Does anyone know if the torx head bolt that holds the belt tensioner on is a right-hand or left-hand thread? This is on a 1993 F-150 with a 302. The bolt that holds the belt-tensioner pulley on broke, and I can't get a drill in between the radiator and the bracket to drill out the old bolt so it looks like I have no option but to remove the whole bracket. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Ahhh! My pulley just melted due to a seized bearing. It's a 94 F150 302. Is it really the belt tesioner you are changing (torx head) My tensioner pulley was bolt head and came off clockwise. The one i replaced it with also melted 20 seconds after running, what's with that? Too tight?

 

there is a torx head bolt that hold the whole tensioner on and the 5/8's head bolt holds just the pulley. i think it is a regular threaded bolt though

 

Problem is fixed. I was able to remove the whole assembly by taking out the torx-head bolt. Then I used a small drill bit and an ease-out to remove the broken bolt in the pulley hole. Replaced it with a new one and I'm back on the road again. Very simple repair.

 

 

The bolt holding the pulley to the pivoting arm is a left hand bolt. The bolt holding the spring loaded lever arm to the block is std right hand

 

Since there are multiple types, locations & mountings, the best guideline is it unscrews in the opposite direction of belt travel over the pulley/idler.

 

Good point, I wasn't thinking here. My trucks are 460s where the tensioner linkage is on the upper left of the engine block. On the same vein, I will pull the pulley, carefully pop the seals, clean and repack with synthetic grease and have never had a failure, I do this every couple of years, about the same time as I'll pull my front hubs off and clean and regrease. The tensioner pulleys I've seen failures on, when opened up, were all w/o grease