Accessory Drive Belt Maintenance?

[EddieC]

Here they are at 120,000 miles and 16 years. The camera macro pictures are much more telling than the naked eye sees.
The AC belt was much worse and used less. Not sure that makes sense.

It's a very easy job. More effort was needed to get the bottom splash cover on because of the front bolts into a pipe section than to actually change the belts.

Followup question though; how much effort should the tensioners be giving back in the process?
I'd seen some videos and it appeared that the guys were busting a gut to keep tension off the belts while changing.
I just used a standard 8" ratchet and it was a breeze, just a second thought in the whole thing.

 

[Geotrash]

Here they are at 120,000 miles and 16 years. The camera macro pictures are much more telling than the naked eye sees.
The AC belt was much worse and used less. Not sure that makes sense.

It's a very easy job. More effort was needed to get the bottom splash cover on because of the front bolts into a pipe section than to actually change the belts.

Followup question though; how much effort should the tensioners be giving back in the process?
I'd seen some videos and it appeared that the guys were busting a gut to keep tension off the belts while changing.
I just used a standard 8" ratchet and it was a breeze, just a second thought in the whole thing.

I replace the tensioners and idler pulleys every time I change a belt. The bearings barely outlast a belt in my experience.

 

[tom3]

Those small pulleys rotate at two or three times the RPM of the crank driver pulley so be sure to check those. Should rotate nice fluid smooth and quiet. Any doubt replace with a good name brand item. Not a good place for a cheap China bearing.

 

[EddieC]

So beyond the obvious bearings, how does one know about the spring tension on the belt?

 

[Doubeleive]

So beyond the obvious bearings, how does one know about the spring tension on the belt?

aside from using some kind of gauge, then no telling

 

[petethepug]

It was a cheap (not USA) idler pulley made by a (not USA) company that allowed the accessory belt to come off at 50+ down hill, off a highway, to a intersection I couldn’t turn into or stop at.

My 3T YXL Denali had 5 teens inside and we could of all been killed because of a cheap $7 idler pulley threw the belt. My apologies is this is unrelated to the post. My point is that accessory belt is life or death at highway speeds controlling the steering, brakes and engine cooling. I do mine every 50k after that experience and only use the Gates green belt kit.

 

[EddieC]

aside from using some kind of gauge, then no telling

Let's put it a different way.
Not being interested in an actual number, how do we know if the belt is tight enough indicating that the tensioner is not worn to the point of not being effective enough?

 

[j91z28d1]

Let's put it a different way.
Not being interested in an actual number, how do we know if the belt is tight enough indicating that the tensioner is not worn to the point of not being effective enough?

most simple answer? is the belt slipping? if not, it's tight enough.

if you hear squealing from slipping, or find black rubber dust on stuff around pulleys it's not. but to be honest, the tensioner isn't much more than the pulley on it. if you're worried about it. Just buy a new one with the new pulley.

 

[Geotrash]

Let's put it a different way.
Not being interested in an actual number, how do we know if the belt is tight enough indicating that the tensioner is not worn to the point of not being effective enough?

I’m sure there is a spec but I have no idea what it is. Mine move relatively easily with a ratchet also.

 

[Doubeleive]

Let's put it a different way.
Not being interested in an actual number, how do we know if the belt is tight enough indicating that the tensioner is not worn to the point of not being effective enough?

bottom line without a gauge and a spec to reference then just consider it a wear item and replace it, usually if there is a problem with it then it's starts making noise.
my guess is they might typically go 100k, maybe longer. I think I replaced mine once on this truck probably around 100k just because it was questionable at that mileage to me. now I am at 165k or so and I haven't heard any noises lately. The pulley seems to not last as long probably 60-80k or so on oem, aftermarket not so much
the pulley I have replaced at least 3 times, first one I bought a decent name brand aftermarket and that didn't make it very far so I bought what I thought was a oem, but the finish wore off in nothing flat and I thought that was wierd so I bought another oem and even after a good while it still has at least some of the black finish on it and no issue's so far.