580M Fan Belt Not Tracking

[Bootheal]

‘You guys are amazing’

Read this in a post earlier and totally agree.

Next issue: serpentine belt doesn’t stay put in the correct grooves of the fan pulley.

This was a new belt maybe couple years ago. I didn’t replace the idler but probably should have. Didn’t feel or look bad.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

[mekanik]

Looking at the pictures the gap between the tensioner lever arm and its mount looks wider at the top.
It might be the picture but that is how tensioners wear. I suspect that is your problem.

 

[92U 3406]

Have seen the arms on tensioners twist over time.

I would start by checking and verifying that all pullies are in alignment and are square at all possible angles.

 

[doghead]

I had the same problem. I replaced my tensioner, and it solved my problem.

 

[Tinkerer]

Get ahold of a fan blade and see you can wiggle the fan. You may have a water pump bearing on its way out.
It could be that AND the tensioner.

 

[willie59]

Two most commons causes as mentioned previously, 1) fan tower bearings shot causing misalignment of fan pulley, seen it more than once, and 2) worn tensioner pivot causing tensioner pulley misalignment.

 

[Bootheal]

Ahhh! Will check fan pulley and replace tensioner, just because I can!

Thank you all. Very appreciated.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Bought my last tensioner off of Amazon, think it was 30 bucks.
Pretty good unit.

 

[Bootheal]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Bote]

Tensioner replacement - 15 minutes
Tensioner and belt replacement - 3 hours

A bad tensioner will destroy the belt. My Case 450C dozer has the same setup and I replaced the tensioner when it started getting slightly wiggly just because I didn't want to replace the belt.

 

[Bootheal]

Tensioner is installed. No run time to verify it’s all good.