The Idler pully
 

Today the idler pully in my 98 just stoped spining and of course I replaced it but know I thing that their is to much tension on the belt what would be a good way to check it.

Too much tension? Are you sure your old one wasn't just really sloppy and worn out? Or did you replace the upper idler not the tensioner?

I think the general rule (at least for old V-Belts serps may be different) is one inch of deflection for every 6 inches between pully's

The idler pully acually solved your problem! Mike 98Blazer is right! A serpentine system needs to be tight-yes there may be a HP loss-but that was designed in from the engineering in the early stages of this units finacial parameters:read-CHEAP! These Blazers are great units-just so poorly engineered! But I have been driving them sucessfully for many years!

Well Ill put it this way the tensioner pully body is only 1/2 inch away from the belt it self. Almost at 35 if you were looking at a clock but I just looked at a freinds and his is the same, so my old one was a problem that I didnt even know I had. It use to sit at about 43 or even bounced to 45, but it showed its ugly face today Ill tell you.

I think I'm going crazy. I dont know what happened here except some bearings locked up.

First.. what was replaced, the idler pulley or tensioner pulley or the tensioner assy with pulley?
- I wouldnt have asked except for a recent experience where the OP said he couldnt get to mount bolts and I was told maybe he didnt really mean mount bolts but crossmember bolts, so everyone kept talking about the crossmember bolts instead..

Was the belt replaced? If it wasnt, the tensioner would be at about the same position it was before whether tensioner was replaced or not..
- Again.. normally I would assume so.. but you didnt SAY you replaced the belt.

If the belt WAS replaced and the tension arm wasnt, then it's obvious the old belt was stretched. That's what they do. Plus there are length variations one belt to the next, by brand especially.
Mine - just checked today- tens pulley is singing, bearings going out, arm sits at 35-40. With regular pattern of cracks on belt ribs, no chunks missing yet. ACDelco, from past experience I think it actually COULD be the OE.

Tensioner springs NEVER get stronger with age. But they dont necessarily get all that weaker either.

Their did not seem to be anythimg wrong with the tensioner pully so no I did not replace it just the Idler pully and I have a new belt but I thought the one on there was to tight so I just figured the newer one would be even tighter. But as soon as I get some answers I plan on putting the new one on there its just hard to part with a napa made belt for a cheapy because of the circumstances.

If you can get the belt on by backing off the tensioner then the belt is not too tight.
If you can back the tensioner off with a 3/8 drive ratchet and without a pipe then the tensioner spring is fine and the belt will not be too tight.

If the tensioner was at 45 and now is at 35 with the same belt and the same SIZE idler pulley then the old idler had no bearings left and it's no wonder it locked up. Must have made a helluva racket before that happened.
If there's no parts of ribs missing on the spline side and no cracks on the smooth side the belt has some life left.

Did you spin the new idler when you put it on? It will be stiff of course but you will not hear the bearings sing. The balls in the bearings only sing when the bearing is dry of lube and near the end of life.. which could happen anytime after you can hear the bearings when you spin them.

Think of spinning skate wheels. They are designed to be loose enough to sing. These are different and should not sing. So if the tensioner pulley sings and you can wobble it more than 1/16 inch, replace it soon.

Well then I am good and it was definetly the bearing because when I took it off the sides of the bearing fell off and three or four of the bearings were gone and what looked liked ,smashed. But the weird part is I can feel a deferance in response time and also when I let off the gas also. But that part could just be me haha.