My idler pulley started to make really loud scraping and screeching sounds the other day sounded like it was binding up. It was burning my belt up pretty bad too so i'm pretty sure it WAS in fact binding up. All of a sudden, the other day I had no power steering, so i looked under the hood and the belt was wayyyy loose like the tensioner just let go of the belt. Is it possible that the bolt was slowly backing its self out and the belt was slipping so thats why it sounded like it was binding up (and eventually leading to the belt falling off), or do you think that that maybe because it was binding up the added stress caused it to brake and thats why it lost tension? The noise went away and the belt doesn't get burned up anymore now that there's not pressure on the pulley(although the belt has become useless) so I've just been dealing with the lack of PS for the past day and a half and enjoying the lack of those horrible noises and burning smell. Should I just get another pulley eventually or does it sound like there's hope for the one on my truck?

 

Need a new pulley, however for some reason nobody makes one and I don't even think one is available from the dealer. You need to get the idler pulley for the AC compressor. Then you can use a socket and knock the bearing out of that pulley and install it in your old idler pulley after you knock the old bearing out. (the AC and PS idler pulleys are different sizes). Be careful when knocking the new one out and in to the old pulley to not damage the seals.

 

thanks, ill see what i can do with that then

 

I have complete pulley assemblies (with decent bearings) if you are lookin....

 

Dude, can you hook me up with one of those P/S belt tensoner pulleys for my '86 22R???

What are they made of that the dealer wants $194 bux for them???

 

If you take it off you'll actually see that it has a removable bearing (with some type of snap ring). You'll be able to get just the bearing for alot cheaper.

Aftermarket ones are junk and if they fail you're screwed (but I'm running one now . If the bearing fails\seizes on a OEM unit it will ride on a bushing instead of frying the belt like most aftermarket ones.

 

I went to my local flaps and the bearing is a common part number 204 by Federal/Mogul. I had to press the inner spacer out of the old bearing and press it into the new. Then reinstall the bearing into the pulley housing. Reinstall pulley and new belt and job was done. Complete for a total of $12.62.......Dealers parts deptments s%@k.