The part numbers are:

Idler Pulley: F6AZ-8678-BA
Tensioner: F8AZ-6B209-AA

Idler was $18, tensioner $52. I bought both to cure a squealing noise in the engine compartment.

Kale

Kale,
If you don't mind me asking - what year was your Lincoln. And, did those two parts solve the problem. I have a 93 which also squeals.

I have a '98 LSC. The idler was replaced last spring due to squealing. The tensioner was replaced last week because it was tapping. They also replaced the idler again, though I don't think it needed it. I guess they haven't changed the design since 1993!

Gregg North
98 Mark VIII LSC
70 Torino Cobra 429
82 Mustang GT 5.0

Greg98..

We share a bunch in common. I owned a '70 Torino GT Convert., and now own a '92 LX Mustang 5.0 Convert and a '93 MVIII. All great rides! Wish I had the Torino back, it was a pretty car.

Chuck in NC

It did cure the problem. You may as well throw on another belt at the same time. It'll only cost you twenty more dollars to replace the other pulley too, so count on doing that as well (there's only one bolt involved).

Notice the part numbers are for 96 and 98 (F6, F8). There was a design change on the tensioner. I think the only difference was that the 1/2 inch square hole where the socket wrench fits was moved further down the arm, probably for better leverage. Also, don't think you can interchange the two pulleys, the one that fits on the tensioner arm has a deeper bevel than the idler pulley. Plus, it only a few more bucks.

Kale

Something is squealing again. If I spray WD40 on any of the pulleys, it goes away. Even the alternator pulley. ARGGG, that noise is annoying. Looks like the pulleys are suspect and may need frequent replacement, or maybe it is just the belt somehow...

any ideas?

Kale

Kale, have you tried the "old soap" trick on the belt yet? Brake fluid also works. Years ago, and I mean years, I would take a bar of soap and carefully touch the underside of the belt while it was running and if it was the belt it would usually quiet it down.


Bill

"My first car...I went thru alot of soap on this on."

--Bill-- 95 Mark VIII LSC-R For Pic's and Mods click here

Hey, mine was sqealing like that too. I thought it was the tensioner also. I even carefully put some grease only on the tensioner and it was gone for a little while but came back... Turns out it was the belt. I went and bought a new belt and put it on... Problem solved... I would have sworn the sound was only from the pulley. Could have been being that is where the the belt makes the most extreme turn and strongest contact on the flat surface of the belt.

Mike Gilbert
Editor LOD newsletter
mailto:nightsky@texas.net
http://nightsky.home.texas.net/markviii
'93 blk/blk

sound advice , i also have a '93 mark which squeals . it's in the shop for an alternator right now and the mech asked me if i wanted to spend an x-tra 95 bucks to replace the belt .guess i have a little work this weakend , i hope it solves the problem , i'm running low on belt dressing.

I've user the old soap trick before. Actually have you ever seen a product called door ease? I comes in a metal tube and is the consistency of wax. It's in stick form and you push the stick up to expose the material. We would use this on the under sides of belts to quiet them down all the time. Stuff works great, IMHO.


Frank Cormier

LOD-New England Chapter President

I also have a squeeling 93 MarkVIII..this morning I couldn't take the noise any more and booked the appointment to have the idler arm pulley and serpentine belt replaced.

I then read the message board again..I had already tried WD40 and Soap with no luck.. when I read about door ease, well in Canada they sell "White Lithium Grease" which I assume is the same type of stick lubricant...$4.00 and 10 seconds later..the Mark was as quite as the day I bought it. Drove 180 miles (300 km) at 70 MPH (120KPH) and it is still quite.

While my mechanic said there is no short term magic fix for squeeling 4.6L V8s (I asked what the seller could have done to eliminate the squeel while I looked at the car and why it didn't make any noise for the first 8 or 9 days, I now Know..) the grease stick approach stopped the belt from squeeling..for how long...my guess 7 to 9 days...or until the graese either dries up or wears off.

I will continue with the repairs (or maybe just pay for the parts) but will keep the White Lithium Grease in the car kit.

Lesson in life..read the message board before you book repairs..
maybe you only need a $4.00 grease stick..

Thanks again LOD.


Brett_93MarkVII
http://members.rogers.com/93markviii/93markviii.htm

Brett
LOD Ontario, Canada

I had the problem on my 94 Base. Solution, Tension Idler and a new belt.

When I picked up my 98 LSC, it started to do the same thing two weeks after delivery. Solution - first, tension idler, then idler pulley then the belt.

I recommend you change the belt first and throw the old one in the trunk for a spare. Never hurts to have a spare serpentine...

Now, if someone had a line on the idler and tensioner bearings only, I'd bite. I kept the old pulleys thinking that some day I find the bearings and thus have spare pulleys to boot!

Vendors, you guys listening???

