Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Belt keeps riding towards front of truck on the tensioner pulley!

[edgeman]

I own the 97 12 Valve and I just noticed that my belt is riding foward on my belt tensioner. I was at the gas station filling up on diesel when I noticed that the belt jumped two ribs back on the a/c pulley. What could be the problem. I checked my tensioner and that is fine. Could the a/c pulley be bad! Any help would be great! I also shredded that belt#@$%!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Are you sure the tensioner is OK? When mine started going bad the belt was walking forward because the arm bearing was getting slop in it and letting the arm twist out of perfect alignment. Bought a new one from Auto Zone for $60 and problem solved.

 

[Robin]

I had a 91 with which I hit and bounced over the end of a culvert with the right front wheel hard enough to zee the frame. Got the frame straightened, all OK. Except the belt ran two grooves back. The belt actually rode over the slightly raised flange at the edge of the pulley. It's been so long ago I can't remember if the pulley shifted on the shaft from the impact, or the compressor slipped forward where it was mounted. Anyway I got it fixed.



Bob

 

[bmoeller]

Most likely it is a bad tensioner. Sometimes they look OK, but they aren't.

 

[edgeman]

I put a pry bar to the tensioner and tried to twist it when it was on the truck it was fine, but when I took it off the tensioner pully and everything seemed alright any Ideas.

 

[Gweeds12V]

Sounds like a bad tensioner, my belt almost fell off about 2 weeks ago, jumped 2-3 grooves forward on the ac pully, replaced the tensioner and put a new belt on, problem solved.

 

[GAmes]

There is a "teflon" plate that wears out between the fixed portion and the part that moves. When it wears out the assy isn't square anymore and the belt will try to compensate. Not that much from Cummins and only one bolt to R & R (besides the belt).

 

[robbiesworld]

I put a pry bar to the tensioner and tried to twist it when it was on the truck it was fine, but when I took it off the tensioner pully and everything seemed alright any Ideas.

Take my word for it, your tensioner is bad. My belt did the exact same thing running off the tensioner pulley and off the ac pump by about 2 ribs. It actually ended up splitting my belt and slapping it allover. I bought a new tensioner held it up right next to my old one and there was virtually NO differance but when I installed the new tensioner guess what... no more jacked up belt. Auto Zone sells the good DAYCO tensioners, it was somewhere around 70 bucks.

 

[JMetzger]

I had the same problem on my 92, replaced the tensioner and the problem was fixed.