Belt Tensioner

[grlnbear04]

Could someone tell me the best way to shim the tensioner. I can see that the tensioner is out of line and I wanted to try and shim it to straighten it out.

 

[trail B2]

I would go to the parts house with the one that I had make sure it's the one that is supposed to be there.There is a reason it's not lining up I try to focus on cause not effect.

 

[srteach]

If the tensioner is out of alignment, something is wrongor worn out. Don't rig it ... fix it.

 

[McCormack]

3.0 tensioners are poorly designed and very easily pull out of alignment, even when new. Get yourself a couple of small sheets of different thickness metal sheet stock at the parts store, and make couple of small nickel size washers out of the sheet stock. Pull your tensioner off, and hang one of the washers on the locating peg, then put the tensioner and belt back on. Check the tensioner pulley for straightness with a straight edge (line it up with the crank pulley). If it's still not lined up properly, then try a different thicknesses of sheet stock (or double the washers up) until the tensioner lines up properly.

 

[Big Jim M]

What??

Could someone tell me the best way to shim the tensioner. I can see that the tensioner is out of line and I wanted to try and shim it to straighten it out.

If you have a ten year old vehicle and just now noticed the tensioner being crooked.. It prolly needs to be replaced.
There is a chance the other pully you are trying to line it up with is the one that needs repair.
Whatever you do, DON"T try to shim something that NEEDS to be straight! REPAIR the problem with a new whatever it is..
Big JIm

 

[grlnbear04]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was only asking about the shims because I read about it in another thread here. I've tried a lot of other things to fix the squeeling but nothing seems to work.

 

[McCormack]

Like I said, 3.0 tensioners are poorly designed, and buying a new one does not guaranty that it will be straight once installed. I shimmed my OEM tensioner 7 or 8 years ago, and it's still straight with no sign of belt squeal.

 

[grlnbear04]

Like I said, 3.0 tensioners are poorly designed, and buying a new one does not guaranty that it will be straight once installed. I shimmed my OEM tensioner 7 or 8 years ago, and it's still straight with no sign of belt squeal.

Thanks McCormack.
I think I'm going to give the shim's a try. I've tried a lot of different things to get rid of the squealing with no success.

 

[McCormack]

Thanks McCormack.
I think I'm going to give the shim's a try. I've tried a lot of different things to get rid of the squealing with no success.

Glad to help out. Out of alignment tensioners are common to the 3.0 engine, and I'll bet if you were to put a straight edge on your tensioner pulley and reference it to your crank pulley you would find that your tensioner is indeed out of alignment.

Another thing to be aware of is that there are two different pulley sizes available for the tensioner and the idler, and if you have the two largest pulley sizes on both the tensioner and the idler, then the serp belt will hardly go on, and it stretches the belt way too tight and puts excess strain on the tensioner, pulling it out of alignment. I went to the parts store and got two of the smaller pulleys and installed them, and now my belt goes on much easier, and it doesn't put nearly as much strain on the tensioner.

 

[grlnbear04]

I went and shimmed the tentioner and put a new belt on and no more squeal. Thanks for the advice McCormack.

 

[McCormack]

I went and shimmed the tentioner and put a new belt on and no more squeal. Thanks for the advice McCormack.

But wait a minute, the "experts" said that shimming your tensioner wouldn't fix the problem, so you must be just imagining that your squeal is gone.

Ach, I'm just rubbing their noses in it a little bit. :^) Glad you got 'er fixed grlnbear.