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idler pulley bearing fix

sharq

sharq

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Tampa Bay
my idler pulley bearing seized up the other day. i heard i squeeling on my way home and when i got there i popped the hood with the motor still running and the idler pulley was not spinning. it was chewing up the belt too.

can i remove it, lube it up and hope that does the trick or does the bearing need to be replaced?

'96 4.0
 
$15! youve got to be kidding. i cant spend that kind of money. seriously though, you dont think in should even try to lube it up first? its not like the thing is hard to get off.
 
That's $15 that can be spent elsewhere, every penny counts! Just pop the shields off, clean with brake/electric motor/engine cleaner, make sure it is fully dried, then repack with LOTS of bearing grease... works like a charm, and only takes a couple minutes!
 
Mr_Random said:
That's $15 that can be spent elsewhere, every penny counts! Just pop the shields off, clean with brake/electric motor/engine cleaner, make sure it is fully dried, then repack with LOTS of bearing grease... works like a charm, and only takes a couple minutes!
Click to expand...

Ok lets say that works and then he goes on a wheeling trip or a long distance drive and it fully seizes like mine did, all the balls fly out and then he is stuck in the middle of nowhere. "Damn should have done the SMART thing and just replaced it!":doh:
 
I have no idea how grease repairs 'seized' bearings. Don't forget that every time you try this experiment, you may chew your serpentine belt up(which costs more than the idler pulley bearing).
 
If its seized, lubing it will only delay the inevitable self destruction and throwing the belt. Either way you really need to pull the pulley off and at that point you might as well fix it right. It's worth a few extra buck to me to avoid waiting my time doing the job twice.

The bearing can be easily pressed out and replaced using a press or even a clamp and the right sized socket. Its not a very tight press fit at all. Its a very common, standard 6203-2RS bearing, measuring 17mm ID, 40mm OD, 12mm thick. They go for about $2 on eBay plus shipping. They are very common in electric motors, so you might try an electric motor shop instead of the auto store.

I bought a set of 10 at vxb.com for $20 awhile back. It happened to be the same idler on my Nisssan Frontier and a few of the bearing on my motorcycle. Heck, I'll mail you one for $2 plus postage if you want.
 
Get a new pulley, re-grease the old one and throw it in the toolbox for a spare. Next time it seizes who knows where you may be.
 
Just purchase a replacment, install with a new belt, and you'll be good to go for many moons.
Take the old pulley, pop out the old bearing, replace with a cheap new one, and put it in your spare parts box in back with the old belt should the replacement ever decide to fail.
 
Just a tip for those who are replacing the bearing in the pulley:
Place the bearing in a freezer for an hour before you install in the pulley. The cold will shrink the bearing slightly and make pressing it in easier.
 
sanjuanxj said:
Replace it! For $15 its a simple fix and worth the insurance. I just replaced mine in Moab during the 25th Anniversary event.
Click to expand...

Mine was chirping for awhile. Finally one night I was about a block away from home and it started sounding like a diesel...got to the driveway and opened the hood and the pully had completely seperated from the bearings (actually, all of the bearings had fallen out)

I saw this happen one other time on a trail ride.

Go ahead and replace it. Scrap the old one and call it a day! I do carry a spare "junkyard" idler pully in my ammunition can just incase. I also carry spare belts. For myself and anybody else that might need one.
 
I ignored my chirping belt. On the way to a wheeling trip my idler pulley seized on the Interstate and shredded the Gatorbak belt almost instantly. Spent two hours waiting for AAA to tow me home (not to mention severly overheating the engine before I could safely pull over--w/o the waterpump and fan running you'll overheat in a matter of seconds).

A new replacement is cheap insurance, IMHO.
 
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