This is first post of required 10.

Have received a lot of good info from this web site and have previously posted. Trying to give back some info and find out if I have a common problem.

Belt started squealing and had deflection. Replaced automatic tensioner. Belt squealed upon startup. Checked tensioner as only thing I changed. Belt about two years old. Checked this forum and found info on pulley. Finally measured tensioner pulley. Looked like it is a 90mm diameter. Pulley original was 100mm. I ordered one from Rock Auto with 100mm pulley but it came with 90mm installed. Went back and checked. Could not find 100mm on web site. Maybe did not look in correct place.

Has anyone else had this 90m pulley problem or am I just lucky?

Has anyone looked at replacing the idler pulley with a smaller one and then use a shorter belt?

Think should keep 100mm on tensioner for max pressure on belt.

 

Napa and Rock auto list your car with a 100mm idler and a 90mm tensioner. I hope this helps.

 

+1 -- think you may be confused by the two.

Remove the serp belt and with the engine off, spin all of the pulleys by hand to isolate the offending component.

 

Thanks for the replies.

As I understand, both tensioner and idler originally had 100mm pulleys. I used caliper and measured both. Both originals were 100mm. Pulleys were interchangeable.

If I am wrong, please let me know. Might save me some money. I purchased my second replacement tensioner, on the assumption that the first replacement tensioner was bad.

Original tensioner started making a noise about two years ago. This forum advised to replace tensioner. Replaced tensioner (first replacement and second installed tensioner). Also replaced idler and belt while everything was apart. Original tensioner lasted about 17 years. Idler and belt still good. That is very good for OEM.

Now the first replacement and second installed tensioner is allowing the belt to squeal upon acceleration but not at steady speed, even with A/C.

As soon as it warms up and I fell like it (might take a month), am going to purchase an 100mm idler pulley, remove the 90mm pulley on tensioner (third tensioner and second replacement), and put the 100mm idler pulley on that tensioner.

That is a lot of trouble. Would like to save other people this problem.

Was hoping someone had changed the size of idler pulley and put on the next shorter belt. If so, what size pulley was used?

If tersioner pulley were to be reduced, would lose some movement in the tensioner. As spring weakens, could loose some tension. Believe that is what happened to my second tensioner. It seems to have lost just enough tension to squeal as engine rpm revs up from idle.

To bad I did not measure the pulley diameter on the second tensioner before I installed. If I had, would have returned tensioner and got correct pulley already installed. That would have saved money and the hassle of having to redo the tensioner for the third time. Makes me wonder what "exact fit" actually means.

Three tensioners. Believe second tensioner still good but puller wrong size. As third tensioner is new, am going to change pulley to 100mm and reinstall.

Then we shall see what happens.