Serpentine Belt Tensioner Rattling

[Steve8316]

I did not expect the sarcastic comment!

It wasn't sarcastic - it was sincere, and intended to make you realize that you can't see a rattling sound any better than I can. You're making an assumption that the sound is coming from what you see moving, but that's VERY UNlikely. The tensioner is specifically designed, engineered, & intended to move during normal engine operation; withOUT making any sound. You asked for help, and disabusing you of your unlikely assumptions is actually very helpful. When trying to pinpoint a sound, use your ears - not your eyes. Get a mechanic's stethoscope, and use it with AND WITHOUT the hard probe attached. If you practice listening to things all over the engine, you might be surprised at how precise & effective a tool it actually is. Don't be afraid to add a hard tube extension (I use either hard nylon or soft Copper) so you can reach behind & between moving parts - just don't let it get tangled & jerked out of your hands/ears into the belt.

 

[jwolfe]

Not to get off into a tangent on aftermarket parts but it is so part specific. Some aftermarket parts address a design defect and improve upon the OEM design. Other aftermarket parts meet a price point and quality is decreased to hit that manufacturing price point. Yet still some OEM part suppliers will repackage the same OEM parts for multiple resellers for different branding. You might be paying half the cost for the same product just repackaged for a 3rd party seller. And then there is the lowest quality, cheapest price point which is flooding the resale market, cough Ebay, cough Amazon... This doesn't even get into the fakes, knock-offs, and imitations. Sadly its a buyer beware these days.

It is. And Ford dealers charge crazy prices for parts.

Does anyone have experience with NAPA? Is it as good as it used to be?