Idler pulley removal question?

So I lost my idler pulley assembly a few years back; pulley, tensioner, bolt, all of it. I finally got around to picking up a replacement from a salvage yard but it came with a whole bracket assembly that bolts to the motor.

My question is can I remove just the pulley and put it on my truck without replacing that whole bracket, or is it sold as one piece. I know I can remove just the pulley itself but I can't seem to get off the bolt that holds it on that slides in the slot to adjust it. I'll post pictures in a bit to clarify what it is I'm talking about.

 

So this is what I have left on my truck...


And this is the part I picked up...

 

And this is the part I need to get off. It seems as though it may be pressed together.

 

That nut should come right off on the other side. keep the adjusting bolt in there and take off the pulley nut. Looks pretty rusted though. Spray some penetrating lube in there then see if it'll budge loose.

 

Jumped the gun too soon. I cleaned it all up with a wire wheel and used vice grips to hold one side and a pipe wrench to twist the other side. With a little persuasion it came apart.

 

yep, just bolt that pulley on your bracket and your done.

how the heck are you driving around without it by the way

got pictures ?

 

It may not be the idler pulley but maybe the tensioner pulley...whatever one runs tightens the A/C belt. So I just had no a/c for about the past 3 years. All that work was in vain anyway because once I got the pulley and belt on I started it up only to hear a very rough sounding pulley. I figured it may have been the bearing in that little one but it seems to be the pulley on the a/c compressor. So that'll be a job for another day seeing if there is a bearing in there to change. Not like I need a/c anyway as the summer weather is long gone.

 

yep its the same thing, its called the idler pulley tensioner because it does both. they call stuff idler pulleys if its a freewheeling pulley.

I saw a post somewhere on a cheap fix for the idler pulley by just swapping out the bearing inside it so I think you can do the same for the compressor too. I forget where I saw it though but it has a number stamped on it and you just buy a $10 replacement bearing and put it in. very straight forward fix for the pulley and I would guess the a/c bearing is the same. I would caution though that sometimes the a/c clutch idler pulley shaft goes through the front seal of the compressor so do some research, if it does it might be easier to just get a salvage yard compressor since I wouldn't mess with the a/c seals since they are hard to get resealed properly for some reason

 

I was gonna say, that pulley being rusted may be no good. One way is to spray a bunch of lube in there and see. Idk if it'll penetrate in there or not. Worth a shot tho. A new one isn't too bad. I think I paid like $35 maybe, I don't remember.

 

Ya I'm quite sure it's the pulley on the pump making the racket. It wasn't seized when I put the belt on but it wasn't easily turned either; which is understandable seeing how it wasn't used in years. After I ran it with the belt on the pulley loosened up and now when I spin it by hand it's quite loud and also has play to it.

 

Yeah it's probly that then. If they aren't ran for extended periods then they'll fail. It's suggested that you run your ac from time to time in the winter to keep it all lubed up and whatnot. You probly know this. but a lot of people don't. And that's why they fail so quickly. They make rebuild kits for em too I think. But it's a pain from what I hear. I'm not sure. Never had to do it.

 

Your AC turns on when you use the defrost so that it runs in the winter and to pull out humidity as well. So you shouldn't have to turn it on during the winter.