I never thought to examine the pulleys after a serpentine belt becomes seized for rubberized debris that could affect the new belt. I love when Eric O. says, " Even on simple jobs take your time to do it right." I know the flat rate system exists but quality of workmanship should matter to a mechanic. Life isnt all about money. Racing from on car to another. I get that quality here on The South Main Auto channel. That's why I watch and stay around for the next video. Thank u Eric O.
Always a pleasure to watch your videos Eric! if there were more Auto mechanics like you out there, it would be a much more pleasurable experience getting your automobile serviced! We would never feel like we were getting taken for a "ride"!
New to your channel (came by it through Schrodingers Box) and have to say how impressed I am with your videos. Keep up the fantastic work. Awesome stuff!
Very good advice Eric. People need to keep in mind, bad news travels like wildfire and it's all free. If you want free good word of mouth recommendations, well that starts with you.
GM modified the replacement pulley a few years ago. The new one doesn't have the large ring washer on it. If you put it on new pulley it just tightens the pulley where the ring touches both the pulley and the bearing and end up replacing the belt again.
Kudos and shout out!!! Thanks for the instructions on this.. This worked on my 1990 Buick LeSabre Limited 3800 v6. Old pulley was blue and worn... The belt looked tired and swapped them out... Would you have a video on swapping plugs and OBD-I code reader?? Thank you!!
I think I was subscriber number 4 or close to it , glad to see the subscriber count growing this channel deserves it. What pisses me off though is this channel has cost me $400 bucks cuz I bought that ingersol Impact ratchet and Mac test light that I saw in these videos.
Ha- I was just thinking about Eric using the hammerhead, haven't seen an unpaid review of it yet. I see Amazon.com under $250 up here in Canada on Amazon. Ca it's $350 Canadian Pasoos :)
I'll give it an unpaid review all day long! That tool has saved my bacon a hundred times over. I bought the MAC "impacting" air ratchet 5 or 6 years ago when it came out and it was trash. Bought this IR the day it was aval. and I am still in love. The switching valve went bad after a year or so and the head fell apart after heavy use. I was able to buy the parts right from IR and fix it up but you have to understand I use this all day 5 days a week. Maybe I'll give it a real review sometime.
This just happend to me today, i have a 2001 buick regal and my power steering stopped working i checked to sew what happend and my idler/tensionee pully siezed, nice to see it an easy fix, but regals are waaaaay tighter, it took me ten min just to get the old belt off
Wow great advice! What causes the bearing to seize up like that? and how do you tell if it's a bad belt as opposed to a pulley. Mine I think is seized up because when I turn my civic on it squeals like a piggie and smells of burnt rubber.
When routing the belt, start at the alternator and run the belt around. Look at the smoorh sides to help route it correctly. If you don't start at the alternator, you'll end up with the belt too loose or too tight. Don't go back to the store about a wrong belt. Replace the tensioner if it's old. They get loose. Check the timing belt tensioner and water pump. Replace timing belts regularly. Check the timing and codes.
Guess GM fixed the whole having to take the passenger tire and inner fender well out to remove a bolt and spacer to put a belt on sometime after the 1998 LeSabre. That was nice of them. I had to change a couple of belts on the side of the road on that car, what a pain in the but with semis wizzing by at 70 mph.
Well done. I redone one of those last fall- ov course the last guy did not clean off the pulleys and it was squeezing like a pig. Now I can't say I like changing the tensioner , what was GM thinking :)
Ha no one ever cleans the pulleys! Especially the grooves! Yeah gotta love these tensioners / heater by pass hoses on these 3.8's yeahhhh thumbs up on that GM.
Years ago when I worked in maintenance at plant a fellow worker had a car cant remember what kind said dealer wanted 100 bucks to put on belt we worked most Saturdays so he drove it down to shop we looked and found out why so high had to undo motor mount and jack engine up to change belt we did it he was so grateful.
