Serpentine belt tensioner

spud17 · #1 10-22-2006, 08:55 PM

The tensioner on my '95 Dakota SLT 3.9 doesn't have a square recess for a drive extension. Do I use a 15mm socket on the pulley nut to remove the tension? The nut turned slightly and the tensioner didn't move when I tried this. Could it be stuck?

dodgedakotacrazy · #2 10-22-2006, 10:02 PM

it should be a bolt. and yeah you just put a socket on it and turn it one way or the other...there is a good chance it could be froze..

JAYOFALLTRACKS · #3 11-26-2006, 07:08 PM

I was responding to a different thread about the same topic, then the window locked up, so I copied out the text and pasting it in this thread instead because I found it, and I"m in a hurry. So anyway, here goes:

Yeah, wd40 isn't a penetrant like PB. Problem with PB I've found is that it's too good sometimes and eats through rusty parts you might have old structural rust ha! Well anyway, I just had the same problem, tensioner wouldn't move either way. So I checked on here to make sure I wasn't missing anything and it was just frozen. Well turned out it was. Here's how I freed mine up. Spray PB inside the tensioner every direction you can. WIPE THE EXCESS PB OFF HOSES AND EVERYTHING YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO GET IT ON! Not sure, but I'm guessing that could cause early failure of those by penetrating them just like it's supposed to. After PB, I took a short piece of 2x3 pine I had laying around, and with a sledge hammer, hit the wood into the tensioner to budge it a little in the clockwise (un-tension) direction. Then a pry-bar to go the other direction. This got old quick and would take all day to work it free that way. Next I sprayed in a bit more PB. Then I used a 15mm box end wrench with just the right size pipe to quickly work it back and forth to work the PB in and the rust out. Once it moved freely, I squirted a little motor oil inside the tensioner and worked it back and forth a bunch again. The oil is very important, as I've found out that PB frees rust, but then crusts and siezes back up if you don't oil it, so don't forget that part. Well anyway, mine seems to work perfect again. I hope this helps anyone else with the same problem.

Jay