Honda Repair: 1995 honda passport tensioner pulley, honda passport, single mom

Question
tryin to put belts and tensioner pulley on and before i tighten down the bolts the bearing is free turning, but when i tighten down the bolts the bearing sticks and will not allow pulley to turn. i have tried putting spacers in and no good.  this is my grandson trying to do this and he is no mechanic per se but learning.  any help you could offer him on this would be so greatly appreciated.  he is doing it for his mother who is a struggling single mom.  he really needs help.  thank you so much for whatever help you could offer him.

Answer
Hi Mary, I am assuming you are R R (removing and replacing) the P/S, alternator, A/C, etc. belt(s)? From what you are describing it sounds like you are having an issue with the Belt Tensioner Pulley and it being free turning when there is no tension? Yet, when you apply tension it is not free turning? Is this your question?

If so, DO NOT put any spacers in that were not there to begin with! And it is not suppose to be free turning when you apply tension by tightening the bolt. Now finding the desired amount of tension can be tricky to the novice mechanic. You do not want to have it too loose or too tight. Both of these situations can damage the engine, belt, and accessories. What i do is grab the belt, in between, pulley's and move the belt up and down. Desired tension would be about a 1/2" of play up and down. Once this is accomplished put all parts back together. Turn over the ignition and inspect your work. If everything looks good and sounds good test drive. If there is whining/squealing readjust tension. If noise still does not go away R R Belt Tensioner Pulley. I hope this helps you and let me know if this fixes your problem...