Hi All,

I attempted to change my drive belts yesterday on my 1998 Toyota Tacoma V6 4WD (3.4 L 5VZ-FE), but I was unable to get the A/C belt to budge. I got the power steering belt off no problem, but the A/C belt held the project up. I loosened the nut in the center of the idler pulley and then backed off the tensioner nut, but the pulley did not move upwards to loosen as I have read and seen others do. There was some movement that I could feel, but I'm thinking that was only free play from the pulley on it's mounting bolt from the nut being loose.

Does the idler pulley nut need to be much tighter (say slightly hand tight) for the A/C belt to come loose? Thinking of the mechanics of how this pulley would come loose, wouldn't the pulley have to be somewhat tight in order for the tension bolt assembly to "grab it" and lift it upwards? For the record, I had the pulley bolt really loose, so I'm thinking maybe this is why the pulley didn't move up. Otherwise, I'm not really sure how the pulley moves upward at all. It was stuck in place. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions here? Would like to change the rest of the belts, but this is not a necessity. I will have to change the rest at some point, however.

Thanks,
Matt.

 

It doesn't just slide when the pulley bolt is loosened. The adjusting bolt is a worm drive and it will move the pulley up or down as you turn it. If the you turn the adjusting bolt with the pulley bolt loose, and it doesn't move, then the worm froze up in the pulley mount and the adjusting bolt broke. This leaves the pulley frozen in place and the bolt free-turning, or almost so. The whole pulley bracket likely needs to be replaced if I understand you correctly. I suggest you pull the bracket and pulley and get a look at what is going on.

 

Thanks of responding. By sliding, I meant that as the adjusting bolt is turned, the pulley moves up and down. Yes, the worm gear wheel must have frozen up. Must have happened since the belts were changed or when a service technician was changing the belts.

Do you mean the adjuster bracket or the pulley itself? If it's the pulley, how do I relieve tension on the belt to remove the pulley? Adjust the position of the compressor? The adjuster bracket looks like it is part of the compressor mounting hardware (or at least I think I remember it being that way).

 

Not just the pulley. If you can't get at the bracket bolts, you will have to cut the belt to remove the pulley. The worm is threaded into the axle block that the pulley turns on. That, and the adjusting bolt, will need to be replaced unless you can free it up with solvent and heat once you get the assembly off. You can probably save the bracket, after you cut the adjusting bolt so the sliding axle block can be removed.

You are correct, the compressor bolts on on top of the idle pulley bracket, so you have to pull those bolts to get the bracket off. I don't know if you can just take those bolts out to create some slack and then remove the belt without cutting it. It's worth a try if you want to keep the belt.

This should help:

 

Thanks for the details. Have no interest in keeping the belt, so don't mind cutting it. I'll need to find part numbers for everything else. Do you know if the photograph of the bracket above is all one assembly? Is it easy to remove the bracket from the compressor. I understand that last question is relative.

 

It should just come apart, unless....rust. If your adjusting bolt froze, that too could be a challenge. Or the compressor may come off easy, while the bracket stays stuck to the block.

On my 4Runner, the bracket, pulley assembly including what I am calling the axle block, and the adjusting bolt are all separate P/Ns. Your Taco may be different.

 

The adjusting bolt definitely moves. I was able to back it out almost entirely. However, the worm is frozen. I would rather not have to replace the bracket although I was able to find a used one for around $85. See The picture attached. Think I could remove the adjusting bolt and pulley and the worm will just slide out of the pulley? So, I'd only be replacing the bolt, worm, and pulley and not the bracket. Don't think that there is enough rust that the worm won't come loose once I cut the belt and release the tension on the pulley and remove the nut holding the pulley in place. I think the issue is with the worm, so if I can replace just the worm I'm golden. There's just some dust and dirt in there. No rust that I could see.

 

I am assuming that everything can be disassembled leaving an empty/blank mounting bracket. Is this true in your experience?

 

Yes. Perhaps with some pb or heat/wax, you might be able to free the seized part?

 

The worm IS the adjusting bolt, so I assume you mean the pulley axle that the bolt threads into is frozen in that slot. I would think you could get that moving again with some heat and percussive maintenance. You will have to do that anyway, if you are going to reuse the bracket, because that part would have to come out. At that point, wire brush the slot and the pulley bolt, and grease it all and you should be good. You will obviously have to remove the adjusting bolt all the way if you need to remove the sliding pulley axle. But if it needs to be changed, that should not be problem. Maybe you can do it without pulling the compressor and bracket. I'd try it if I were doing it.

 

I can't say I've done it on that particular part. There is a collar on the pulley side that holds it in the slot. I don't know what you have to to get that loose. It might be loose, it might be a hard press fit. I would think it would be loose, but might be rusted as well.