Pulley tensioner

[threedogs]

Hi all the mighty GU is coming up to 190,000ks. Should I buy a belt pulley tensioner now just in case or just buy and change it before any drama. going like a swiss watch ATM. I'll see Gary for pricing but going price seems around $60

[mudski]

Just the pulley your talking hey? The whole tensioner itself is close to $300 I think. I've repacked the bearing that was in it with some good grease, I have a spare bearing, 2mm narrower though but would work as an emergency. Just clean and repack the bearing. Or replace it if you can get your hands on the right one.

[the evil twin]

If you are going to do a lot of K's way out in the boonies it mightn't hurt to replace the assy not just the bearing and keep the old one as a spare. Won't be the first time a ZD30 has been stranded because the owner has a spare Serpy belt that is useless because the tensioner and/or bearing has failed.

Don't forget to include the Torx driver with your socket set so you can change it tho... that would be even more frustrating

[threedogs]

Found some ceramic bearings, but not sure of OE size etc.
over the next few weeks I'll be running into Mudski ,BA and a few others so I'll pick their brains, Thanks all
sounds like just the bearing fails , I've read the tensioners are rebuildable

[Sir Roofy]

Try this john is what i used

ntn bearing number wc-87503 is the oe artical

[mudski]

The after market pulleys on Ebay only use a 6203-2rs bearing. Which is in fact 2mm narrower than the original. Order a 62203 bearing and its 2mm wider than the original but it still can be used I believe. I would only use this as an emergency. Hence why I cleaned and repacked the original bearing. The ball were still good in the case, only a bit dirty and not pitted so a good clean out and then some good grease and its like new again.

Going through my note I have collected over time I have written down that you can use a tensioner pulley from a V6 commodore part number EP001, but also need a 2mm thick washer to space out the pulley so it does not rub on the bracket.

[threedogs]

Yeah I read your threads and others, was just thinking why touch it its fine. but I know what'll happen.
Don't throw that beam Mudski I'm having vision over it.

Would a ceramic bearing be better or just a waste of time??????????????

[mudski]

Yeah I read your threads and others, was just thinking why touch it its fine. but I know what'll happen.
Don't throw that beam Mudski I'm having vision over it.

Would a ceramic bearing be better or just a waste of time??????????????
Yeah that bean would make a wicked bench for a bar like you said to me but its bloody long and heavy, and I don't have time, or the space to do anything with it. As for the bearing, a normal high speed, rubber sealed bearing would be best. Even a new bearing I would clean out and regrease with waterproof grease.

[threedogs]

Sounding like my mate by over complicating it, I'll K. I. S. sounds more like me

[the evil twin]

snip...
sounds like just the bearing fails , I've read the tensioners are rebuildable


Maybe not so much.

On mine it was the bearing first time at about 40,000 K's (a lot of mud runs etc in those K's) then at 90,000 and also one other case I know about (K's unknown tho) it was the tensioner not the bearing that went. Intermittent squeals and rattles like a bitch and can't be doing the sprag on the Alternator or the A/C clutch much good when it happens.

It is a tad misleading as well because the first thing checked was the bearing and it was OK so Nissan changed out the Alternator and then the whole tensioner assy about a month later.

Given the history of my vehicle I think the failure chances are proportional to the amount of fine mud or very muddy water work that the vehicle does.

[mudski]

Ya get my pm TD?