Pulley bolts/socket

[ZZvroom]

2003 GT

Still chasing my bearing grumble.

Reading what I find, Monkeywrench sells a special socket to get the pulley off the tensioner.
I infer it's not just E-Torx?

And do both the idler and tensioner use that? They seem to be the same pulleys.

[zbyers]

I think you only need the weird socket on the GT. Pretty sure the parts stores also have that Toyota pulley socket in the tool aisle.

I've changed the pulley on my FWD before, and didn't need a special socket that I recall.

[ZZvroom]

Well, we tried again to get the belt off my 2003GT (130K) to no avail.
Despite a cheater on the tensioner, it would not budge.

Reading the GM service manual, it sounds trivial to replace the tensioner, but I've read several threads here that sounded as it was anything but so; given the clearances involved. Is there a thread here I should review beforehand?

Any preferred brand of tensioner?

[CraftsmanQuad19]

I used a pry bar between the tensioner pulley and I think the water pump on my GT. Those hydraulic tensioner are stiff as a mf sometimes but they’ll go. My hex nut that’s cast into the idler arm is rounded off, so prybar was my only option

[ZZvroom]

Do you pry from underneath? Is the tensioner driven by oil pressure or a spring?

[CraftsmanQuad19]

The tensioner has a hydraulic spring (picture a mini shock absorber). I pry from above.

[ZZvroom]

OK, that explains it. Thanks