Help, but I think Im $%^$ed

Posted by: 97gtpblk

Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 10:07 AM

Hello, I was attempting to remove the belt tensioner on the supercharger belt, and I broke the head of the bolt off...
Should I have sprayed some lub on it before?
I dont thing anything I could have done before would of prevented this. Im wondering why GM would of put that 6 point head on a bolt so long!!!! I wish I would of brought it to the dealer and had them break it. Short of drilling out that bolt, and cutting apart the tensioner, Im wondering if its worth it. Ive had that chattering noise for about 20000 miles now.
Could someone tell me how long the bolt goes into the motor, if I was to cut out the tesioner?
Please help.....
Thanks
Posted by: snowcrash

Re: Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 12:06 PM

the chatter could be the belt or maybe the bearing going bad. you can replace the bearing on the tensioner without removing it from the engine.

but if you did break off one of the heads that go into the engine, then i have no idea how long it could be. if you can weld, you could weld another bolt to the end of the one you broke off and then take it out. if you have the room to get to it, i think that would be an easy option instead of cutting and drilling on it.
Posted by: bryanp

Re: Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 12:22 PM

Good luck. I bet it felt like when I snapped off the stud inside my supercharger snout.

At least you can drive without the supercharger belt, so it doesn't have to be fixed asap.
Posted by: WYTHE

Re: Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 12:26 PM

Like snowcrash said, welding will be you best bet I think. I'd put a nut against it and weld inside it to the broken bolt. When the weld heats up the bolt it will expand and then when it cools down it will shrink. Then all you have to do is put a socket on the nut and it should come out easily.
Posted by: Stock97GTP

Re: Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 12:33 PM

I actually did this exact same thing. The bolt only keeps the idler pulley on the tensioner. The tensioner is held to the engine block by an e-torx stud. The nut on the stud keeps the tensioner in place. You don't actually have to screw or unscrew anything into the block itself. Just take the NUT out of the inside of the tensioner and the entire thing slides right out.

Then you can take out what's left of the bolt, and get a new bolt or whatever else you want to do for a fix.

I ended up buying a whole new tensioner ($80 and it has a redesigned idler pulley) at the dealer. According to the dealer, just the bolt is available but I needed to fix mine right away.

Funny. I felt so stupid and of course the dealer gives me the "never seen that before" line. Sorry about your plight, but it makes me feel better. Still wondering how this could happen.
Posted by: 97gtpblk

Re: Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 12:44 PM

I think I have to correct myself here, im a little confused. I broke the head off the e-torx stud.
I have the shop manual in from off me, and I was going to remove the e-torx stud, and get a new one (new belt tensioner at autozone).
Ok so I cannot get at e-torx stud now. Can I take apart the housing of the tensioner, because there is a chattering comimng from the inside. I looked at the replacement one, and it has all this extra stuff on it, from autozone, these metal test-tube like feature casted on it.
I think the only way to get mine off, is to cut it apart down to the stub, then turn the stud out off the motor. The car drives fine and all, so I hate to do this, but Im going to try a new belt first and see how it works.
But please lead me to the promised land. This is my baby....
Posted by: 97gtpblk

Re: Help, but I think Im $%^$ed - 07/17/05 04:30 PM

Ok i got it off, thanks to this site. I overlooked that bolt on the e-torx stud.
Thanks everyone esp. stock97gtp.