I my car to the mechanics because the temperature goes high. So they change the water pump and Thermostat and also change the belt. The car was fixed but next day I heard a noise from the engine. I bring my car to the mechanics again and they said is the belt tentioner. I think they damage that when they put the belt. So now they said to fixed will me cost $150. What you think? They damage the part or just want to do the labor because will be a new job?
I Have a 2004 Lesabre 3800. About to have the coolant elbows replaced w/metal ones and doin serp belt cuz its the orig. After seeing this probably a good idea to just to replace the tensioner wheel. 85k on a 3800V6 ,I should last another 85 no prob.
I’d really like to see if you replaced that metal plate that goes between the bolt head and the NEW pulley. This isn’t the first GM ride that I’ve found no matter which new pulley brand I buy, it is NOT identical to the factory pulley. I put that giant cup washer thing back on a GATES pulley and it’s been screaming. I found out it’s been slipping in that washer which just doesn’t fit in due to the difference in pulley shape.
i bought an 89 buick lesabre with a 3800..someone had replaced the tensioner\idler pulley with some aftermarket part i cant find..had flanged sides which i kinda like..i bought a new OE pulley for it but i dont know what side the dust cover goes on nor the washer..do you know what side the cover goes on and what size washer i need?..or how i can find out..thank you
Hello Eric 2002 suzuki aerio 2.0, idler pulley seized, belt snapped. Put new pulley new belt and when I start almost immediately belt wants to pop off water pump pulley it gets pulled towards engine. I will go back check to clean rest of the pulleys, but do you think it's possible to over torque the nut on the idler pulley and cause this slipping off. It's supposed to be torqued at 30.5 foot pounds just figured it needed to be really tight or you think maybe something else?
@@SouthMainAuto is there a vid on that one? I have the VIN 1 with S/C the lower idler went, and the book says PS pump too, damn. Im just taking the belt off and buying 87 now until I can get to it 🤣 Edit: its a 1998 LSS
Not sure of cost and economy in your region...seems more cost effective and insuring to replace the whole tensioner vs just the pulley...your thoughts?
Most cases yes but in this case you have to remove the whole bracket to do so. On a 3.8 that will cost you the labor and coolant because the tensioner bracket is also the coolant bypass. Once in a while it is cheaper just to do the pulley. However I would agree with you though a lot of situations makes a lot more sense to do the whole unit.
I replaced the Coolant Elbows, which were the source of my leak, apparently, but I can't get the tensioner pulley to move. Any other way to get the belt back on? If there is, I could at least drive it to a shop.
I have 98 ford Taurus my tensioner pulley is stuck I'm trying to change my alternator but because of seized tensioner it's not moving can you please suggest how fix the problem thank you.
So i think my car has a stuck pulley. Its not starting. The starter is just clicking. The starter tested good. So did the battery. All the connections are good as well. Body and chassis ground are good. The car all of a sudden not started one day. No crank. Could a stuck pulley be my problem? Its a 2004 sc3.8 gtp. Also i have smelled burning before this happened, like rubber/plastic burning smell.
+Chevy MADE No a stuck pulley won't stop a healthy starter and battery. There is a fuse on these for the starter that commonly blows. It is in the under hood fuse box. It is 40 amps and commonly as starters get older and start drawing a little more current they blow them. It is an easy thing to check. If it continues to blow them you need a new starter.
Automotive Brains I need a complete info on putting together the front components on a Buick Lesabre 1995 Series 1 from the Power steering pump to the Alternator and location of ground wire bolt Diagram but much help with the proper bolts Placement by size
I have this car and the bolt for the tensioner snapped and I now need the piece that it connects to. Do you know what this part is called or where I could get one?
Very common failure on 4.0L 95-00? Explorers. If you have that vehicle change it asap. For any car those pulleys are a few bucks, may be worth to change when the belt has to be replaced.
can anybody give me an answer, i no this is an old video but maby someone will see it, so my pully siezed the same one from this video on almost the same make mines a regal, but when you take the pully off the hoop thing on mine got so hot it melted off, like so heres the bolt and to all directions is a circular wal surrounding the inside of the pully the bolt hole is free of obstructions do you need that piece there 100% even if the pully still spins?
