belt tensioner. advice needed RESOLVED
#1
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Evening all.
I want to replace the upper belt tensioner as I think that is what is causing a strange sound when I start the car in the morning..only happens first thing in the morning when I put the car into gear...disappears if I shift back to park.
Anyway, I bought a new tensioner and pulley from napa, surprising cheap at $72 !.
As usual...looks easy to replace, but I'm wondering if that is really the case...lol
If you have replaced one, can you tell me if it,s a straightforward job.
Thanks muchly
I want to replace the upper belt tensioner as I think that is what is causing a strange sound when I start the car in the morning..only happens first thing in the morning when I put the car into gear...disappears if I shift back to park.
Anyway, I bought a new tensioner and pulley from napa, surprising cheap at $72 !.
As usual...looks easy to replace, but I'm wondering if that is really the case...lol
If you have replaced one, can you tell me if it,s a straightforward job.
Thanks muchly
#3
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
ok..here goes...text first followed by pics.
1. jack up passenger side of car and remove passenger side wheel
2. locate and remove the plastic lower inner wheel well (3 plastic crosshead fastners..all broke, replaced with metal screws. and one 12mm bolt.
3. disconnect the large blue plug next to the abs unit. To disconnect, locate the black lever at the front of the plug and pull it upwards, this releases the plug and you can move the plug out of the way to allow room to place your ratchet and leverage pipe
4.locate the serpentine belt tensioner.
5. note the 3/8 square notch at the top of the tensioner. You will insert a 3/8 ratchet into this hole with a pile slipped over the ratchet for easy leverage
Push the pole or ratchet towards the windscreen and the belt will slacken enough for you to remove it.
6. remove belt. inspect for wear and replace if necessary ($34 @ NAPA)
7. Take a 13mm wrench or ratchet (ratchet may not fit.. i had to grind down the 3/8 ratchet stub so it would fit. Next locate the 13mm bolt head in the center of the tensioner and remove the bolt. it will not come all the way out, but comes out enough the remove the unit.
On the back of the tensioner are 2 small round stubs. These locate into the engine for correct alignment of the tensioner.
8. The tensioner should fall down once the bolt is out..if not, pry it off with a flat blade.
9. Put the new tensioner in place and tighten the bolt
10. replace the serpentine belt (using the same ratchet/pipe to move the tensioner forward towards windscreen to allow enough slack)
11. Replace Blue plug, making sure to push the black locking lever down
12. replace the inner wheel well.
13. replace wheel
14. etc etc etc
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17446d1330825916-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-1-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17447d1330825928-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-2-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17448d1330825938-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-3-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17449d1330825948-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-4-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17450d1330825969-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-5-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17452d1330825992-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-7-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17453d1330826003-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-8-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17454d1330826012-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-9-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17455d1330826026-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-10-jpg)
1. jack up passenger side of car and remove passenger side wheel
2. locate and remove the plastic lower inner wheel well (3 plastic crosshead fastners..all broke, replaced with metal screws. and one 12mm bolt.
3. disconnect the large blue plug next to the abs unit. To disconnect, locate the black lever at the front of the plug and pull it upwards, this releases the plug and you can move the plug out of the way to allow room to place your ratchet and leverage pipe
4.locate the serpentine belt tensioner.
5. note the 3/8 square notch at the top of the tensioner. You will insert a 3/8 ratchet into this hole with a pile slipped over the ratchet for easy leverage
Push the pole or ratchet towards the windscreen and the belt will slacken enough for you to remove it.
6. remove belt. inspect for wear and replace if necessary ($34 @ NAPA)
7. Take a 13mm wrench or ratchet (ratchet may not fit.. i had to grind down the 3/8 ratchet stub so it would fit. Next locate the 13mm bolt head in the center of the tensioner and remove the bolt. it will not come all the way out, but comes out enough the remove the unit.
On the back of the tensioner are 2 small round stubs. These locate into the engine for correct alignment of the tensioner.
8. The tensioner should fall down once the bolt is out..if not, pry it off with a flat blade.
9. Put the new tensioner in place and tighten the bolt
10. replace the serpentine belt (using the same ratchet/pipe to move the tensioner forward towards windscreen to allow enough slack)
11. Replace Blue plug, making sure to push the black locking lever down
12. replace the inner wheel well.
13. replace wheel
14. etc etc etc
Last edited by JimC64; 03-05-2012 at 12:06 PM. Reason: pics in post
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#5
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#7
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#8
#9
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I know this post is kind of old so I hope someone picks up my question. I am tackling this over the weekend but I notice that the diagram has a couple of idler pulleys. Auto Zone didn't carry them but is it even necessary to replace them as long as you got the darn thing apart? I guess I'll answer that question when tensioner is replaced and if the whirring noise goes away.
#10
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Buckman, if you are talking about the fixed pulleys, they should be a standard "Ford" pulley. If you question it, pull it off, go to the auto parts store and they should be able to match it up for you. Worst case, tell them that you have a 05 Lincoln LS with the 3.0L motor. That should make life a little easier.
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JimC64 (08-03-2013)
#11
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Again, thanks Thermo. That is good to know. After taking off the tensioner, I am convinced that this was the source of the whirring noise and the other pulleys should be fine. The next issue I am having is getting the "slim-jim" into the 3/8 hole to rotate the tensioner so I can slip the belt on. No room for the regular 3/8 drive. The tool that AZ rented to me is either too long to get at it from the bottom or the drive part needs to be about 45 degrees either way so it doesnt hit the radiator in front or the motor mount in back. I'm going back to see if they have something else but any suggestions would be welcomed.
