[JenaKnowsNothing]

Hello.

If you want the short version, I'll put my questions at the bottom in bold.

I have a 2001 Ford F-250 with the 7.3 diesel.

I am new. I know next to nothing about how to fix vehicles, but I figure me and youtube can do anything,especially when I have too

I did replace my alternator a couple weeks ago...and now I am wondering if I did something then to make my belt break but I don't know. It started squealing after that, but I figured it was due to all the rain we have had.

My belt shredded on my way to my hotel this morning. I was driving along, just fine and suddenly no power steering, battery light came on and no power brakes. It was pretty obvious what happened so I just drove it here without power steering, etc.

I actually have a belt, but I don't have a tool to work the tensioner so I am going to walk down to an auto parts store to buy a breaker bar, but I figured I should check to make sure this is all I need first.

I checked all my pulleys and they all spin freely except the power steering one. It goes around, but it kind of has a clicky feel to it. Is that ok?

On the tensioner, there is a grooved pulley and like a smoother one? It's on the bottom of the tensioner. It spins but I have to like push it around, it's not free wheeling like the other one. Is that a problem with the tensioner?

Besides checking the pulleys, is there anything else I should look at before I decide that it is just a simple broken belt?

Thank you

 

[MikeL123]

Well, welcome to the Forum!! It looks to me that you know a lot more about twisting wrenches on a truck than a lot of other guys and gals. Yes, you should be able to borrow the tensioner tool from the auto parts store. No, it is doubtful that you could be so lucky as to have only shredded the belt. I would be highly suspicious that the bearings on the tensioner/idler wheel have seized up or fallen apart to the point that they cannot do their job. I suggest that you pick up a new tensioner/idler set as well. I am not too familiar with your particular truck nor do you state how many miles are on your beast. Regardless, at sixteen years old those parts could stand a renewal. As far as the PS pulley is concerned I would not worry too much at this point in the process of getting you up and running again. It would probably be a good idea, at least it could not hurt, to do a PS fluid flush fill renewal at the first opportunity.

This is just my take on things and I'm sure that others far more knowledgeable than me will jump on with more intelligent input.

Cheers and Good Luck!

Mike

 

[JenaKnowsNothing]

Ok, third time is the charm...my responses keep disappearing...

First, thanks for the response!

Second, my new belt lasted all of about 30 miles.

My truck got left at work and I'll have to fix it tonight....in the dark...yay! At least I will be getting paid, right?

So....I guess I get to learn how to put in a belt tensioner. I'm pretty sure that's got to be it because all the other pulley just spin like a perfectly balanced top...except the power steering one, but we'll just try the tensioner first.

Thanks again!