The idler pulley felt too loose and wobbly when I did my own pulley check, it didn't seize up on me. But still I decided to replace it, at $15 it wasn't a costly choice and it made me feel better.
So how about the tranny sugestions by my friend? You guys don't think it could be the tranny causing all this? Again fluid is at level and looks/smells good, tranny shifts normal, there's no slippage or hesitation which makes thing harder to diagnose.
Before all this the van used to surge or shudder with a light gas pedal aplied while cruising as posted here many times in other threads. But since I replaced the battery it has not happened again! Other than that and the groanning sound I never was able to fix/get corrected
(see thread here) everything seems and feels normal with the tranny.