Is there an eazy way to unseize the belt tensioner without breaking it because it looks like I'd have to pull the engine to replace it. Any help would be great! Thanks.

 

Are you sure you've got the belt tensioner and not the idler? I've never heard of the tensioner seizing.

 

yep...I read the diagram first!

 

Is it the tensioner movement that's seized or the bolt holding the tensioner to the engine?

 

Well I want to change the belt and it says on the diagram to turn the tensioner counterclockwise and it wont even budge. The wheel part of the tensioner will spin but I cant relieve the tension on the belt.

 

Just to double check here, are you using a 3/8" or 1/2" (I can't remember the right size) breaker bar in the square hole to release the tension?

 

There is no square hole. There wasnt one on my 97 f150 that I did 2 weeks ago either.

 

Did you "have to pull the engine" on your "97 f150"?

We're left to guess which engine, but on my '98 4.6 the belt tensioner can be removed by taking out 3 bolts. Its pretty tight b/c of the enormous fan shroud, but the alternative isn't pulling the engine.

You could simply cut the damaged belt off, the new tensioner will surely have the "square hole" used to relieve tension. I have a piece of SS tube, used for boat railing, that makes a great ratchet extension. I used this for extra leverage to replace the belt, making it an easy 1 man job to thread a new belt.

The tensioner arm pivot flexes on a plastic bearing. You can press on the belt between 2 far apart pulleys to check to see if its seized. IMO if the tensioner is stuck & the usual remedies, like blasting it w/WD, LW or PB didn't free it, I wouldn't worry about how to "unseize" it. You could remove it, compress & remove it's spring, and take it apart to see if the components can be refurbished, BUT I wouldn't want to keep an old tensioner w/o the square hole that makes it easy to replace the belt.

 

Sorry, it's a 4.2l...I'll see what I can do! Thanks

 

the pulley your taking about is turning free. it is connected to an aluminum arm several inches long. at the other end of the arm is the srping wound up inside an aluminum case. if you look on the ARM, about an inch or two from the belt pulley, you will see a 1/2 inch square hole. if you put an 18 inch breaker bar in the hole and use its leverage, the arm will move, guaranteed.