Thread: Supercharger coupling OR Supercharger belt tensioner?

Started getting a rattling noise coming from the front of the motor and at a quick glance and listen, I thought it was coming from the supercharger belt tensioner. I noticed the noise was only happening at idle and that the tensioner pulley would kinda bounce up and down...

But once I rev it up a little past idle the noise went away and the tensioner seemed to tighten up and quit bouncing. So I figured I'd need to just replace the whole tensioner and ordered one from RockAuto.

Well after doing some more research I noticed that the supercharger coupling is notorious for making the same type of noise and only doing it at idle... So now I'm wondering if I really need the tensioner replaced or if I should just replace the coupling?

Any thoughts??

Originally Posted by Lawngoose

From my experience... the tensioner... when it goes... it seizes and throws belt.

Well it doesn't seem as if the pulley itself is bad, just the spring that keeps tension on the belt since the whole assembly bounces up and down while the motor is turning

hey i have the same problem as you and i just put a thread up hopefully we will get a answer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSsSctYvOoI

Originally Posted by xsvtank

hey i have the same problem as you and i just put a thread up hopefully we will get a answer

YouTube - Replacing a worn out supercharger coupler on 3.8 GM engines

Did you get an answer to your question? You said so in your other thread.

I think I'll start by replacing the coupler since it's only $10 and if that cures the problem, I can send my $60 tensioner back.

do you have the rock tumbling noise? No? not coupler. Did you try seeing if all the pulley's moved freely without noise?

i just got a green coupler and some oil from zzp for like 50. gangsta

The factory coupler is $10 but who the hell wants that piece of crap?

theres a dorman number for the part lol

Originally Posted by matt5112

do you have the rock tumbling noise? No? not coupler. Did you try seeing if all the pulley's moved freely without noise?

I guess you could say it's a rocks tumbling noise...only at idle. Just above idle and it goes away.

And if it's the tensioner, it's not the pulley. I'd think it'd be the actual tensioner itself since that's what I'm noticing is bouncing around until I put a load on it by revving the motor. Pulleys all still spin freely.

Originally Posted by Ibwrong

I guess ive been out of the game for a while.. where do you get it for $10?

Rockauto has it for $10 plus $11 for shipping lol

Omg, easiest way to figure out if it's the coupler.... Take the s/c belt off and spin the s/c pulley back and forth. If it feels loose or clunky it's the coupler.

I was able to pull the supercharger belt off by hand, is that normal?

Anyways, I had the belt off and I spun the supercharger pulley back and forth and could hear a faintly similar sound to what i'm hearing when the car is running so I bet it is the coupling.

Though the tensioner being that loose where I can remove the belt by hand is kinda worrysome, unless it's normal, then I guess I'm just being overly paranoid

Put a new coupling on today and filled the blower up with oil.

Fired it up and it's still f-in knockin...LOL

So I'll replace the tensioner tomorrow and see if that cures it. Oh well...I needed to change my supercharger oil anyways. Damn that stuff stinks...