HOW TO FIX SQUEAKING TENSIONER PULLEY

[Trendwho205]

THIS IS A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO FIX YOUR TENSIONER PULLEY THAT THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE YOU $380 TO FIX. You can Do this job in 30mins and it will only cost around SIX Bucks. THAT'S RIGHT $6 BUCKS

ESTIMATED TIME............... 30MINS
DIFFICULTY LEVEL.............3/10

PARTS NEEDED
*CAR RAMPS OR jACKSTANDS
*CAR CHOCKS
*10mm SOCKET
*12mm SOCKET
*14mm SOCKET
* 5/8 SOCKET
*RATCHET
*BREAKER BAR
*NEW BEARING PART NUMBER PT203FF
*HAMMER OR MALLET

STEP 1
use a 10mm socket to remove air intake box.


STEP 2
Use a 12mm socket to remove the Vacuum canister and place it to the side.


STEP 3
Use a 14mm socket and place it on the tensioner bolt.


STEP 4
Use a breaker bar to pull tensioner towards you do this by standing on the passenger side. I used a strong piece of PVC pipe that I use for a breaker bar AKA the CHEATER BAR. you will also need help to remove the serpentine belt while you hold the tensioner back. the belt will have slack in it to remove it.



STEP 5
Loosen the tensioner bolt by turning clockwise, you may or not have to use a breaker bar to do this step.


STEP 6
Remove pulley and turn upside down on a hard surface take a 5/8 socket and place it on the middle of the bearing
DONT PUT THE SOCKET ON THE BLACK PART OF THE BEARING YOU COULD DAMAGE THE BEARING...
Tap generousley with a hammer or malet evenly. your bearing should drop right out.



STEP 7
Take the new bearing and flip pulley over use same procedure as step 6 to seat the new bearing


STEP 8
Put Pulley back on the teniosner and turn counter clockwise to tighten you may need to get under the car the get some room to tighten

STEP 9
Replace Belt. Be sure to properly set belt in all grooves on the pulley. Pull tensionser to make slack to replace belt again it helps to have extra hands to assist with the belt.

STEP 10
Replace the vacuum canister and intake box with all screws.
Turn car on and check your work.
AND THAT'S IT YOU HAVE JUST SUCCESSFULLY INSTALLED A NEW TESIONER PULLEY

[Ilya]

Good work sir.

I will lock your other thread with a message to use this thread for any/all discussion on the issue so that we can keep things somewhat clean/condensed.

Thank you for your efforts, adding this to the FAQ thread.

[Trendwho205]

thankyou glad i could be a help

[cruzad3r]

very nice - good contribution!

[The00Dustin]

Thanks for the post. I believe these steps only apply to the 2006-2007 M45. Additionally, in step 4 (and step 9), you can use an Allen wrench (hex key) to lock the tensioner in place, instructions for this are in the owner's manual. Once that is done, removing (ard re-installing) the belt is a one person job. Since the owners manual says to never do step 5, I have no clue if the wrench (key) then needs removed before step 5. I also don't know whether or not using the wrench (key) to hold the tensioner in place may reduce/remove the need for step 9 and/or steps 2 and 10. Someone may have posted pics of what I am talking about in another how-to thread regarding replacing the belt on the 2006-2007 M45.

[TDot]

Thanks for the post. I believe these steps only apply to the 2006-2007 M45. Additionally, in step 4 (and step 9), you can use an Allen wrench (hex key) to lock the tensioner in place, instructions for this are in the owner's manual. Once that is done, removing (ard re-installing) the belt is a one person job. Since the owners manual says to never do step 5, I have no clue if the wrench (key) then needs removed before step 5. I also don't know whether or not using the wrench (key) to hold the tensioner in place may reduce/remove the need for step 9 and/or steps 2 and 10. Someone may have posted pics of what I am talking about in another how-to thread regarding replacing the belt on the 2006-2007 M45.

If that's the case, maybe the title should be edited to reflect.

[Ilya]

If all are in favor, I'll change it.

The VK is different enough for a VQ that we likely need that designation either way...just want to make sure the part about 06-07 is right so we don't leave off the 08-10 guys.

[Trendwho205]

Thanks for the post. I believe these steps only apply to the 2006-2007 M45. Additionally, in step 4 (and step 9), you can use an Allen wrench (hex key) to lock the tensioner in place, instructions for this are in the owner's manual. Once that is done, removing (ard re-installing) the belt is a one person job. Since the owners manual says to never do step 5, I have no clue if the wrench (key) then needs removed before step 5. I also don't know whether or not using the wrench (key) to hold the tensioner in place may reduce/remove the need for step 9 and/or steps 2 and 10. Someone may have posted pics of what I am talking about in another how-to thread regarding replacing the belt on the 2006-2007 M45.