John Forbes don't forget they are reversed thread bolts on the tensioner pulleys, so you actually have to go clockwise to loosen the belt, which seems counterintuitive, but it's correct.
I stopped to help a young guy the other night. Two belts were gone, one pulley had chunks missing, his timing belt was frayed and the were pieces of belts everywhere. Yeah, your gonna need a tow....
I don't think I've ever just replaced that pulley. any time I've tried to just get it I've always only been able to get the tensioner, which is a pain, because it has coolant passages in it, and those stupid little plastic elbows that attach to it are always brittle and break.
I have a 05 Buick LeSabre with a 3.8 last week I started to smell coolant when I walked by the front of the car. Yea it has that cheap plastic manifold on it. Hoping it last till the spring time. It only has 38 thousand miles on it :-/ I don't like the cold and it seems that's when my cars need maintenance.... Have you ever considered making a how to video on this. The ones here on you tube are not too informative.
I was going to replace the water pump as well as the elbows. I'll make sure to get the metal ones because your right, them plastic ones crack and leak.
+Jerome Seals I know this is an older post, but for others, I've seen pieces of shredded belt get behind the harmonic balancer, and block the crank sensor signal, causing a no start on these engines.
people will like that head gasket video. for sure. man all i can say is you have a massive tool collection. and nice tpms tool you have in your newest vid.
Been collecting tools sense I was 14 years old and kept every one of them haha. Keep in mind I grew up in this industry too. Been in this very shop literally my whole life from birth till now...
i wish i had time to slow down but being shorthanded and having a boss that never buys time on repairs and tells the customer it will be done in less time than it pays doesnt help matters but hey im just venting lol
I never thought to examine the pulleys after a serpentine belt becomes seized for rubberized debris that could affect the new belt. I love when Eric O. says, " Even on simple jobs take your time to do it right." I know the flat rate system exists but quality of workmanship should matter to a mechanic. Life isnt all about money. Racing from on car to another. I get that quality here on The South Main Auto channel. That's why I watch and stay around for the next video. Thank u Eric O.
Great video. Simple, sure, but the tips you shared were great. I wondered why my idler pulley had debris stuck to it. Now I know!
+Silky Tp Cool
Left hand turn. You made simple. I was turning wrong way. Thank you good sir I shall concer the regal now. Your Buick wisdom is appreciated.
Always a pleasure to watch your videos Eric! if there were more Auto mechanics like you out there, it would be a much more pleasurable experience getting your automobile serviced! We would never feel like we were getting taken for a "ride"!
5 years later still a vert helpful video. Thank you!
New to your channel (came by it through Schrodingers Box) and have to say how impressed I am with your videos. Keep up the fantastic work. Awesome stuff!
Thanks Andrew Porter . I've been wrenching forever but brand new to TH-cam so we will see where it goes. Thanks for watching.
good job as always clean and professionally done. well done and thank you .
Thanks j georges!
Very good advice Eric. People need to keep in mind, bad news travels like wildfire and it's all free. If you want free good word of mouth recommendations, well that starts with you.
GM modified the replacement pulley a few years ago. The new one doesn't have the large ring washer on it. If you put it on new pulley it just tightens the pulley where the ring touches both the pulley and the bearing and end up replacing the belt again.
subscribed. Great vids. wish I found you a few years ago. I love the 3800 motor and wish GM would have built the rest of the car just as well.
My exact pulley is close to seizing ordered the replacement needed to confirm it was reverse thread. THANK YOU!
same here, but my pulley still moves ok. its only a year old free placement but still a pain to remove
Thx that’s exactly what my car needed
Kudos and shout out!!! Thanks for the instructions on this.. This worked on my 1990 Buick LeSabre Limited 3800 v6. Old pulley was blue and worn... The belt looked tired and swapped them out... Would you have a video on swapping plugs and OBD-I code reader?? Thank you!!
