GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I'm having a grinding noise and after pulling off the serpentine belt I realize that the tensioner pulley is the culprit.

I've seen a video where the guy simply removes the pulley itself without having to remove the motor mount and jack up the motor, etc., to get at the bolt (video here, nice how-to here). But, my pulley is like the first pic below and doesn't have a nut to remove it. There's no other way to get this off is there?

I'm probably going to have to the jack-the-engine up method and buy a 17mm wrench, aren't I? Also, why does everyone say change the serpentine belt while I'm at it. Something to do with the tension strut's pressure? My belt is fine and a 10 minute job when the time comes so I don't understand this recommendation.

Unfortunately, my pulled looks like the first picture below, as opposed to the second:

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If it's a relatively new belt, you don't have to replace it. If it has 10,000 miles or more on it, then it makes sense to put a new (not expensive) belt on it, rather than risk a worn belt being damaged by increased pressure from a new tensioner.

You will have to unbolt the engine mount and jack up the engine to remove the tensioner assembly. There is no way around it. The bolt that holds the tensioner assembly to the block is insanely long and will not clear the unibody/frame rail.

Like Bookworm mentioned, if the belt is relatively new, I wouldn't worry about replacing it. If you've never done it, you might as well. You're already taking it off, so you might as well replace it. Preventative is better than reactive maintenance.