Is an 88 belt tensioner repairable?

Stingraynut · August 12, 2005, 05:49:09 PM

The serpentine belt tensioner on my 88 has lost a lot of it's spring -

Has anyone taken one apart?

Is there a spring inside that can be re-tempered?

The tensioner is different on different years -
84: 85-87: 88-91: 92-93E: 93L-96

OR - does anyone know of a Holden one that will work?

S'nut

BOSCHVETTE · August 13, 2005, 07:18:19 AM

sorry mate cann't help on this one.lets us know how you go and if you do get a match to something oz post the part number.
cheers boschvette

White88 · August 16, 2005, 11:50:17 AM

Mid America has them for $ 90.00 US to suit 88 models.

Stingraynut · August 16, 2005, 01:03:42 PM

The Last Detail http://www.tld-corvette.com/ have them for $66

Looks like I'll order from them, that's about Aus$86 plus shipping.

I'm in the middle of having the heads reconditioned because of a blown gasket - I'll wait until I recover from that expense first!!

And speaking of expense - quote from White 88 - "Thought of the month: My wife asked me to take her out to some place expensive.
So I took her to a petrol station!"

I've just returned from a UK holiday...fuel was 89p per litre that's over $2 a litre !!! Everything was expensive!!!

S'nut

White88 · August 16, 2005, 05:33:19 PM

:ado And we thought we had it bad !
Don't tell my wife that.

Stingraynut · August 17, 2005, 10:01:17 AM

I checked re the shipping from The Last Detail - here's their reply -

The cost to ship this part to Queensland would be $49.00, sent U.S.P.S. Airmail Parcel Post. The current price of the part is $66.00.

US$49 for shipping !!!!!!!!!!!

As usual these shipping charges are crazy, which is why I always see if I can repair the part, or source it in Aus first.

When I tried to buy some Zaino polish I came up against an even worse problem - they wouldn't ship overseas - eventually a very kind member of the Corvette Forum bought the Zaino for me and posted it to me for US$6 - it took 10 days to arrive !!! This guy trusted me to send him the cost of the Zaino and postage - there's some really nice people out there.

The point being that the Zaino would have been the same weight as the tensioner and packed in the same size box.

For US$6

OK, I'm a cheapskate.

S'nut

Vette Obsessed · August 17, 2005, 10:48:32 PM

That has to be for the fastest USPS postage available (I hope???)...

The tensioner isn't that big or heavy. If you get it sent via a slower method it won't take that much longer and you will save some $$$.

I have found with TLD if you ask them for a slower/cheaper method they will check into it for you.

Stingraynut · August 18, 2005, 07:02:45 AM

Thanks VO, I'll check with them.

S'nut