Really? Well forgive me for trying to save someone a little money. I agree that the title may need to be changed but its like you missed the whole point. I saved myself the head ache of having to spend $380 and 3hrs of my time just for something that cost $5.87 and 30 minutes. I don't think anyone cares about a alen key that was quoted in section 9B of the users manual. The fact is that it worked for me and it will work for whoever else. The user manual never said to replace the pulley bearing also they would want you to replace the whole tensioner. So in advanc . Your welcome

[The00Dustin]

Really? Well forgive me for trying to save someone a little money. I agree that the title may need to be changed but its like you missed the whole point. I saved myself the head ache of having to spend $380 and 3hrs of my time just for something that cost $5.87 and 30 minutes. I don't think anyone cares about a alen key that was quoted in section 9B of the users manual. The fact is that it worked for me and it will work for whoever else. The user manual never said to replace the pulley bearing also they would want you to replace the whole tensioner. So in advanc . Your welcome

Sorry my post offended you, although I'm not sure why. I started off by thanking your for providing the helpful information. The rest of the post really wasn't about you, I was trying to add potentially helpful additional information for the next guy or your next time, that's all. Additional information in the rest of my post:
-May only apply to 06-07 (needs verified)
-Hex key may allow one person to do it (so a helper isn't needed)
-Hex key holding tensioner in alternate position might (at owner's risk) be OK for entire job (possibly removing 1-3 additional steps)

EDIT: Removed "you found offensive" from just before ":" because it referred to the post, not the information, but was ambiguous.

[Ilya]

It's all good fellas, we're here to help each other out.

[built2makeit]

which website did you order from? because when i use that part number it says its not compatible

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C2 ... UTF8&psc=1

i see this on amazon but not sure if its the right one

[kmiles]

There are two tensioner pulley's on the M45. The one above shows that it fits for Fan/Alt/AC belt. If the squeak is coming from the PS pulley, it would not be this one.

[EdBwoy]

which website did you order from? because when i use that part number it says its not compatible

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C2 ... UTF8&psc=1

i see this on amazon but not sure if its the right one

See if this helps. I elected to replace only the bearings and kept the pulley istelf.

Tensioner bearings originally 6203DUL1. Just searched for compatible bearings by dimensions and other specs and I ended up on ebay.
6203-2RS was the replacement and I bought a pack of 12 for about 14 bucks.


Idler bearings originally TMB301LU. The idler I worked on took 2 of these bearings IIRC. They were pretty hard to come by so I gave my dimensions to one of our bearing vendors at work and they did the legwork and came up with the best source for me at the time.
Replaced with 6301-2RSJEM. Cost me about 8 bucks each.

Not to take away from this helpful thread by Trendwho205, but I'd recommend the bearings be pressed rather than pounded, especially on the way in.

[EdBwoy]

BUMP.

We build up on the knowledge we gather with time. You can still buy the OEM tensioner/ idler/ bearings from Infiniti and have them replace them for you (not cheap), but for the DIY crowd, this is what you could do.

Option 1: buy an aftermarket pulley
Someone mentioned that he/she located the entire idler pulley from Autozone. Part # 231150, for about 46 bucks.
I also see the other pulleys on their website.
Main drive pulley & power steering pulley
Part #s 38005 & 38011 (I haven't looked into which is which) for $25 & $23


Option 2: press the bearings out & into the OEM pulleys
Since my first post where I used the cheap bearings, I have done the job again, and I wanted a reputable bearing manufacturer. I went with Koyo bearings.
The distributor closest to me had them in stock, and without the discount:
6203-2RS approx $7
6301-2RS approx $16.50
NOTE: Each tensioner pulley requires 1 bearing, while the idler requires 2, so buy 2 of each above.
First time I paid a shop to do it, $25 in labor
Second time I did it myself using an arbor press.

Worst case in option 2 is approx $72, so 24 bucks per pulley, right?
In reality it's more like $41 for the idler and $16 for each tensioner.
It will be much cheaper if you do the work yourself & use cheaper bearings. Remember, this time I intentionally chose bearings from that shelf above the top shelf.

So, should you bother? It depends.
The youtube commenter said that the aftermarket idler felt beefier than the OEM one. I like that it also has a stop for the bearings like OEM. Most aftermarket ones I've seen don't have that, and the bearings can be hypothetically completely pushed out through the front or back. You have to ensure the belt is centered on them.
The tensioner pulleys look like they lack the bearing stop and the lip to prevent the belt from jumping. I don't like that.

However, also consider that these manufacturers are established names and obviously test the components before selling them to the aftermarket. Also, they will look prettier and shinier than the used OEM parts.

In the end, it's up to you on what route to take. Do you have the time, desire or the proper tools? Remember, if you screw up the DIY job, it costs more to fix it.