Is it okay to take the tensioner I have circled in the photo off to help get the belts off easier?
1fz-fe belt tensioner
- Thread starter Sorians
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What you have circled is not a tensioner. It is an idler pulley.
Yes, these can run without it. I drove mine for 25K miles before I realized it was missing from the PO.
You have cogged belts on there and that idler will make them howl. OEM belts are NOT cogged and do not howl due to that idler.
The adjuster is entirely in front of the alternator.
Tools you need:
3/8" Dr. Breaker bar
3/8" Dr. Ratchet
3/8" x 3" extension
14mm socket, 3/8" Dr, 6 point, standard or deep well.
12mm combination wrench
12mm combination ratchet wrench with standard 15° on box end (not straight-flat)
With that set of tools, the most important one is the last one. I set mine "backwards" and use it from in front of the radiator with my right hand down by the PS pump and hook the ratchet on the adjuster bolt. I must do it completely by feel, and you must drive the tensioner bolt almost the entire length of it's throw from fully tensioned to loose enough to pull the belts.
When these are properly tensioned, they are VERY tight.
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- #3
As a mechanic of 20 years Im embarassed to say that you just pointed something out to me that answers a riddle ive been having lately. After completely baselining my frontal area of truck ive had an annoying hum. Sure enough I replaced my belts with cogged and it never occurred to me till your post. That is 100% the noise Im hearing.
Ive been wondering if it was my power steering pump gear from when I rebuilt the pump.
Ive been wondering if it was my power steering pump gear from when I rebuilt the pump.
OEM belts are cheap!
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Have a partsouq order half way here now, should have put them in the order 
Perhaps ill go with the new plan and lighten my rig by removing idler.
Perhaps ill go with the new plan and lighten my rig by removing idler.
I bought a tensioner and installed it because I figured Mr. T engineers did it for a reason that is beyond my comprehension. I think it also reduces belt slap under deceleration.Have a partsouq order half way here now, should have put them in the order
Perhaps ill go with the new plan and lighten my rig by removing idler.
My PO left off a lot of stuff under the hood.
Belt idler
Alternator belt adjuster bracket
Spark Plug loom cover (referred to as head cover one and two I believe)
Just remember, we are all somebody elses P.O. Hopefully not for a while. Im sick of selling all my favorite things.
Well, mine will definitely leave my hands in better shape than it arrived, unless I die in it.
OEM matched set:
I even did that with mine. The whole label matching up bit. Didnt help the hum.
Is the belt tensioner under the AC compressor on the 1FZFE? I found a pulley that has a lot of wiggle to it that I think is making a lot of noise. This one is looking up to the left from the front under the engine, to the right of the lower radiator hose. It sits under the AC compressor.
Disregard, it is the AC Compressor Belt tensioner pulley.
Yes and No.
Yes it is a belt tensioner but it is the tensioner for the A/C drive belt. (Note there is a single belt there)
The dual belts are tensioned via the alternator adjustment. There is an Idler (from the factory, many have removed it) mounted at the top of the oil pump cover. Basically it just prevents the belts from fluttering over that fairly long unsupported span to the drivers side of the engine. It is NOT adjustable and is not intended to be a tensioner.
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Gotcha. Super helpful picture! Just ordered a new idler pulley, two new belts for the alternator and fan, a new AC belt tensioner pulley and a new alternator.. should be a fun few hoursYes and No.
Yes it is a belt tensioner but it is the tenstioner for the A/C drive belt. (Note there is a single belt there)
The dual belts are tensioned via the alternator adjustment. There is an Idler (from the factory, many have removed it) mounted at the top of the oil pump cover. Basically it just prevents the belts from fluttering over that fairly long unsupported span to the drivers side of the engine. It is NOT adjustable and is not intended to be a tensioner.
View attachment 2894008
Let’s get the verbiage correct.
The pulley under the alternator is an “idler pulley.”
The pulley associated with the AC compressor is a “tensioner pulley.”
The pulley under the alternator is an “idler pulley.”
The pulley associated with the AC compressor is a “tensioner pulley.”
Would this logic then classify the alternator pulley as a tensioner?Let’s get the verbiage correct.
The pulley under the alternator is an “idler pulley.”
The pulley associated with the AC compressor is a “tensioner pulley.”
It’s a pulley that is tensioned against… Not one that operates as a tensioner by design or functional operation.
From a mechanical perspective, both the AC and alternator pulleys achieve the same task. They set a tension to the belt(s).
Both have a jacking screw to set tension to the belt(s) and a lock nut or bolt to secure the setting. One does not behave any differently than the other.
Visually they may seem different with one having an alternator attached to it while the other does not. The function is the same however.
Any other pulley that is fixed in place would be considered a pulley that is tensioned against.
If we refer to the adjustable AC pulley as a tensioner, then we should also refer to the adjustable alternator pulley as a tensioner.
Regarding the idler pulley - I've always thought about the Land Cruiser as being the go anywhere machine. What if you lose both belts in a place that you can only source a belt that is too long. The alternator pulley is maxed out and the belt is still too long. If the idler was in place, you could re-route the belt around the top of the pulley to shorten the belt enough to provide adequate tension. Very unlikely story here in the USA, but other parts of the world its possible. I keep my idler in place.
