Is it possible to safely remove the serpentine belt tensioner from the ac compressor bracket?
This may sound like a dumb question but it appears to be under a tremendous spring load and taking it off the bracket worries me.
BTW I do not want to delete the tensioner, just to remove it so I can clean up the support bracket.
Thanks

 

You generally don't remove it. Though, there is a big torx bolt in the center. That may remove it. Not something I would want to mess with, though.

 

:werd:

Even at the dealer where I work, if the tensioner is bad, we replace the whole thing. Then again, we've never wanted to clean it

Im trying to picture how exactly it looks, but my guess wud to just use like a Dremel and clean the hell out if, that shud be able to get into the tight spots without having to disassemble the tensioner itself.

 

Thanks guys, but I'm dropping in a brand new ZZ4, I'm just trying to get all the pieces off my 305 that will be used again looking as good as new.
The bracket that holds the tensioner has about 14 years of crud on it.

 

PB Blaster is an old engine's best friend!

If it can get a siezed/rusted stuck piston out of a motor thats been sitting in a guys backyard for 2 years, i think a tensioner wud be a piece of cake

 

Thanks again, but...
What I need to know (from those with experience) is, can the belt tensioner be SAFELY removed from the AC/AIR pump bracket so that I may have the bracket bead blasted.

 

Yes, Once the belt is off of the serp setup there is no tension on the mounting bolt for the tensioner. It just unbolts. What the guys above were referring to was taking the two parts of the tensioner apart.

The mounting bolt is on the back side of the serp bracket if my memory serves me right.