I think I was subscriber number 4 or close to it , glad to see the subscriber count growing this channel deserves it. What pisses me off though is this channel has cost me $400 bucks cuz I bought that ingersol Impact ratchet and Mac test light that I saw in these videos.
Uhhhh Thanks?? I think??? Lol nahh haha thanks funny. Can't go wrong buying tools :) Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Ha- I was just thinking about Eric using the hammerhead, haven't seen an unpaid review of it yet. I see Amazon.com under $250 up here in Canada on Amazon. Ca it's $350 Canadian Pasoos :)
I'll give it an unpaid review all day long! That tool has saved my bacon a hundred times over. I bought the MAC "impacting" air ratchet 5 or 6 years ago when it came out and it was trash. Bought this IR the day it was aval. and I am still in love. The switching valve went bad after a year or so and the head fell apart after heavy use. I was able to buy the parts right from IR and fix it up but you have to understand I use this all day 5 days a week. Maybe I'll give it a real review sometime.
U guys have helped me so much
Thank you for the helpful information!
Awesome! Saved me a whole bunch of worry.
This just happend to me today, i have a 2001 buick regal and my power steering stopped working i checked to sew what happend and my idler/tensionee pully siezed, nice to see it an easy fix, but regals are waaaaay tighter, it took me ten min just to get the old belt off
Wow great advice! What causes the bearing to seize up like that? and how do you tell if it's a bad belt as opposed to a pulley. Mine I think is seized up because when I turn my civic on it squeals like a piggie and smells of burnt rubber.
love your videos!
When routing the belt, start at the alternator and run the belt around. Look at the smoorh sides to help route it correctly. If you don't start at the alternator, you'll end up with the belt too loose or too tight. Don't go back to the store about a wrong belt. Replace the tensioner if it's old. They get loose. Check the timing belt tensioner and water pump. Replace timing belts regularly. Check the timing and codes.
Guess GM fixed the whole having to take the passenger tire and inner fender well out to remove a bolt and spacer to put a belt on sometime after the 1998 LeSabre. That was nice of them. I had to change a couple of belts on the side of the road on that car, what a pain in the but with semis wizzing by at 70 mph.
What there were no cars doing the same thing? yea right
Well done. I redone one of those last fall- ov course the last guy did not clean off the pulleys and it was squeezing like a pig. Now I can't say I like changing the tensioner , what was GM thinking :)
Ha no one ever cleans the pulleys! Especially the grooves! Yeah gotta love these tensioners / heater by pass hoses on these 3.8's yeahhhh thumbs up on that GM.
I gotta agree with you on that....However, it made flushing the heater core a cake walk!
Now that's true. Better than shredding your arm and loosing a pint of blood to get at'em...
You ain't kiddin!
Years ago when I worked in maintenance at plant a fellow worker had a car cant remember what kind said dealer wanted 100 bucks to put on belt we worked most Saturdays so he drove it down to shop we looked and found out why so high had to undo motor mount and jack engine up to change belt we did it he was so grateful.
Chevy Malibu
Cool video. I drive one of those Buicks
I my car to the mechanics because the temperature goes high. So they change the water pump and Thermostat and also change the belt. The car was fixed but next day I heard a noise from the engine. I bring my car to the mechanics again and they said is the belt tentioner. I think they damage that when they put the belt. So now they said to fixed will me cost $150. What you think? They damage the part or just want to do the labor because will be a new job?
I Have a 2004 Lesabre 3800. About to have the coolant elbows replaced w/metal ones and doin serp belt cuz its the orig. After seeing this probably a good idea to just to replace the tensioner wheel. 85k on a 3800V6 ,I should last another 85 no prob.
