Belt Tensioner Life Span

[pepsi71ocean]

Has anyone here had to replace their belt tensioner yet? If so at how many miles was it about?

 

I had to down the truck for a week to get my ECM rebuilt by ACS and I'm doing other work to the truth. I was wondering if the the tension-er being OEM to the truck in 1999 is still good for years to go, or if i should replace it now.

[Dieselfuture]

I never replaced mine yet but I'm only at 180k now. I just replaced a tensioner on my stepdad 2000 town and country it was starting to throw the belt off every so often, he had almost 260k on the original one. 

Not even sure what brand to recommend, Geno's sells gates with a green heavy duty belt as a package. I've seen a lot of gates stuff say made in China lately.

[Mopar1973Man]

At about 300k miles I replaced mine as a entire unit being the pulley bearing was starting to get a bit sloppy. 

[Threadzy]

I just purchased from Geno’s the Gates tensioner with green belt combo. Pretty cheap compared to around here. The tensioner said made in Turkey.  It’s actually my second tensioner. The other one made in China didn’t last long. It started chirping. Especially when it was cold. No more noise now. My truck has 271,000 on the clock. 

[Mopar1973Man]

Chirping typically is the belt grooves are worn out. I typically get about 50k to 60k miles then the belt starts to chirping. I just replace the belt and the noise is gone. Even the green belt by NAPA doesn't go much farther either it still about a 50k to 60k belt yet. 

[JAG1]

18 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

At about 300k miles I replaced mine as a entire unit being the pulley bearing was starting to get a bit sloppy. 

replaced mine 4 times on different trucks. Mine don't get sloppy they just start making a squeeky scraping sound. I think because it rains so much around here or something.

[Sycostang67]

I replaced mine for the first time earlier this year(aboot 250k) and it stopped that annoying chirp these trucks tend to get when shutting down.  Replacing the belt alone would make it go away for a little while but it kept coming back.  

[Mopar1973Man]

I don't have the shut down chirp but I have a power chirp. about every 50k to 60k the belt will chirp while under power. But looking at the new vs old belt the pulleys more or less burn the grooves out and gets too wide and no longer grips the pulley. But totally silent on shut down never makes any noise. 

[JAG1]

4 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

I don't have the shut down chirp but I have a power chirp. about every 50k to 60k the belt will chirp while under power. But looking at the new vs old belt the pulleys more or less burn the grooves out and gets too wide and no longer grips the pulley. But totally silent on shut down never makes any noise. 

Except the birds are chirping like crazy now with the change gone on around his place. 

[Dieselfuture]

You got me thinking now if mine chirp on shutdown or startup  must be one of those Mandela effects

[Doubletrouble]

Mine chirps on shutdown. I guess now I know why. 

[pepsi71ocean]

Looks like I'm Replacing the belt, I have about 80,000 on mine now.

[IBMobile]

Use to have a chirp every time the engine was shut off.  I replaced the belt with a Goodyear Gatorback belt, 4080652, no more noise.  

[Evan]

I like the cummins Chirotherapie.

 

Mine actually stopped chirping a year or two ago. I think we I put a alternator on. 

Tensioner has never been changed. 350k now

[Mopar1973Man]

Mine started to fail about 350k miles and was leaning out a bit causing the belt to mistrack on the A/C pulley. Changed the tensioner and problem gone.

[Max Tune]

It would make me sad to lose my shut down chirp. I love it.