Uncle Neil
98 LSC
Black and LPT

Uncle Neil
1998 MarkVIII LSC
O.C.C. - President

I replaced tensioner and idler plus belt about 2 years ago (93 Mark) The pulleys did and will interchange. At the time I did mine the pully alone was 15 bucks, don't remember the cost on the tensioner. A friend that works in the shop for a dealer got the tensioner with his discount. BUT I do remember the pulleys could be interchanged.

Maples 8

I bought just the pulleys for each, I didn't have to buy the whole tensioner; I think it was like $12. However, when I went to look at what was squeaking, it turns out that the belt at idle slips off of the tensioner and touches the block. If you put just a little bit of pressure on the tensioner in the direction of loosening the belt, the squealing will go away. I bought a belt just a little bit too big, and it cured my problem. I think it was a 99 inch belt. This was all brought to my attention when I installed the horsepower pullies. Good luck guys.

Eli

Eli


Mods4.10 gears/Auburn Posi3200 stall PI convChipC&L MAFUD pulliesPorted IntakeMMX shaftBassani Mids/exhaust

Lucky me, my belt and pulleys are silent.

But driving Ford powerstrokes for years at work, I can relate to the problem. We have a fleet of Ford pickups, both gas and diesel and over time the same problems will appear again and again.

The belt and/or pulley problems generally are directly related to the failure of the tensioner. Sure, soap or grease applications seem to work, but what mostly occurs is this - the tension arm is basically a spring loaded hinge with a pulley mounted on the end of the arm. The problem is NOT the pulley but the HINGE. The hinge wears such that the spring forces the arm off axis. In other words, the arm and pulley should be parallel with the belt and other pulleys. When the tensioner wears out the arm and hence the pulley are off axis. I should note too, that the misalignment is virtually undetectable visually unless a straightedge is applied (the belt gives an optical illusion of AOK). The reason a different length belt works is the reduction of spring force along with different wear point on hinge. However like soap or grease this is temporary.

Now what happens is the soap or grease masks the symptoms till the real problem is so severe that the belt is thrown or other pulleys are damaged because of unven loading of the bearings.

Cut to the chase and check that tensioner real close any time you have a problem or noise with ANY pulley or belt. Pay me now or pay me more later syndrome.

JP
'93 Nordic Blue / Aquamarine w/ 100K

2002 Ford F-250 Super-Duty Powerstroke Diesel Pickup
2000 Mercury Sable LS Premium
1993 Lincoln Mark VIII
1991 Lincoln Mark VII LSC

White lithium grease also stops your tires and brakes from squealing.


Buy American,
Dr Dave
'97 Opal Opalescent Ellesce

Truth, justice, and the American way,
Dr Dave
'98 White Pearlescent LSC CE

Its 11:59, do you know where your God is?

I know that grease on the belt is not the solution, but
it sure made a difference until I could get the idler arm and belt replaced.

When the choice is between 3 hours on the highway with the squeel or $4.00 for White Lithium Grease...I'll take the grease, then the repair.

I do agree that a squeeling belt is a sign of more problems to come..but..I don't see a problem with short term fixes..as long as you realize that it is a "temp. fix" only and not a repair.

Might as well drive quitely to the garage for repairs.


Brett_93MarkVII
http://members.rogers.com/93markviii/93markviii.htm

Brett
LOD Ontario, Canada

Hey, temp fixes are great. Just remember like always, it is only treating the symptom of a bigger problem. The problem with this temp is that you loose the squeal (till it comes back), and then forget the problem or even worse believe you cured the problem.

I believe that the belt squeal from a bad tensioner assembly is from the lateral sliding of the belt across the width of the pulley versus the rolling parallel with the pulley. This in time leads to bearing wear on the pulleys also, especially idlers.

Anyways, this thread was supposed to be posting parts and numbers and here I am jabberin about tranverse serpentine belt acoustical theory.

JP
'93 Nordic Blue / Aquamarine w/ 100K

2002 Ford F-250 Super-Duty Powerstroke Diesel Pickup
2000 Mercury Sable LS Premium
1993 Lincoln Mark VIII
1991 Lincoln Mark VII LSC

Short term fixes: Lithium Grease lasted 2 days.

Had the belt and pulley replaced as soon as the garage had time.

One thing I have noticed is when the Mark is in the garage all the mechanics end up standing around it.

I have been dealing with the same guys for the last 20 years and they never treat my wife's Delta 88 this way..Oh they keep it running and treat it with respect...but the Mark VIII sure has an impact.


Brett_93MarkVIII
http://members.rogers.com/93markviii/93markviii.htm

Brett
LOD Ontario, Canada

hey guys,
getting a whistle/light squealing noise from the passenger side engine compartment. don't know if its the water pump pulley or other pulley.any way to isolate the noise to pin point it better?
what tools do you need to remove pully and tensioner? or is it a shop job?txs