Serpentine help!!

[campbellflage]

Hey guys. Having some trouble with my serp belt. First it started squeeking, so I went out and just got an autozone one cause ford was closed. Got it on there no problem, but it keeps tearing up the belts. Just put another one on there and as soon as it starts the belt jumps a rib and is coming off the ac pully, what gives? I tried searchin on here and some said bad water pump and maybe pullys outta alignment? Any thoughts how to fix this??

[purplehorn1977]

sounds like the idler or the tensioner is junk

[campbellflage]

sounds like ford is about to sock it to me... lol

[DJM]

Idler pulleys are cheap if you gota buy the tensioner it's a little more try wiggling your idler pulleys

[NCHornet]

The tensioner is known to go bad on these trucks. If it jumping a rib than something is out of alignment. Could be the tensioner, power steering, AC compressor, Alternator. I would pull the belt off and start grabbing all the pullies and find the one that feels loose. I sure as hell wouldn't take it to Ford.

[campbellflage]

Originally Posted by NCHornet

The tensioner is known to go bad on these trucks. If it jumping a rib than something is out of alignment. Could be the tensioner, power steering, AC compressor, Alternator. I would pull the belt off and start grabbing all the pullies and find the one that feels loose. I sure as hell wouldn't take it to Ford.

Then what if its loose? I didnt look yet, is there a bolt that holds them on?

[campbellflage]

wanna say my problems started when i took off the ac and tensioner to get access to put the FRx in. Belt started squeekin like a month later, so I bet i screwed up putting it back together or not tight enough

[majek5]

My 6.0 was squeakin so I bought a new idler pulley. When I took the old one off, it was sloppy and seemed like it could be tightened up. Try that before you drop some $$$.

[campbellflage]

160$ for a new tensioner from ford... ouch

[ScottyP5947]

Be sure you know what you are replacing and why. As the others have suggested, check for play in the pulleys, and if you have some... replace that part. The belt runs on the same plane all the way around, so you can eyeball it from the side and see if any pulleys are sticking out or pulled in some. Start with the stuff you messed with, check that out really well.

I just replaced the tensioner and the idler pulley and the belt on mine and it's silent, tracking great. Makes me happy.
My idler was just fine, I was replacing it as PM - but the ribbed pulley on the tensioner was really floppy and would have gone out at the worst time, no doubt.

I got my parts from www.silverstatefordparts.com and didn't pay anywhere near that much, even factoring in shipping.

Good luck - just remember, something changed... you have to find what it was that changed under there that is causing this.

Scott