I've been lucky so far as I am basically paranoid about this issue and so keep a very close 'ear' on things. I had the first belt and tensioner/roller set changed at 39000 miles, all quiet and no badness visible, could have left it but I'm not like that! So GM dealer ( a generally very good one unusually!) fitted the replacement, and after 16000 miles I was listening to a bearing squeal on start-up that was in the area of the tensioner. Took off the aux belt, still made the noise, but bizarrely if I drove it every 1/2 day (i.e. twice a day or more) it stopped doing it, only if left overnight to go stone cold would it complain. Anyway, took it to dealer who declared they couldn't ear it (you could have heard it in the next county on start-up) but agreed to change the kit and send the original one to VX to get their opinion on who should pay for the work. They paid, bearing stuffed. So the next (third kit) gets to 26000 miles and same noise starts again. Sod it, called Darth Loo-Knee and got him down to change the kit, so I could see what the dealer had done. Gets the covers off and the water pump and all surfaces facing up are covered in what used to be part of the rubber surface of the belt. Checked tensioner - guess what massively over-tensioned from new. I'm thinking this is what caused the first kit to go as well.
The good news, Darth Loo Knee re-timed the cams (yes they were out as well, thanks VX) fitted new belt, SKF tensioners and rollers, new water pump, and it is as quiet as a mouse and much, much smoother at idle and running, so I am a happy man now. I also know that it was tensioned correctly and all the bolts were torqued properly and that a lot of care was taken. Thank you Darth. Car runs really well and is so quiet I could forget it even has an engine up front, caught myself out once or twice of late going a tad too quickly.
It has restored my faith that a properly fitted kit will last the distance and that my ears haven't failed me yet so my engine is fine. Car is now at 89000 miles and on kit no.4, but cam belt kits are much cheaper than engines so I don't really mind since the car is such a pleasure to drive.
My advice, fit the things properly and don't push past 40000 miles or at any time you get a bearing noise, stop the engine and change it there and then. I will happily recommend Darth Loo-Knee, he did a top job and was not terribly expensive.
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Topic: GM BELT TENSIONER FAILURE, AGAIN, GRRRR (Read 4948 times)