Serpentine Belt Tensioner Replacement

[hoser]

Toyota doesn't specify a replacement interval but I think 90k is a good time to do it... along with t-belt service. At 140k, my s-belt jumped off at an inopportune moment (passing on a two lane road). I was able to reinstall it on the side of the road but noticed the tensioner was not up to par.

 

[UdirtyZJ]

I had the same tensioner problem with my 2000 this past weekend. Bought aftermarket pulley from autozone just to find out it didn't fit after being in the woods. ( reminder to self to inspect parts removed vs parts replaced). Used some washers to correct spacing issue to get home. Went back to autozone and bought a timken bearing to fit into original pulley wheel. Punched old bearing out and pressed new one in with some sockets and light hammer. Best $6 I've spent to get back to original. Dealer wanted $82.

 

[LexandRex]

Getting ready to replace the serp belt and tensioner as some preventive mx and because it's making a squeaking/chriping noise as the engine runs. It's starting to get louder and is really noticeable if you stand in front of the truck while it's idling.

Should I replace the idler pulley while I'm doing the belt and tensioner or is it a waste of money?

The directions on here seem pretty straight forward so hopefully I'm not getting in over my head on this one? (I'm a barely competent car mechanic...done spark plugs, TB clean, transmission flush, coolant flush, diff fluids, oil etc)

07 LC w/ 100K miles and the belt has not been done before

 

[CharlieS]

Doing the tensioner isn't hard, but requires more effort than just replacing the serpentine belt and idler. You have to take a bunch of stuff apart, including disconnecting the alternator and removing small timing belt covers. I don't think it is a big deal, but if you aren't much into wrenching, you may not enjoy it. I did the idler on mine when I did the belt/tensioner. It is a couple of minute job if you already have the belt off. If the bearings are fine, it is a waste of money to replace it, but mine were rough, and it is hard to tell until you have it off the car, and at that point you are stuck if you don't have the replacement part handy.

 

[lead62]

You can take pressure off the belt and spin the idler on its own. Just be willing to route the belt again when it comes off the pulleys. Just for peace of mind.

 

[lead62]

Might as well check the fan bracket while you are in there too.

 

[LexandRex]

Doing the tensioner isn't hard, but requires more effort than just replacing the serpentine belt and idler. You have to take a bunch of stuff apart, including disconnecting the alternator and removing small timing belt covers. I don't think it is a big deal, but if you aren't much into wrenching, you may not enjoy it. I did the idler on mine when I did the belt/tensioner. It is a couple of minute job if you already have the belt off. If the bearings are fine, it is a waste of money to replace it, but mine were rough, and it is hard to tell until you have it off the car, and at that point you are stuck if you don't have the replacement part handy.

You can take pressure off the belt and spin the idler on its own. Just be willing to route the belt again when it comes off the pulleys. Just for peace of mind.

Thanks for the replies, I'll check out the fan bracket as well...pics to follow this weekend for mechanic newbs like myself.

 

[LexandRex]

DISCLAIMER: I'm new to working on my truck and am just learning as I go so forgive me for misnaming something etc....

Posting some pics to help out the novice mechanics like myself. Changing the serpentine belt, idler pulley and just the tensioner pulley is a job. Changing the entire tensioner is a little harder but doesn't seem too bad. To remove the tensioner you have get the alternator off of the stud they share to remove the tensioner....and to remove the alternator off of the stud you have to remove the power steering pulley for clearance to get the alternator off.

My truck was squealing and chirping pretty bad (07 LC with 100K and the serpentine belt had not be done before). It was fairly loud if the truck was idling and you were standing in front of it. I wasn't sure what the squealing was coming from so I elected to just do the idler pulley, tensioner pulley and belt all at once. Although it was probably not necessary to do both of the pulleys as I bet only one was causing the chirping but I don't know.

Parts:

Engine bank cover removed (2x10mm bolts and 2x10mm nuts)

Remove air intake element going from the throttle body to the air box (2x10mm bolts on the portion going back to PS of the engine block, two clamps on TB and air box, various hoses connected but they are all different sizes so it would be difficult to mix them up putting them back on.

Below is a pic of the tensioner with the pulley right in the middle of the pic. Take a 14mm socket and wrench and tighten the bolt down (left hand thread so set wrench to losen). As you tighten the bolt down the tensioner will move downward towards the ground releasing the tension on the belt and then you can just slide the belt off.