I’d really like to see if you replaced that metal plate that goes between the bolt head and the NEW pulley. This isn’t the first GM ride that I’ve found no matter which new pulley brand I buy, it is NOT identical to the factory pulley. I put that giant cup washer thing back on a GATES pulley and it’s been screaming. I found out it’s been slipping in that washer which just doesn’t fit in due to the difference in pulley shape.
Thanks for the video.
i bought an 89 buick lesabre with a 3800..someone had replaced the tensioner\idler pulley with some aftermarket part i cant find..had flanged sides which i kinda like..i bought a new OE pulley for it but i dont know what side the dust cover goes on nor the washer..do you know what side the cover goes on and what size washer i need?..or how i can find out..thank you
Thank you for pointing out about the ass-backwards thread, i would have ruined everything before I figured out.
Hello Eric 2002 suzuki aerio 2.0, idler pulley seized, belt snapped. Put new pulley new belt and when I start almost immediately belt wants to pop off water pump pulley it gets pulled towards engine. I will go back check to clean rest of the pulleys, but do you think it's possible to over torque the nut on the idler pulley and cause this slipping off. It's supposed to be torqued at 30.5 foot pounds just figured it needed to be really tight or you think maybe something else?
Thanks, Eric !!!!!!!
I had a 97 LeSabre with same engine and it was a pain to change the belt....needed to remove motor mount pin! Same on this model or easier??
john smith I know the one you are talking about. No this one was a little different.
@@SouthMainAuto is there a vid on that one? I have the VIN 1 with S/C the lower idler went, and the book says PS pump too, damn. Im just taking the belt off and buying 87 now until I can get to it 🤣 Edit: its a 1998 LSS
Do You have a video on taking off the tensioner as a whole, I did not know that this was a left-hand thread or reverse thread?
Not sure of cost and economy in your region...seems more cost effective and insuring to replace the whole tensioner vs just the pulley...your thoughts?
Most cases yes but in this case you have to remove the whole bracket to do so. On a 3.8 that will cost you the labor and coolant because the tensioner bracket is also the coolant bypass. Once in a while it is cheaper just to do the pulley. However I would agree with you though a lot of situations makes a lot more sense to do the whole unit.
Ahhh.....good point...I TOTALLY forgot about the bracket!!!!
I replaced the Coolant Elbows, which were the source of my leak, apparently, but I can't get the tensioner pulley to move. Any other way to get the belt back on? If there is, I could at least
drive it to a shop.
I have 98 ford Taurus my tensioner pulley is stuck I'm trying to change my alternator but because of seized tensioner it's not moving can you please suggest how fix the problem thank you.
Hey brother I had the same problem on my Buick LeSabre 2001 I changed it really was bad but i it did again any suggestions thank you
Would a 2003 buick century also have an idler pulley with reverse thread? 3.1 engine.
So i think my car has a stuck pulley. Its not starting. The starter is just clicking. The starter tested good. So did the battery. All the connections are good as well. Body and chassis ground are good. The car all of a sudden not started one day. No crank. Could a stuck pulley be my problem? Its a 2004 sc3.8 gtp. Also i have smelled burning before this happened, like rubber/plastic burning smell.
+Chevy MADE No a stuck pulley won't stop a healthy starter and battery. There is a fuse on these for the starter that commonly blows. It is in the under hood fuse box. It is 40 amps and commonly as starters get older and start drawing a little more current they blow them. It is an easy thing to check. If it continues to blow them you need a new starter.
+FrugalPrepper It was a stuck a/c pulley. That bearing was seized up. Thanks for your tip tho.
Automotive Brains I need a complete info on putting together the front components on a Buick Lesabre 1995 Series 1 from the Power steering pump to the Alternator and location of ground wire bolt Diagram but much help with the proper bolts Placement by size
I have this car and the bolt for the tensioner snapped and I now need the piece that it connects to. Do you know what this part is called or where I could get one?
Left hand thread was the "KEY".
Thank u sir good video 💪
I have the exact same engine in my car. How did you support the engine for the motor mount that needs to be removed to get a new belt on?
