Drive belt tensioner

[elmaso]

now excuse me if this seems like silly question but where the #### is the Drive belt tensioner?! i've been seaching around the oil covered mess around the pullys and i cant find te bloody thing! can some one help me on this, or post a picture on where it is? because my serive manual is ####ing useless!!

sorry for the swearing folks, but been at it for a while now,
cheers.

[Brett_jjj]

The serpentine belt tensioner is marked with the red arrow in the pic..Its a VN engine in the pic,but the belt tensioner is still pretty much in the same area on the VS V6..

[elmaso]

yeh, my bad, the service manual wanst descriptive, the words cant describe ow much of an asshat i feel at the moment....
found it, just goining to burn that shitty book lol.

[Brett_jjj]

Mate dont feel too bad,everyones gotta start out somewhere,and now you know something you didnt before.Learn one new thing every day about your car from here on JC,and you will be fixing your car like a pro in no time..Also Ive found that the Gregorys brand is the best workshop manual to get (besides the factory ones of course).

[nathanVY]

The site is better than most workshop manuals lol

[F l a k]

If you're taking the tensioner off and it's the original plastic one it's probably worth replacing with a metal one. I did on mine a couple of years back, it looks better and is a lot quieter.

[Brett_jjj]

You can just replace the bearing in the metal type tensioner pulley, and also in the metal type idler pulleys too.I paid around $7 each for 3 new bearing for the 3 pulleys.And the bearings are only held in by a snap ring thats easily enough removed with snapring pliers..A 15 minute job.When removing the tensioner pulley,remember that the bolt that holds the tensioner pulley to the tensioner, has a left hand thread.Ive seen a few people strip or snap this tensioner bolt by trying to undo it the wrong way.

[hako]

My 3 pulleys don't have snap rings but are pressed in and Locktited - I've replaced all 3 bearings only because they are so cheap as Brett says. You do need a solid vyce to remove and press the bearings in.

[jatsvl]

if you are doing one then do them all, it is cheap and saves you doing another next week/month.

[Brett_jjj]

I think its only the genuine metal pulleys that have the snap rings/circlips holding the bearing in place.

[elmaso]

how do i remove the enitre tensioner thing? i need to get that off to take off the manifold.

[Brett_jjj]

To remove the belt tensioner,the gregorys workshop manual says-
Drain cooling system.
Remove the engine cover.
Remove the alternator support brace.
Remove the bolts retaining the alternator to the tensioner mounting.Raise the alternator and disconnect the wiring connector from the underside of the alternator.
Remove the alternator.
Release the clamps on the heater hoses located on the drivers side of the engine.Disconnect the hoses.
Remove the retaining nuts,disconnect the earth wiring from the tensioner retaining stud.Remove the heater inlet pipe and discard the o-ring.
Remove the stud retaining the heater outlet pipe bracket to the tensioner and withdraw the pipe from the tensioner assembly.Discard the o-ring.
Remove the studs retaining the tensioner assembly.Remove the tensioner assembly from the engine..

You can buy new o rings for the heater inlet/outlet pipes from holden..

[elmaso]

Holy jesus thank you!! Your a bloody legend mate!

[Brett_jjj]

No problem.