QuestionQUESTION: I had a freind call me with the following problem.
My freind and his wife were driving home and smelt a buringin smell, turned out the tensioner pulley locked up .
So he takes off the entire pulley arm and replaces the belt pulley only, then when he went to re-install the bolt will not seat all the way.Its as if the bolt is too long that holds the tensioner arm on. I went down and I am pretty mechanically inclined, however I was stumped. I asked him if a spacer had fallen out, he replied no. He said he took the bolt out put the new belt wheel on and when he went to put the arm back on the bolt would not screw all the way back into the block(All but about 1/2 inch or so ).
My only theory was that the sp[ring inside the tensioner broke causing the two halves to collapse thus making the tensioner thinner where the bolt goes thru but thats not the case as it matched up to a new one @ autozone.
I do not own a van like this and I have never worked on a pontiac 3400 V6....any Ideas
2000 Pontiac Montana
3400 V6
Idler/Tensioner pulley
Again I was not there when he took it off, I checked that nothing was in the block that would keep the bolt from going in...nothin
Stumped in Ohio
Shawn C
ANSWER: Hi there:
Well My only theory is that the pulley/ tensioner you got is an aftermarket one and it's not the same as the original??? ther is no spacer that goes between the tensioner and the block. the only other thing I'm thinking is he took off the whole bracket where the tensioner goes and thare are 3 different size bolts in that bracket and that he put the wrong bolt in the wrong hole. that's the only Idea I have. the very bottom one is the shortes bolt the one in the tensioner is the size in the middle and the very top one is the longest bolt... Good luck :}
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: no the tensioner arm is the same one he took off, he just changed the pulley the belt rides on, there is 2 bolts, one holds on the belt pulley, the other holds the arm onto the block....weird huh...no aftermarket arm was purchased-he took it there to make sure everything matched up width wise. I tried looking for a diagram because like I said I was not there when he took it off, i just got the phone call when the bolt would not go all the way back in. I checked, 2 bolts, one was about 1 inch or so which held the belt pully onto the arm and the other was about 3 3/8 which went into the block but it stops about a 1/2 inch or so from seating, no blockage, no broken bolt in block hole, I just dont knwo. I kept asking if maybe a spacer had dropped but after looking at everything I could tell the bolt head seated on the outside of the arm and no spacer goes between the arm & block. Have any idea of any schematics on the net of this part, or other idea in general.....and take your time I know you probably keep busy with this and I GREATLY appreciate anything you throw my way.
2000 Pontiac Montana
3400 V6
Tensioner Pulley on lower left side of block
AnswerYou got me. This is a head schratcher. without seeing it it's hard to say what the issue is. It should be that hard.... I just don't have an answer for you. if the new part and the old part are exactly the same there should be no reason that it doesn't fit short of like I said swaping bolts. and Like I said there is no spacer the thensioner bolts right up to that bracket on the block.
