs to be changed before it seizes and causes your wife grief....... and likely you receive some grief too, for not acting on it sooner. Let alone costing you more $$.

But that's just me and my humble opinion.
Good luck with that decision!

BarnieTrk

 

i have witnessed what happens when a pulley fails. saw this ranger on the side of the road one day. stopped to see if i could help. pulley failed and shattered all over taking out the radiator! thing was leaking antifreeze all over.. = tow and big repair bill.