#12
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Buckman, something you may want to try is to get your hands on a ratchet and see if you can slide that in there to get on to the bolt to rotate the tensioner. Then you can use a bar of some sort to go over the handle to give you the length you need to move things around.
The other idea is to get your hands on an offset wrench and then put that on the bolt so that is what connects and then you can use a bar on that to rotate the tensioner.
The other idea is to get your hands on an offset wrench and then put that on the bolt so that is what connects and then you can use a bar on that to rotate the tensioner.
#14
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I used a Craftsman 3/8 drive breaker bar (you can just pivot the drive part into the hole in the tensioner), and then slid the pipe (@14") over the handle and pulled down to release tension on the belt, and to put the new belt on.
This was done from the wheel well.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/y...P24mqHPhI3wrQE
This was done from the wheel well.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/y...P24mqHPhI3wrQE
#15
![Default](/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif)
[QUOTE=iownme;477818]ok..here goes...text first followed by pics.
1. jack up passenger side of car and remove passenger side wheel
2. locate and remove the plastic lower inner wheel well (3 plastic crosshead fastners..all broke, replaced with metal screws. and one 12mm bolt.
3. disconnect the large blue plug next to the abs unit. To disconnect, locate the black lever at the front of the plug and pull it upwards, this releases the plug and you can move the plug out of the way to allow room to place your ratchet and leverage pipe
4.locate the serpentine belt tensioner.
5. note the 3/8 square notch at the top of the tensioner. You will insert a 3/8 ratchet into this hole with a pile slipped over the ratchet for easy leverage
Push the pole or ratchet towards the windscreen and the belt will slacken enough for you to remove it.
6. remove belt. inspect for wear and replace if necessary ($34 @ NAPA)
7. Take a 13mm wrench or ratchet (ratchet may not fit.. i had to grind down the 3/8 ratchet stub so it would fit. Next locate the 13mm bolt head in the center of the tensioner and remove the bolt. it will not come all the way out, but comes out enough the remove the unit.
On the back of the tensioner are 2 small round stubs. These locate into the engine for correct alignment of the tensioner.
8. The tensioner should fall down once the bolt is out..if not, pry it off with a flat blade.
9. Put the new tensioner in place and tighten the bolt
10. replace the serpentine belt (using the same ratchet/pipe to move the tensioner forward towards windscreen to allow enough slack)
11. Replace Blue plug, making sure to push the black locking lever down
12. replace the inner wheel well.
13. replace wheel
14. etc etc etc
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17446d1330825916-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-1-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17447d1330825928-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-2-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17448d1330825938-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-3-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17449d1330825948-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-4-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17450d1330825969-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-5-jpg)
![](https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/attachments/x-type-14/17452d1330825992-belt-tensioner-advice-needed-fixed-7-jpg)
Hey, Iownme. How'd you put the tension back on the serpentine belt? I used a 3/8 breaker bar to loosen the tension back on the pulley, but I don't know how to set the tension back on the serpentine belt. I have thought of pulling the breaker bar towards me, but found not insufficient room to do it. Would like to know how did you do it.
1. jack up passenger side of car and remove passenger side wheel
2. locate and remove the plastic lower inner wheel well (3 plastic crosshead fastners..all broke, replaced with metal screws. and one 12mm bolt.
3. disconnect the large blue plug next to the abs unit. To disconnect, locate the black lever at the front of the plug and pull it upwards, this releases the plug and you can move the plug out of the way to allow room to place your ratchet and leverage pipe
4.locate the serpentine belt tensioner.
5. note the 3/8 square notch at the top of the tensioner. You will insert a 3/8 ratchet into this hole with a pile slipped over the ratchet for easy leverage
Push the pole or ratchet towards the windscreen and the belt will slacken enough for you to remove it.
6. remove belt. inspect for wear and replace if necessary ($34 @ NAPA)
7. Take a 13mm wrench or ratchet (ratchet may not fit.. i had to grind down the 3/8 ratchet stub so it would fit. Next locate the 13mm bolt head in the center of the tensioner and remove the bolt. it will not come all the way out, but comes out enough the remove the unit.
On the back of the tensioner are 2 small round stubs. These locate into the engine for correct alignment of the tensioner.
8. The tensioner should fall down once the bolt is out..if not, pry it off with a flat blade.
9. Put the new tensioner in place and tighten the bolt
10. replace the serpentine belt (using the same ratchet/pipe to move the tensioner forward towards windscreen to allow enough slack)
11. Replace Blue plug, making sure to push the black locking lever down
12. replace the inner wheel well.
13. replace wheel
14. etc etc etc
Hey, Iownme. How'd you put the tension back on the serpentine belt? I used a 3/8 breaker bar to loosen the tension back on the pulley, but I don't know how to set the tension back on the serpentine belt. I have thought of pulling the breaker bar towards me, but found not insufficient room to do it. Would like to know how did you do it.
#16
#18
#19
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Could be either of those. The pulley still has tension when I turn it to where I will need to loosen the tension on the serpentine belt. I will use the tool purposely for this task, and see if that helps me pull it back. Insufficient room to do it with the 3/8 breaker bar I used. Thanks for your reply.
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