This one did not need the mount removed...
You're awesome
There you go, Do it right the first time.
Very common failure on 4.0L 95-00? Explorers. If you have that vehicle change it asap. For any car those pulleys are a few bucks, may be worth to change when the belt has to be replaced.
thank you! this exact thing just happened to me tonight, we couldn't get the pulley off because we were turning the bolt the wrong way!
Would it work to use the power brake booster to do a smoke test?
can anybody give me an answer, i no this is an old video but maby someone will see it, so my pully siezed the same one from this video on almost the same make mines a regal, but when you take the pully off the hoop thing on mine got so hot it melted off, like so heres the bolt and to all directions is a circular wal surrounding the inside of the pully the bolt hole is free of obstructions do you need that piece there 100% even if the pully still spins?
Good one.
hi got 2003 ford focus i tried to loosen off the main drive belt off but the belt teniner is siezed got any idea how to unsieze it. thank you.
John Forbes following...
John Forbes hey man have you fixed it? i have a 02 focus and the tensioner pulley got completely siezed/stuck
John Forbes don't forget they are reversed thread bolts on the tensioner pulleys, so you actually have to go clockwise to loosen the belt, which seems counterintuitive, but it's correct.
I stopped to help a young guy the other night. Two belts were gone, one pulley had chunks missing, his timing belt was frayed and the were pieces of belts everywhere. Yeah, your gonna need a tow....
I need pointers how to loosen my tension pulley. tried. won't budge. but when started.. it moves with the rest. help
if the whole thing is moving you are turning it the wrong direction. reverse-threaded.
My Lt. Always quoted " slow Is fast, fast is slow and dead,
Emt Scythe That is perfect!
I don't think I've ever just replaced that pulley. any time I've tried to just get it I've always only been able to get the tensioner, which is a pain, because it has coolant passages in it, and those stupid little plastic elbows that attach to it are always brittle and break.
kenman1717 The belt tensioner slash coolant bypass!?! Way to go GM! Lets make them plastic while we are at it.
lol, exactly.
0:18 "Well there's your problem!"
Lady!!
I have a 05 Buick LeSabre with a 3.8 last week I started to smell coolant when I walked by the front of the car. Yea it has that cheap plastic manifold on it. Hoping it last till the spring time. It only has 38 thousand miles on it :-/ I don't like the cold and it seems that's when my cars need maintenance.... Have you ever considered making a how to video on this. The ones here on you tube are not too informative.
When you do the intake manifold check your water pump. Also do yourself a favor and get the metal coolant elbows. The plastic ones are garbage.
I was going to replace the water pump as well as the elbows. I'll make sure to get the metal ones because your right, them plastic ones crack and leak.
Same thing happen to my 3800 tensioner pulley seized up it must be a thing they do.
The new pulley is not spinning when i tighten it what could that be
New sub.
Appreciate that thanks!
We just did the same thing but it won't crank
Jerome Seals Wow... why?
Yes I think its the spak plugs
+Jerome Seals I know this is an older post, but for others, I've seen pieces of shredded belt get behind the harmonic balancer, and block the crank sensor signal, causing a no start on these engines.
you been watching eric the car guy guessing what is wrong with the car he works onlately
No I haven't... What's he up to? I have been doing a head gasket video on a Subaru I wanna post to see if there is any interest in...
people will like that head gasket video. for sure. man all i can say is you have a massive tool collection. and nice tpms tool you have in your newest vid.
Been collecting tools sense I was 14 years old and kept every one of them haha. Keep in mind I grew up in this industry too. Been in this very shop literally my whole life from birth till now...
My only complaint is that the title is seized tensioner pulley... you replaced the idler pulley... soooooo no bueno lol
i wish i had time to slow down but being shorthanded and having a boss that never buys time on repairs and tells the customer it will be done in less time than it pays doesnt help matters but hey im just venting lol
UBBERTANKER It's ok, I've been on both sides of that coin