I was on my way to pick up a chainsaw about an hour's driving distance when I noticed my steering become quite heavy. I thought a few seconds and figured I had lost the P/S belt. I pulled over and sure enough. And not only had my P/S belt jumped its pulleys the A/C belt was hanging down. I also noticed that the truck no longer had an A/C belt tensioning pulley. I'm guessing that it dropped off and when the A/C belt became free it got under the P/S belt and kicked it off. The A/C belt is the last belt on in order of installation so it was easy to get off, but I wasn't sure if I could get the P/S belt over the radiator fan and past the shroud, so I got out my trusty and razor sharp Buck knife out and cut it off. I was able to make the rest of the trip with just the alternator belt to keep the charging and the water pump working, but of course, my steering was fully manual for the rest of the trip.



The A/C tensioner pulley rides on a short spindle that mounts it to the A/C compressor bracket. The whole assembly is made up of about eight pieces when you add up the spindle, the pulley, the bearing splash shield, and washers, and nut. Luckily I had a few spares lying around from parting out a few old 4runners and pickups. I installed one of those the next day, but I was left wondering where I could get the parts if I had to buy them. I looked at Rock Auto and a few other of the usual outfits and only found pulleys without the spindle hardware for about $16. Then on PartsGeek.com I saw an assembly with everything going for $154!! That's kind of shocking to my dirt cheap Toyota 4x4 sensibilities so I let it pass. Then the next day I thought I would look a little more and BINGO! I found something much more in the price range I like to operate in. CarParts.com to the rescue! They are offering the full Monty for $9.95!!! It is so inexpensive that I ordered one just to see what I will get and maybe to have a spare for the '93 truck I am restoring. The only drawback I see so far is that it doesn't come with the long adjusting bolt, but you can get that pretty easily. If not at your local hardware, from boltdepot.com, where I got one in stainless for about $3 plus shipping.





$9.95 at carparts.com http://wrenchte.ch/2pRvAUQ




$154 at partsgeek.com http://wrenchte.ch/2pbvc4Z

 

Have you figured out just what caused this to come off??

Then to keep the next one from following the last one.

No noise or vibration at all before things came off ??

How do you think you install the belts you don`t remove the fan all the belts will go on or off unless you have some custom cooling system goodies.

 

I have used the AC pulley for the Power Steering Pulley in the past. Also the bearing for the both pulleys can be bought at your local parts store.

 

Do that for very long, and you'll have biceps like Popeye.

Just so you know, the water pump is driven by the timing belt, and doesn't need any of the three external belts (PS, AC, Alt). The part that carries the fan is the "Fan Bracket," but unlike some other vehicles doesn't have the water pump behind it.

So you can actually drive it for quite a while with no belts at all. You'll have no alternator (so you won't want to have the headlights on), and no fan (so avoid stop-and-go driving). But you can get home.

 

I probably have to accept the blame for the thing falling off in the first place. I installed new belts and replaced the tensioner adjusting bolt a few months ago. I probably didn't torque it properly at then. This time I put blue Loctite on the threads in addition to torquing it to 30 lbs-ft.

I should have remembered that the water pump is driven by the timing belt. In a few weeks, I'm going to start my first 3VZE rebuild, so I will get to see it firsthand, after which it will be permanently etched in my brain.