'98 GP SE tensioner assembly removal

[jarl]

Hello there...

A friend of mine just bought a used '98 GP with the 3.8 engine, and I'm trying to help him to keep it rolling without spending too much -student-

The topic of this post is the belt tensioner assembly. Right now the pulley is not in line with the belt and the accesories, and it looks like the whole tensioner arm is tilted. I'm assuming it needs to be changed.

We went to a pull-a-part and tried to remove the assembly from two different cars, but each time the metal end that goes to the intake manifold (?) broke. No biggie in a junkyard car, but I'm afraid the same will happen on his car. So, the question is:

Is there any trick to remove the tensioner assembly without destroying it?

[grandprixgtx00]

FYI- the bolt is left hand thread

Not sure if you knew that?

[jarl]

Yep... I knew that

I need to remove the entire assembly, though -not just the pulley-, but I'd like to avoid having to retrieve the pieces of the old tensioner from the intake manifold...

Originally Posted by grandprixgtx00

FYI- the bolt is left hand thread

Not sure if you knew that?

[tblake]

Pull straight, don't tilt it or it will crack and break off. You know there are two 90 degree elbows on the 97-98 motors. One is metal, and the other is plastic. The plastic one can be replaced seperate from the whole tensioner.

Just FYI, on 99+ 3800 motors, the two elbows are now both plastic, and the alternator bolts to the tensioner bracket differently. So make sure that the tensioner you are going for is from a 97 or 98 3800 motor.

Also when its apart, make sure to replace the single plastic 90 degree elbow and replace the metal elbows o-ring.

[jarl]

Hi @tblake,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my posts.
I am aware of the different design of the tensioner... I found a couple at the junkyard, but "pull straight" is easier said than done The metal pipe seems to be welded in place with all the corrosion

Is there something that would help loosening it? Would plain ol' liquid wrench do the trick?

[tblake]

Yeah, PB blaster might help.

I usually take a big screwdriver and pry outwards towards the center of the tensioner.

Have you thought about buying a new one? They arent too expensive, right around 60.00. Or also you could sent Morad's an email and see if they have any used ones laying around.

[jarl]

Thanks for the prompt reply

The car belongs to a friend who is in a *very* tight spot, and unfortunately there may be some other parts that need to be replaced (i.e. the injector of the other thread) so we have decided to try to avoid buying new stuff as much, and for as long, as possible/commonsensical.

Also, before putting the new tensioner in we need to remove the old one from the car, so I'd like to avoid broken pieces on the patient

I guess we'll be paying another visit to the pull-a-part to test your removal method

[jwrite17]

I am working on a 96 olds 88 and i broke the lower metal bypass elbow I know i need a new tensioner now but any tips on retrieving the broken peice in the water pump Metal not plastic

[tblake]

screwdriver or else you are removing the waterpump.

[jarl]

Just FYI:

My friend ended up buying a new tensioner. Somehow going to the junkyard in the snow didn't sound like a nice plan for him

One thing I learned from replacing the tensioner is the following: from trial and error, I usually work assuming the part being replaced *might* need to be put back (if the new part ends up not being 100% compatible), so I try to be as gentle as possible while removing it. In this case FORGET THAT I broke the plastic elbow on purpose so I could control where it was going to break, and that probably helped pulling the assembly. I also used a breaker bar in the same manner tblake suggests using a large screwdriver.

To remove the pipe adapters on the back of the tensioner I used a rotary tool to make some cuts around the tensioner assembly aluminum casting, and then broke the casting along those lines using a chisel and a hammer. That way I didn't have to apply excessive force to the adapters, specially one that was corrosion-welded in place.