 

[LexandRex]

If you are just replacing the tensioner pulley take it off of the new tensioner and put in the old part in the truck

Here are a few pics of moving the alternator out of the way and the power steering pulley

The reason I didn't replace the whole tensioner was because I didn't have a pulley puller to remove the power steering pulley and was running out of time (and patience haha)

Here is a pic of the idler pulley I replaced as well

When putting the belt back on route it just like the diagram on the hood of the truck but leave it off of the idler pulley. Take your 14mm socket and wrench and pull down the tensioner pulley again just like when you were taking off the belt. This will allow enough play for you to slide the belt over the idler pulley with your right hand. Release the tensioner pulley and your done!

 

[LBridges]

... The reason I didn't replace the whole tensioner was because I didn't have a pulley puller to remove the power steering pulley and was running out of time (and patience haha)
...

Unless your model is different from mine (a 2000 LX), you can stick a socket on the end of an extension through the holes in the PS pump pulley and remove the mounting bolts (2 or 3, I forget). No need to remove the PS Pump pulley.

Otherwise a good write-up and good pics too!

 

[LexandRex]

Unless your model is different from mine (a 2000 LX), you can stick a socket on the end of an extension through the holes in the PS pump pulley and remove the mounting bolts (2 or 3, I forget). No need to remove the PS Pump pulley.

I bet you're correct, I'll keep that in mind next time I have to take off the alternator for something. Thanks for the tip.

 

[OuttaTown]

Replaced mine today at 180,000. Thanks to previous posters, this was pretty easy. I noticed my tensioner was weak-I was able to make it move with little pressure from my thumb on the belt.

Maybe this image will help someone understand a couple of the steps involved.

 

[abuck99]

Chasing a start up chirp. Installed a new serpentine belt and its still chirping on cold starts. Checked all the pulleys and they spin freely. The tensioner mechanism doesn't seem to be working right, it does not spring back into position when you release the pulley, I have to pull it/wrench it back into position. There should be enough spring tension to return on its own right? I tried cleaning the mechanism but it made no difference.

Doesn't look like the replacement tensioner comes with the pulley, I am I seeing that right, does it need to be ordered separately?
16620-0W100

 

[lead62]

I went to Toyota directly on this one and the tensioner came with the pulley mounted. I tried to order it through advanced and autozone but did not trust the fit and they had to order it. Toyota had it in stock. Did you check the fan pulley/mount bracket also?

 

[abuck99]

Thanks- I'm ordering the tensioner. Partznet is having a 10% off sale this week- I had hoped to be able to do this on my next TB interval, but I don't think it's going to make it.

I checked the fan pulley- but not easy to spin that due to the fan clutch.

 

[JS114]

For a data point on this...my dealership in Atlanta wanted (wait for it) $783 to do this project. I ordered it from Toyota Parts Deal for $68, shipped.

 

[sean2202]

I lost a idler pulley on a previous vehicle 200 miles from home. Not fun. Now for piece of mind I put blue locktite on that bolt.

 

[abuck99]

For a data point on this...my dealership in Atlanta wanted (wait for it) $783 to do this project. I ordered it from Toyota Parts Deal for $68, shipped.

Crikey-

which dealer?

 

[fooldall1]

Can someone expand a bit on the PS pulley? I have a 2000 LC, and it seems that someone mentions above that an extension on a socket- between the vanes of the PS pulley, can back out two or three bolts and *not* have to remove the PS pulley? No pulley wrench required?

From the pics above by Outtatown, it looks like the bolts are just loosened enough in this manner to "lean" the PS pulley forward..

Hoping someone can expand on that step a bit.

 

[fooldall1]

I know this is an old thread but I just replaced my idler and these instructions were invaluable...huge thanks to jp213a Thought it might be worth mentioning that on a '98 (136k miles btw) it is possible to replace the idler without removing the power steering pulley OR pump. It's tricky but you have just enough room to work the alternator out and let it hang. All in all the part cost about $60+shipping and took a little over an hour to swap.

About a month ago I replaced my steering rack because of a slight leak. The steering was definitely better after the swap but I was amazed that my steering got even noticeably better after I replaced my idler. The belt on the truck was about 6 months old, and the old idler was not jumping badly, etc. but as you can see from the pics the difference in the two OEM idlers is pretty significant (hard to tell from the pics but the housing that holds the spring on the new idler is maybe 40% bigger). If you're experiencing unusual resistance when parking for example and have the original old style idler I highly recommend replacing it before you do anything else.
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EXACTLY what is happening to me. The Tensioner and Idler are noisy and the steering are exactly as you describe. Will do this ASAP!