In this video I talk about doing a good job on a simple fix. It's important that no matter what we do that we do it to the best of our abilities. Always refer to your shop manual for the correct procedure on your car or truck.
come fix your car…
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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
Thx that’s exactly what my car needed
Awesome! Saved me a whole bunch of worry.
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.
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
You're awesome
5 years later still a vert helpful video. Thank you!
Would a 2003 buick century also have an idler pulley with reverse thread? 3.1 engine.
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.
Cool video. I drive one of those Buicks
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.
Thank u sir good video 💪
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
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….
There you go, Do it right the first time.
My only complaint is that the title is seized tensioner pulley… you replaced the idler pulley… soooooo no bueno lol
My exact pulley is close to seizing ordered the replacement needed to confirm it was reverse thread. THANK YOU!
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?
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?
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!!
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.
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.
Would it work to use the power brake booster to do a smoke test?
Thanks for the video.
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?
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.
Same thing happen to my 3800 tensioner pulley seized up it must be a thing they do.
U guys have helped me so much
The new pulley is not spinning when i tighten it what could that be
Good one.
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.
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?
I need pointers how to loosen my tension pulley. tried. won't budge. but when started.. it moves with the rest. help
Thank you for the helpful information!
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.
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.
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"!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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?
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
Tight as a frogs ass,that's water proof!
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.
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.
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 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??
We just did the same thing but it won't crank