So I am having a bit of trouble pulling the idler arm from my 95 4runner. I got all the bolts loose, but there is something in the way of pulling out the top bolt, and I don't know what it is. I have searched high and low, but I can't find any reference to it in any tutorials or discussions about the idler arm.



It is a hose that hooks into a small metal pipe that connects to something. The pipe is what is in the way of me getting out the top bolt. I could pull it, but I am afraid of releasing a bunch of fluid of some sort.

What is my course here?

 

i wanna say thats the fuel line comeing from the tank? cant use a open end wrnech to get it? will be slow work but ull get there, i think u can bust the nut loose and rotate the whole line out of your way without spilling fluid but youll lose some fuel pressue takeing it longer to start at first, this is just my guess, maybe some one else will chime in first, FYI, model, year, and motor of what your working on would help

 

So when you say lose pressure at first, you just mean the first time I start it up? But after that I should be fine (if it is a fuel line)?

It is a 95 4WD v6. I am still learning about what else it might be.

 

Looks like your A/C compressor.
Might need to unbolt it and move it out of the way. Remove the belt, then remove the 3 or 4 bolts holding the a/c compressor to the motor. DO NOT loosen the lines!!!

 

I figured it out. It was actually part of the power steering system. I followed it's lines and figured out what it was connected to.

So I put a bucket under it, popped the union bolt, and disconnected the pressure feed tube that was in the way, catching all the power steering fluid. Then the idler arm was easy to finish pulling.

When I was putting everything back together, I read that the gaskets on either side of the pressure feed tube should not be reused, but the autozone guy and I could not find anything right in their inventory. So I reused mine. I will just have to watch it to make sure I am not leaking fluid.

So far, everything is working just fine. Oh, how fun to play with cars when you don't know what you are doing!

 

Yup, you got it. Glad you figured it out