OT: 90 chevy van tension pully

Slowpoke

Well-known Member
I have a loud screeching noise from the front of the 350 engine and have loosened the 18mm bolt of the tension arm that tightens the serpentine belt,
but I'm unable to lift the arm by hand, so is a special tool required?
There is an extended nut holding the flat pulley to the arm.
Thanks for any advice.
Slowpoke
 
Most of those tighteners have a spot to use a 3/8" drive breaker bar to help pull up and relieve the tension.
 
Check that spring tensioner to see if the spring is not getting weak or is starting to freeze up. It will let the belt slip if its getting weak. I have had to replace several of them on my GMC with the 5.7 Vortec.
 
Probably has a square hole somewhere that you use a 3/8 breaker bar in for a lever, tensioners go bad too, wear out in the pivot, tip out of alignment and squeal.
 

That adjuster uses the bolt head that retains the pulley to the arm as the point you unload the tension...

I googled the part it did not show any other provision to move it...

Those applications were particular about the belt length so get a good quality belt... The tensioner is a leaver that uses mechanical advantage, the sweet spot is in a very small range and its marked on the tensioner arm to tensioner mounting body... Make sure when you replace the belt the tensioner is in that sweet spot...
 
The tensioner is likely frozen in place. Probably time to replace it and the belt. While the belt is off, hand turn each accessory, check for alignment, roughness, loose bearings, make sure everything will turn freely.

You can also start the engine up with the belt off, listen if the sound is gone.
 
Hobo NC,
You are exactly right!
I just can't get enough
movement to lift the pulley up
off the belt because of the AC
hoses, fan shroud, etc. I'm
going to a shorter breaker bar
and will devise some way to
use the left frame member as
an anchor to pull the bar
further down.
 
No screeching with engine on, belt off.
Looks like AC pulley is not turning smooth. Some rough spots can be felt. AC is never used 'cause it doesn't work
and was not tested when I purchased van several years ago in N Dakota in January during blizzard.
 
In the good old days one could
just remove the individual
belt and go on. Now I have to
repair the compressor to use
the vehicle.
I found a small hook/hook
turnbuckle, hooked one end to
a hole drilled in the end of a
ratchet cheater pipe and the
other end to a light chain
that is fastened to some kind
of bracket at the bottom of
the block. When both hooks
were retracted the tension
pulley lifted off the belt.
Now to figure out how to
replace the compressor bearing
at least cost.
 
You can borrow the tool from Advance,Auto Zone, et al.There should be an alternate belt diagram without AC to bypass the compresser and use a shorter belt.$.02
 

Pick up a performance engine magazine and check the ads, or look on line. You may be able to find an idler pulley to replace the AC compressor. Several years ago I was able to find one that fit the 350 engine in my brother's pickup. I didn't buy it, I was just looking for one at his request in case his AC system died and it wasn't worth replacing.

Pat
 

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