It's a '97 Camaro, but it has the 3800 and uses the same belt tensioner as my '98 GP, so I figured someone here might be able to help. My sister-in-law came home last night (in the pouring rain) asking me to check her engine because it was making a weird noise. It didn't take long to find that the pulley for the belt tensioner was mostly missing. There was the outer ring of the bearing and about 6 bearings left and amazingly the belt was still staying on.

So, I got a new belt and pulley today and I'm trying to remove the bolt that holds the pulley onto the belt tensioner. I wedged a pry bar to hold the tensioner in place and lossened the bolt. The problem is that I've gotten it loose to the point where I can just turn it by hand, but the bolt won't get any looser or come out any more.

Any suggestions? Will I just need to go out and get the whole belt tensioner? It's not my car and my deadbeat sister-in-law has no money. So, needless to say, 'd prefer the $17 pulley to the $70 tensioner.

Just thought about it and I'm starting to think that it may be a reverse thread bolt. If that's the case, I'm guessing I've now stripped the bolt. Crap.

It is reverse thread, and yes, you probobly stripped it.

Don't feel too bad about it, it happens. I know of someone who snapped the tensioner off that way.

Yep, just tried to go the other way (which would tighten it if it weren't reverse threaded) and it just keeps turning that way too. Oh well, guess I'm getting the whole belt tensioner now. I should've read up before attempting something new. Now I've learned a valuable lesson about pulleys. At least it was with my in-law's car and not mine. I've got to go to work in a few minutes, she can take the bus to school, lol.