Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

I'm not a mechanic. But I know enough to know someone is trying to screw with me.

I took my wife's grand prix to a local shop because the tensioner pulley started screeching this morning. They claim the tensioner assembly is bad, but won't tell me what sort of tension readings they've gotten off the belt.

Unfortunately, replacing the assembly is a pain since it's integrated into the side of the ending and has some cooler lines going through it. So I decided to gamble with the old beast and ask them to replace just the pully. I'll get a second opinion on the tension measurement later. Bastards wanted to charge $65 for a pulley. I know that's wrong.

But then they claimed 1 hour labor to replace it!!!!! Isn't it just slip the belt off, remove the bolt, put on a new pulley, tighten a bolt, slip belt on??

Am I wrong to be angry? :rant::mad:

I'm becoming more of a DIY'er everyday.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Call Napa. Or look online, you can get stuff pretty much for cost (sometimes less). Either way I bet napa has the whole tensioner for less then the pully.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

I plan to go this route. I checked out autozone and advanced auto parts on line and they both had pulleys in the mid $20's.

I was stupid to think I could save a little of my time by spending a little of my money.

I was just venting here since no one's around my home office right now to bitch to.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Not sure how the belt is on the GP, but I had to take the wife's Lexus to the dealer to change a belt. Damn if I could 1) get a wrench to it and 2) see the nut.

Oh, the belt now screeches on start up when it didn't before.:crying: :rant:

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

There's plenty of room on the GP. Not as much as the 2, but enough.

I replaced the belts and cleaned the pulleys on my H2 because of some annoying chirping. They had some cracks in them. But the replacement belts chirped more than the worn ones for about 2 weeks. I was pissed.:mad: They're quiet now though.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Depends on what engine and what year vehicle. However, from your description of the coolant hoses, I'll assume the old style with the 3.8L (L36/L67). Not sure if GM sells just the pulley, without the entire tensioner assembly.
Easy to diagnose with a long screwdriver to listen to the pulley while the engine runs.
On one of those engines mentioned above, the generator has to be removed.
As for one-hour time. I know of no dealers who charge anything less than one-hour to perform any job. In fact, a lot of aftermarket shops charge a minimum of one-hour to do any job (unless it is an advertised job like tire rotation, oil change, etc.)
Even furnace repair charge a minimum of one-hour.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

My wife is a doctor, so I used her stethoscope to locate the bad pulley . :p
You're right on the engine, 3.8 vin K on a '98. You have to drain coolant and remove the generator.
I do understand this, but when I question the labor estimate, he hemed and hawed about how "it was a little more involved..." Had he just said, we can't afford to run a shop and charge less than 1 hour labor, I'd have respected the answer and maybe even said do it then.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Try pulling up to the mechanic and sit there, everytime he moves... flash your lights. :jump:

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Shouldn't the job times be programmed into the computer? I'm just curious. Maybe they all have a minimum of 1 hour.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

One hour is very reasonable, considering they have to drain the coolant (not all the way, but lower than the coolant bottle and heater hoses), then remove the generator, and the tensioner assembly, they put every thiing back.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

I replaced the tensioner pully in my 95 riviera with a supercharged 3.8 L
It took about 1/2 hour at my brothers shop .I didnt remove coolant or alt.
I had a 2 belt system .Might have took me 1 hour in the driveway
Definatly replace the belt .

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Different engine....:D

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

One hour is reasonable for the whole tensioner assembly. They wanted to charge me one hour just to replace the tensioner pulley.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

Then, they are just doing the minimum of one-hour. Surprised they are even servicing only the pulley. But stranger things have been happening lately.:clapping:

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

They're not. I am. I decided that it was worth the learning experience rather than paying a full hour of labor for them to do the job.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

It took almost an hour just now to make my coffee, remove the pulley, run to the store and buy a new pulley and belt ($40), pour a new cup of coffee, go to the bathroom, install the new pulley and belt, and then cleanup. :rolleyes:

And Ken, there's a load of room to swap out the belt on the 3.8L in the GP. It was almost fun.

Re: Cost to swap out tensioner pully
 

KenP----- Take it back to the dealer and make them adjust the belts. I had the dealer change the belts on my daughters rx300 and they squealed on start-up. Took it back twice before they got it right, but they did get it right. No further charge-of course.:)