Newer OEM serpentine belt showing wear marks. Your thoughts? Pictures (1 Viewer)

[dealmaker]

This OEM serpentine belt was installed along with a "new" remanufactured OEM alternator in Dec. 2022 at 119,600 miles, which was ~14k miles ago.
In Feb 2024 at 125,200 miles, or approx 8k miles ago, an indy shop in Corvallis OR replaced the tensioner, when my kid had the vehicle up there while in school. Likely not an OEM part.

Suggestions on the wear? Should I go ahead and replace the belt, and when off give all the pulleys a spin to test them? Go ahead and replace tensioner and idler things with OEM to be on the safe side? Before I do anything I'll run my hand along the belt and pulleys once everything's cooled down , just to be sure there's nothing noticable rubbing.

This is a 2004 2UZFE engine not in a 100, but I also have an '06 LX470 and at some point imagine I'll be replacing the same on it, so mods please let this stay here where the large majority of 2UZFE smarties reside. I have two other vehicles w/2UZFE and neither have belts that look like this.

 

[TexLexican]

I see nothing obvious, but wish I had checked the bearings when replacing my belt. May as well put on a new one for the peace of mind.

 

[baltistyle]

The size of the tensioner and pulley changed in the lifecycle of this vehicle and perhaps a different part was installed from original and the correct belt was not used. This would be good to verify as you’re getting into the replacement.

 

[kbfj621989]

I would agree with removing the belt and testing the pulleys. They should spin smoothly but not freely.

 

[dealmaker]

Attached are photos of the tensioner pulley on the vehicle with the "wear" striping on the serpentine belt (first photo) and you can see the pulley is thinner than the pulley on the 2006 VVTI V8 tensioner pulley in the second photo. I'm guessing that is causing the outer 1/4 of the belt to slightly deflect along its width. In the first photo, the belt is at the edge of the pulley (the tensioner pulley doesn't have grooves in it to grip the belt like the other pulleys do). I'll also compare to the tensioner pulley on my 2006 LX when it gets back home later today (done, the LX tensioner and pulley appear to be original OEm and identical to the pulley in the second photos below), but for now I'm guessing this is likely the cause. I've done three 1k mile roadtrips since this tensioner was replaced, but I'm not comfortable with the thought that the belt is at the edge of that pulley and could potentially slip off. Pisses me off to no end that this mechanic didn't use oem parts even though there's a stealership with parts dept. within a couple of miles of its location. EDIT: I ran the number on the tensioner and it came back as Gates (38488), the correct tensioner for this vehicle although not OEM. I will probably buy a new OEM tensioner and switch out the pulley on to the tensioner already on the truck for now, unless I can buy just the pulley w/bearing and bolt/washer. I'm still on the orig radiator, so maybe when it's time to replace that, ior the timing belt, I'll swap back to an OEM tensioner.

 

[baltistyle]

If it has the original size tensioner, you can get an aftermarket pulley from litens. Oem changed so the new one you buy won’t fit the old pulley. It’s either the new style tensioner with the new style pulley or leaving the original tensioner in with an aftermarket pulley. I’ve done this with a 2000lc which is different than my 06 LX. Somewhere under my name or searching using that pulley name and my name you will see comparative pictures. The 2000 has not had one issue with this pulley since that post a few years ago and that was retro fitting a new pulley on to an old tensioner. I still do have the original pulley from the 2000 sitting around, it just needs a new bearing.

 

[dealmaker]

If it has the original size tensioner, you can get an aftermarket pulley from litens. Oem changed so the new one you buy won’t fit the old pulley. It’s either the new style tensioner with the new style pulley or leaving the original tensioner in with an aftermarket pulley. I’ve done this with a 2000lc which is different than my 06 LX. Somewhere under my name or searching using that pulley name and my name you will see comparative pictures. The 2000 has not had one issue with this pulley since that post a few years ago and that was retro fitting a new pulley on to an old tensioner. I still do have the original pulley from the 2000 sitting around, it just needs a new bearing.

This is the thread you referenced above: Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/serpentine-belt-tensioner-replacement.71396/page-10#post-15552960
And this is your first post in that thread regarding same: Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/serpentine-belt-tensioner-replacement.71396/page-9#post-14182996

 

[baltistyle]

This is the thread you referenced above: Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/serpentine-belt-tensioner-replacement.71396/page-10#post-15552960
And this is your first post in that thread regarding same: Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/serpentine-belt-tensioner-replacement.71396/page-9#post-14182996

Thanks for posting that. Im not the best at finding my old posts. That thread should really help op.

That bearing is still going strong by the way so I never rebuilt the original. To Clarify, I did this because a full tensioner job was not possible at the time of the repair. It was just going to be too much work at the time vs just R and R the pulley. It was winter and covid supply was making parts an issue. Just the pulley is a five minute job. Replacing that bearing is super easy, which I didnt know at the time. It can be popped out with no special tools.