Ok so I am going to work cutting thru the country and I make it 5 miles from work and I shucked the serpentine belt! Ok nearest part store is 8 miles away, no one else at work this morning. So I make a run to the nearest town with 2 different part stores(one big chain one), ran the heater with the windows down, truck heated up to the red zone about 1 mile out of town. So I ease into the part store. Could I have done much damage to engine for that distance?? Spent 1 1/2 hours at the part store, no one had a belt in town! They call next store 35 miles away they have them but don't have time to meet their driver. Finally ended up getting ahold of a student that lives 12 miles away to come get me and run me to a part store 10 miles away to get the right belt. Got it going again, question is could I have done much damage to the truck? and what should I look for that is causing the belt to shuck on me? Replaced water pump 8 months ago, new idler pulley then and a tensioner. I can't find anything wrong with any of the pulleys. Any ideals?? thanks.

 

well, running it with the heater on didnt do much... you need the water pump to turn in order to pump water thru heater core, just like radiator. So.. next question... did you hurt it.. maybe not... Bet you carry a spare belt in the ol tool box from now on won't ya?

 

Yep, bought 2 when I was there.

 

Ok broke down Friday, new belt now here I sit at work waiting on part runners. Had to sent 2 different people to 2 different towns for new belt and another new tensioner!!! What I am missing here guys??? I can't find anything wrong with any of the other pulleys, the belt this time took about 1 groove out and then shucked it. Was going to try and reuse it but had to cut it loose as it was too wedged. AC was working fine and everything turns like it should. Need ideas or suggestions.

The other new one I bought Friday I had put under the rear seat... went to get it out and it is gone, found out my kids took it out with a bunch of their stuff Sunday when they cleaned out the truck and it is laying in the dirty clothes pile, wife is still at work!!

 

sounds like tensioner is going bad. Ive had this happen before. take tensioner off and compare to the new one. Ive had them come apart in the spring portion that the bolt goes thru.

 

Well I found a new one, the only one with in a 80 mile radius of me!!! The one I took off had been on for about 8 months, the tensioner seems fine, only thing I could find was a very small amount of wear on the plastic pulley on the edge that goes back to the engine block side. I will see if NAPA will warranty any thing on it. The only good thing was one of my students parents have a trucking company and they went to get the tensioner for me, I was quoted 174, the parent got it for 140! Thank god I have students parents that like me and are good people that are willing to help me out in a bind.