Pulley Swaps

**Naaman** · 05-30-2019, 11:43 AM

I just changed out the idler pulley (on the driver side, near the PS and Alternator) due to some bearing noise. I used the screwdriver trick to locate the noise.

Engine has quieted down, but I still hear some noise. It's hard to tell with my lighting: does the AC idler pulley turn even when AC is off?

Can all of the pulleys be swapped out without taking whole accessories off?

Is there a good after-market pulley set, or is factory/OEM the best go-to?

Thanks in advance!

**pajeff02** · 06-01-2019, 01:12 AM

The AC belt spins constantly as the compressor has a clutched pulley. Only when the clutch engages does the compressor then do its thing. If you suspect that something else is making noise, best thing to do is remove the belts and spin all the accessories and idler/tensioner pulleys by hand. You are generally then able to detect the culprit through noise or feel.

**Naaman** · 06-01-2019, 03:59 AM

Alright.

Thanks, Jeff.

Already bought two different pulleys for the idler...

One of them has turned out to be for a different bracket set up (doesn't line up with the rest of the accessories), and the other came with no hardware (dust shield/washer). Since the one that lines up has a different design, the hardware from the off-going pulley doesn't fit, so when bolting it on with reused hardware, it will not turn once the bolt is tightened down (the dust shield clamps it against the bracket).

I think I've found what I need at Nook & Tranny... alas... my 4-day weekend was a waste as far as getting this done... Now I gotta wait for shipping.

**Naaman** · 06-01-2019, 07:10 AM

Got under there this morning for an oil change and fuel filter change. Took the opportunity to pull both belts.

The main drive idler pulley is obviously bad, so is the tensioner. But both the idler and the tensioner on the A/C belt are terrible! Just ordered everything from Nook & Tranny... only problem is that they only have the 00+ idler for the main drive belt... and after thinking about it, I'm not sure which one I need. I went ahead and ordered it, with another one for the 98 set up on the way from Amazon.

All said and done, I might have actually saved money on this one by letting the stealership do it (assuming they could source the parts).

**Naaman** · 06-15-2019, 06:44 AM

So, I replaced both tensioner pulleys, and the main accessory drive idler pulley.

The A/C idler pulley uses a torx head bolt rather than a standard bolt and the one on my car is stripped out.... (Of course the experience wouldn't be complete without a trip to the hardware store to buy more tools.... )

Anyway, I have a torx size 40, which seems to grip inside the new bolt, but it doesn't grip the old bolt (it looks a bit too small). Does anyone know if this is the right size?

Any tips on getting the stripped one out of there? The space it tight, as you all know, being between the radiator and the engine... my bit driver doesn't fit. I tried using a ratchet, but since it's stripped, I can't get it to turn.