timing belt tensioner

[ozziepartsguy2003]

Mine went bad, 1997 Dodge Stratus 2.4L. 88000 miles.
Just try to buy one. Not available after market, no problem, I hit the dealer. He's got them in stock, but you have to buy a comlplete kit, complete with a redesigned tensioner, 3 piece timing cover(also redesigned) a bag of bolts and you'd think a new belt, no, the belt isn't included. 200 bucks.
Anyway, no instructions are included, no biggie, I'm pretty mechanically adept. The old tensioner was spring loaded, the new one isn't. You rotate it until you get to the correct tension and lock it down. Except, with no instructions, what is the correct tension? Even the dealer doesn't seem to know. I've finally got it set to where I feel okay with it.
Let me find the guy who redesigned this thing, I'm gonna shove the old one someplace uncomfortable. And what's the deal with the funky timing marks, jeez, you'd think the old time method of lining up the dots would work just fine? Apparently not
Add that guy to my list.
Luckily I heard the belt making noise, and got to it before any damage was done.

Now to figure out why I only have 1 A/C fan speed, fast.

[1badredbird]

Exactly what part of your tensioner went bad? I have a 92 Toy 4X4 & mine went bad, the pulley. I too went thru what you did, but went to a parts store that has a couple of smart employees-not just kids working there. He quickly pointed out that he had a large assortment of pulleys, & started looking to see if he could hook me up. Hook me up he did, I asked him how I was supposed to cahnge them out, he told me "no problem, this'll only take a minute" Bam, I', on my way home with my 'new tensioner' for $12.00!
What lead me to believe that iw was bad was cause my water pump had failed, it was leaking & squealing, so I change the water pump. The leak stopped, but the squeal didn't, leading me to the tensioner. I get home, install my 'new' part' same squeal, Man, am I whizzed now. It turns out that I got a faulty, remanu'd waterpump. I was a happy camper that I didn't go buy that tensioner from the dealer! A lesson for all with tensioner failures!
1badredbird

[ozziepartsguy2003]

The original tensioner in the 97 2.4 Stratus is a strange creature, it's almost impossible to describe but I'll try. Imagine a 2" diameter pulley with all the tensioner workings internal. You use an allen wrench to turn the tensioner, then another to lock it into the loose position, reverse when you reinstall the belt. It's got what appeared to be a long spring inside, stretched around an eccentric. The replacement puts the pulley at the end of an arm, the pivot point being the opposite end to the pulley, and uses a bolt to lock it in place. If the belt ever stretches, you need to manually retension it, no more self adjusting capability. Looks like bakwards engineering to me.

[wares]

Ozzie, can you explain how to install and set the tension using the original tensioner type. Kind of a "Tensioners for dummies". I am typically mechanically inclined but this one has me confused and Chilton's is about worthless on the subject. Thanks!

[1badredbird]

Ozz, sounds like you are quite a wizard to pull that one off! When(it seems 2 me)they 'redesign' something, what they have in mind is to make it very user UNfriendly, ya know?
Oz Man, just exactly what kind of noises did you hear regarding your timing belt/tensioner? What did your T/belt look like, cracked, about ready to break ya think? I'm at 87,2K, & the book says replace the T/belt @ 105K, in most other brand X cars, they say 60K, so I'm feeling a tic edgy, what was your mileage when you heard the dreaded noise(s)? Oh poop,(I just re-read your thread!) 88k? WOW! I'm there!
Suggestion time, did your 2nd & 3rd speeds ever work since you got your ride? If it just quit, I'm just as lost as you are, but if some jerkwad was in there fumble-fartin around, like installing a stereo, the plugs are kinda whack. I changed my dome light, then the dimmer/door open light didn't work . I could switch it on, but no dome when open door. What I'm getting at is the male end of the (the dome anyway) plug, the prongs aren't stiff, when I plugged it back together, I left the center finger out. I don't know how it even closed, but it did, easily. So maybe that could be it.??. It's just a shot in the dark, Ozzy!
Good luck Bro! 'bird