Belt Drive Tensioner Options

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My 1997 Saturn SL2 needs a new belt tensioner. I replaced the serpentine belt 6 months ago and now I'm hearing a squeak noise whenever I start my car in the morning. Ideally I like to put the best parts in my car. Do people have any opinions on Gate's brand belt drive tensioners versus paying up to $75 for a Sebco brand one?

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...oner/38112/4348005/1997/saturn/sl2?pos=0

Or this no name brand one that's only $20?
https://www.carparts.com/details/Sa...AegqWYDN5hoCZagQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
The Dayco for this engine is probably OE, for these engines it would be the one I choose because in my experience if they were the OE manufacturer and the engine is low production as this is they just box the OE part not start an aftermarket quality line. Gates buys and boxes cheap Chinese parts, Replacement brand is just crap.

$20 cheaper than Rock when you count the shipping cost from Rock.

Dayco 89240
 
FWIW: The belt tensioner in the Gates kit for my '02 Camry says that it was made in Canada. The Gates belt itself is stamped "Made in the U.S.A.".
 
Originally Posted by Trav
The Dayco for this engine is probably OE, for these engines it would be the one I choose because in my experience if they were the OE manufacturer and the engine is low production as this is they just box the OE part not start an aftermarket quality line. Gates buys and boxes cheap Chinese parts, Replacement brand is just crap.

$20 cheaper than Rock when you count the shipping cost from Rock.

Dayco 89240


That Dayco 89240 does not appear to be the right part for his vehicle, and the info I'm seeing contradicts that Dayco is the OE. The pictures on O'Reilly's makes the Gates look like the ACDelco part # while the Dayco does not look the same. I know pics aren't always reliable (even two of the gates look different!) but in this case what is shown for the Dayco looks like the lower quality aftermarket part. The Dayco looks like the cheapest ultra-power on Rock Auto and the no-name brand on carparts.com (see link below).

I would get the Gates, but on Rock Auto because they have them on closeout for $24, or the ACDelco on Rock Auto for $57.
Rock Auto Belt Tensioners


However the ACDelco or regular price Gates ($42) have lifetime warranties while the closeout $24 option is only 30 day warranty, BUT I wonder how long a lifetime it needs to be for a 23 y/o vehicle. If it's in great shape and you plan on keeping it long term then I'd get the ACDelco. The regular price Gates is also cheaper (at $43, because of free shipping) from Amazon.
Amazon Gates 38112


Also considering the age of the vehicle, "IF" the tensioner is still working good (not at the end of its travel range and the belt is not flopping wildly with engine running) then you can replace just the pulley cheaper, around $15. I would replace the whole assembly on a newer vehicle but I don't know the condition of the '97 Saturn.

ALSO consider that the noise may not be the tensioner at all. It is likely but could be anything belt driven (or not belt driven, take the belt off and start the engine to check this), including the idler pulley among other things. Have you had a helper try to locate the noise location while you start the engine? Granted a short high pitched noise can be very hard to locate by hearing.
 
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It's not a short noise. It actually makes noise for about 5 minutes in the morning. It's the typical belt slipping noise that I'm hearing that I've heard other cars make.
 
Okay so it's not a noise when you start, it's a noise while it warms up. Yes that's more likely the belt slipping but still could be something else. Other things with bearings change tolerance as they warm up too.
 
Originally Posted by Dave9
That Dayco 89240 does not appear to be the right part for his vehicle


I am wrong, the part # is correct but the Amazon picture is wrong... or less likely the picture is right but the Amazon part # is wrong. It's probably a belt tensioner, lol.
 
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Don't go by pictures, low rent Chicom companies will often knock off quality brand name stuff for the appearance and to hades with the like quality.
Dayco is a huge OE manufacturer for tensioners but Gates is not, they do mostly belts and hoses. Dayco aftermarket pulleys can be real sketchy if you don't look at the bearing first, it will have made in USA or Canada on the box but the business end of the operation, the bearing can be either cheap a Chicom or a high quality one, you have to look at it.

If you don't see anything like on some Chicom Timken hubs the buggers hid the info on the blind side deliberately. Leave it where you found it.
 
Originally Posted by khittner
FWIW: The belt tensioner in the Gates kit for my '02 Camry says that it was made in Canada. The Gates belt itself is stamped "Made in the U.S.A.".


That tensioner is probably a Litens, meaning good quality.
 
I did a bit more research on this and the pictures I'm seeing, including Dayco's own 'site pic of the tensioner they offer now as aftermarket, is not OE. Dayco product page

There is some useful information in the following topic, especially post # 5:
saturnfans.com belt tensioner topic

The summary of that topic and others I saw is that the only one that is decent and OE for a '97 is ACDelco 21007465 which looks like this:

[Linked Image]


Unfortunately it's getting hard to find and typically costs close to $100 or more.
 
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Originally Posted by zzyzzx
Originally Posted by khittner
FWIW: The belt tensioner in the Gates kit for my '02 Camry says that it was made in Canada. The Gates belt itself is stamped "Made in the U.S.A.".


That tensioner is probably a Litens, meaning good quality.

Litens and Schaeffler supply a good bit of OEM tensioners and do some aftermarket. I've installed a Goodyear belt tensioner that was a Litens part.

The bearings are another story.
 
Originally Posted by Bioject
Originally Posted by spasm3
I've owned a bunch of saturns , and i prefer the gates for the s- series engines. Now i have gotten crummy wholesaler closeout parts before, so i won't buy those.

$42 on amazon prime.

https://www.amazon.com/Gates-38112-...1-1789--&vehicleName=2001+Saturn+SC1


I ended up going with the Gates tensioner. It solve the noise problem. Thanks for the suggestions guys.


Did you take any pictures of it? We could probably identify the manufacturer.
 
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