Good Evening.

Struggling to remove 18 MM bolt from belt tensioner pulley on 1992 Buick Century 3.3 Custom Station Wagon so I can replace wobbly pulley.

The same bolt and a socket is used to loosen tension on the serpentine belt.

So, how would you block the tensioner arm from springing up while you try to remove the bolt on the pulley? Would you use a block of wood between the tensioner pulley and the power steering pump pulley? Or would you use some sort of crowbar or large screwdriver.

I read that the bolt in the middle of the pulley is a monster to get loose.

Not as strong as I used to be and do not have an air compressor or impact wrench.

Any comments or suggestions are very welcome.

Shade Tree Mechanic

Rae

If I'm not mistaken, that is a reverse thread bolt.

Danthurs,

Thank you so much for your reply...I was wondering that also? I cannot find anything about the pulley in my Haynes repair manual.

Rae

Basically, the bolt will tighten with belt travel.

If anyone else knows this to be true, that the belt tensioner pulley bolt is reverse thread let me know.

Some people thought my crankshaft pulley bolt was reverse thread, but it wasn't.

I have never heard of a crank pulley bolt being reverse thread. The tensioner bolts on my 97 are reverse thread.

OK Danthurs,

Thanks again. I have listened to too many other so called 'mechanics' that have given me the wrong information costing me lots of money. My apology, for sounding so skeptical.

I will go ahead and just wrench on that bolt clockwise to loosen it and now I don't need to figure out how to block that spring loaded arm...

Rae

If it don't feel like it'* moving don't go pulling to hard. Give it some penetrating oil and try again. Still don't move, give it some heat and paraffin wax.

Thanks Danthurs,

I've never heard how to use paraffin wax to loosen a bolt?

Rae

Heat up the bolt, then touch the thread area with the wax, and it will loosen it right up.