Topic: Methinks the Mazda needs a new AC belt and probably the tensioner pulley

[Ron]

Not directly Mazda related, though Mazda did make use of the Ford parts bin for that era car, so may be helpful. When we had the Ford Taurus, there was a chirping and squealing at start up and at low rpms, above idle. I changed the belt and voila that did the trick, for a few days...  A buddy mentioned to replace the tensioner pulley as they were known to be weak. I did and that eliminated any noise for the last couple years we had the car.

[Noto]

^^ That's what I was suggesting I wanted to do.  Not the entire tensioner, but just the pulley.

[Ron]

Oh I wasn't clear, in my example I replaced the whole assembly not just the pulley.

[Fobroader]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

[Firm]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

I support every part of that statement....

[johngenx]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

THERE'S NO FUN IN THAT. We need a dozen pages of debate and humming-and-hawing about it.

This summer the kid and I swapped brake discs, pads and calipers as well as changing the serpentine belts including the tensioner and pulleys and a bunch of other jobs on the Forester in less time than some people go out and stand in the driveway scratching their noggin.

[Fobroader]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

THERE'S NO FUN IN THAT. We need a dozen pages of debate and humming-and-hawing about it.

This summer the kid and I swapped brake discs, pads and calipers as well as changing the serpentine belts including the tensioner and pulleys and a bunch of other jobs on the Forester in less time than some people go out and stand in the driveway scratching their noggin.

My buddies and I took the top end off of a Chev SBC and replaced the heads, intake, water pump, rad, carb, distributor and fuel pump in less time that its taking for our fearless hero here to do a 15 minute job 

[rrocket]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

THERE'S NO FUN IN THAT. We need a dozen pages of debate and humming-and-hawing about it.

This summer the kid and I swapped brake discs, pads and calipers as well as changing the serpentine belts including the tensioner and pulleys and a bunch of other jobs on the Forester in less time than some people go out and stand in the driveway scratching their noggin.

My buddies and I took the top end off of a Chev SBC and replaced the heads, intake, water pump, rad, carb, distributor and fuel pump in less time that its taking for our fearless hero here to do a 15 minute job 

$5 says he hasn't tried the soap/belt dressing yet...which takes about 5 seconds.   

[Fobroader]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

THERE'S NO FUN IN THAT. We need a dozen pages of debate and humming-and-hawing about it.

This summer the kid and I swapped brake discs, pads and calipers as well as changing the serpentine belts including the tensioner and pulleys and a bunch of other jobs on the Forester in less time than some people go out and stand in the driveway scratching their noggin.

My buddies and I took the top end off of a Chev SBC and replaced the heads, intake, water pump, rad, carb, distributor and fuel pump in less time that its taking for our fearless hero here to do a 15 minute job 

$5 says he hasn't tried the soap/belt dressing yet...which takes about 5 seconds.   

Where you at Nosan??

[bridgecity]

He’s busy assembling a two page response. Stay tuned.

[rrocket]

He’s busy assembling a two page response. Stay tuned.

With the corresponding case law to back it up.

[Noto]

In the time of all the discussion and debate you could have gone to Canadian Tire, spent the $60-80 on two new belts and a pulley and remedied the situation.....just saying.

I support every part of that statement....

He’s busy assembling a two page response. Stay tuned.

Sh!t hit the fan at work - I'll be here for a while.  No time to make such arguments now

[Noto]

So the sound doesn't seem to come out when it's warmer - it's more of a cold weather thing, and seems to happen over more RPMs now (still low-revs, or perhaps the sound is just drowned out at higher revs?).

Tried the bar of soap thing.  Didn't make a difference.  I suspect it's the tensioner, be it just the pulley or the whole assembly, I don't know.

I'd change out the pulley and a belt, but I'm not willing to do the tensioner.  Any idea what the cost would be to replace "professionally"?

[blur911]

So the sound doesn't seem to come out when it's warmer - it's more of a cold weather thing, and seems to happen over more RPMs now (still low-revs, or perhaps the sound is just drowned out at higher revs?).

Tried the bar of soap thing.  Didn't make a difference.  I suspect it's the tensioner, be it just the pulley or the whole assembly, I don't know.

I'd change out the pulley and a belt, but I'm not willing to do the tensioner.  Any idea what the cost would be to replace "professionally"?

If the soap didn't change the sound it's probably the pully bearing.  I've changed the whole tensioner when it was original, 10 years old and the spring seemed to be getting weak.  I've also changed just the pully, on a Subaru EV30 you learn to carry spares of each, plus a spare belt in the car.  Changing the whole tensioner and it wasn't much harder than changing just the pully, YMMV

[Ex-airbalancer]

I thought he would be sending it back to the person who gave him the car and ask them to fix it   

[Noto]

Since nobody here wants to answer...

CT has the tensioner assembly for $137.99 (balls)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/goodyear-automotive-belt-tensioner-0146500p.html#srp

Belts are relatively cheap.  Hmm, I may just do the whole thing.

[rrocket]

Since nobody here wants to answer...

CT has the tensioner assembly for $137.99 (balls)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/goodyear-automotive-belt-tensioner-0146500p.html#srp

Belts are relatively cheap.  Hmm, I may just do the whole thing.

Nothing wrong with the assembly..it would be the bearing in the pulley.  Pulley is $15.  Try that first.  5 minutes to replace.

Even found a vid for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovuNJhvEzqo

[Seafoam]

Since nobody here wants to answer...

CT has the tensioner assembly for $137.99 (balls)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/goodyear-automotive-belt-tensioner-0146500p.html#srp

Belts are relatively cheap.  Hmm, I may just do the whole thing.

Nothing wrong with the assembly..it would be the bearing in the pulley.  Pulley is $15.  Try that first.  5 minutes to replace.

Even found a vid for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovuNJhvEzqo

Yeah pretty straight forward.

[Noto]

I posted about doing just the pulley at the top, but then all ya'll suggested that I do the tensioner and belts at the same time.  Now back to suggesting the first easy fix?  Why waste my time?

Oh wait...silly question 

[Fobroader]

Again, belts, pulley, 20 minute job.....weeks ago when you asked.