[showman]

My serpentine belt has very little clearance at the tensioner with itself as it returns from the power steering pump. In fact sometimes it looks as though it's touching. If it is I don't know how it hasn't destroyed itself.

I have verified the belt is the correct length and that it follows the factory path with no deletes. If the tensioner needed replacing I would have guessed that it was because the spring was getting weaker and that would lead to more clearance at this point not less.

Seems wrong to me. Anyone else?

 

[OkDually]

It could be that the tensioner is beyond its spring limits. Try replacing the tensioner and see if things improve

 

[showman]

But .... wouldn't that mean that the spring is too strong? Surely, as the spring gets weaker this gap would become larger.

 

[BoiseBurb]

(burb is presently on opposite coast, so I can't eyeball it)

I'm trying to recall how the tensioner mounts, and can't ... I wonder if you're missing a spacer or something that should be lifting it up just a skoosh to allow for swing clearance.

 

[Glagulator]

I looked at my 99 and there is about +1/4" clearance and that is as close as it can get.
Someone may have replaced the pulley with one a tad to large.
The belt surface on my pulley is 3" o.d. & it is the original pulley but with a new bearing.

 

[showman]

Well fancy that! You were spot on. I found this old pulley in the glove box. I wonder why somebody put an over sized one on?

 

[showman]

We have clearance! Thanks for your help everyone.