Idler Pulleys / Tensioner Pulley / Serpentine Belt

Thanks, that's great information! Quick question. Did you replace the bearings in both types of pulleys or just the one in the No. 1 pulley?

 

Thanks for the info.

Bought a torque wrench this morning. Pulley #1 and the original tensioner pulley torqued fine and would freely rotate. Both pulley #2s would seize at the torque spec. Had an incident when I loosened #2s too much and tried to drive.

Found that if you left off the rear washer of the #2 pulley near the power steering pump, you could get it to torque spec. The other #2 near alternator will still seize without the rear washer (tried this first). Will try without the front washer too.

Edit: The #2 near alternator still seized without the rear or front washer, my guess is that the pulley/ bearing are thicker. I ended up using the old pulley as a stop gap until I figure out what to do.

 

@mach1man001 All bearings are replaceable; it's a matter of making some adjustments where needed. In our Tacos, all the bearings except the tensioner bearing, use a proprietary size. But, with the right adapter, you can use a more common sized bearing. I have a thread covering this.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...arings-in-the-idler-tensioner-pulleys.480961/

 

This thread is awesome, saved me a lot of money. Huntington Toyota (Long Island, NY)replaced my frame. They did a great job. However when i got it back it was making this metallic marble noise. I brought it to them and said this wasn't happening beforehand. Left it, they called me back that evening and told me the tech inspected/test drove it and its the clutch, needs to be replaced. I said are you sure, clutch has been performing perfectly. He said yup, handed me an estimate for $1,750. Said they will cut me a break on the labor charges. I said riiiiiikgght. Went to my mechanic of 20 years, in 2 minutes he said "It's in the belt system. Sounds like the alternator but check the pulleys. I 'm swamped till after Thanksgiving but try it yourself". Sure enough, bearings were shot. Just to be safe, replaced the 2 upper, the lower, and the alternator and truck is running fantastic. Alternator was tricky and went through the wheel well but the pulleys were like 30 mins. Very empowering thanks to this step by step, don't be afraid to do it yourself if you have a socket set, break bar and a torque wrench!

 

I just did this over the weekend and this thread was a huge help. I got the Gates kit and changed the tensioner too as I'm about to hit 130k; it was just as big PITA as described and some cases even more.

Taking off the alternator and moving the A/C compressor wasn't that big of a deal, but trying to take the tensioner off is where the real fun begins. I'm glad i'll most likely never have to replace the tensioner again (cross fingers).

Some tips from my experience:
1) Have a good selection of different length sockets and ratchets, and get creative with using space under the truck.
2) The alternator can easily be pulled from the top by unbolting some brackets that hold the wire harness to the battery.
3) If you're changing the tensioner, do yourself a big favor and fit the alternator on the tensioner bracket off the truck. I had to use a dremel to take some material of the bracket to put the alternator back in.
4) I didn't unbolt the fan, but it probably would have made things a little easier so I'd recommend doing that. If you want to take off the fan, do it before taking off the old belt.

 

Does anyone know the part number of the tensioner pulley? Dont think i can re-use the pulley the bearings came apart. Dont need the whole tensioner arm. Thanks for any info.

 

@g350h The pulley is not sold separately by Toyota Some folks have used the pulley listed for the #1 idler (i.e.

$75 Gates 36174 Idler Pulley

Gates 36174) to replace the tensioner pulley. They have found this bearing is wider than the tensioner bearing and, hence, the OEM bolt threads in less. There is a risk of stripped threads when torquing the OEM bolt to spec when it has less threads to engage. You can compensate by getting a longer bolt, but I found it a challenge locating a longer reverse-threaded bolt. Belmetric.com sells some, but I don't recall the length of bolt and pitch that you'll need. I take it the outside race is pressed in and you can't press it out from the rear? That could be a challenge to remove. Maybe use a dremel to cut it apart from the inside. Good luck.

 

Ok thanks for the info, appreciate the quick response. I may try and re-use the stock one if i can get whatever is left of the old bearings out. Doubtful though. Thanks again

 

I replaced my tensioner bearing...MUCH easier than replacing the tensioner

 

Heres whats left of mine. Hopefully its reusable.

 

Heres the inside of the bearing

 

@g350h Yuck! I would use a dremel or small cutting wheel to make a groove on the race, wide enough to try and punch it out with a chisel or old screwdriver. Some heat on the race may help break it free. You may also consider grinding the lip away from the rear; it's only purpose is to prevent the bearing from being pressed in too far. Once the bearing is in place, it's not going anywhere. I've seen many a bearing with no lip on the rear. Matter of fact, I believe most aftermarket pulleys come with no lip in the rear. Do measure how far down the bearing is pressed on the OEM pulley so the belt doesn't sit too far in or out on the pulley.

One other thought: a wrecking yard. Take the old one with you; it may match pulley from other Toyota engines.

The face of the pulley looks excessively rusty - you take your truck skinny dipping? If you can get that race out, wire-clean it well and spray some paint on that face; I've had too experience with the rust converter spay.

 

Got the old one out easy, couple hits with the hammer and chisel. Cleaned and painted it, pressed in new bearing. Installed with new belt, nice and quiet now. Thanks for the ideas.

 

Hasn’t even been 5k and now something is sqeeking at idle


This truck man.....

 

@Benny123 has confirmed that Febest part # 0187-GRJ200 replaces the OEM tensioner pulley. It's Chinese made; so, quality is a concern for me, but should give some years of service. Replace the OEM pulley with a quality bearing and you'll have a good backup.

 

I’d rather just replace the oem pulley bearing

That’s what I did and it’s working great

 

@anthony250f I agree and that's what I recommend. However, it makes for a good backup and for those that don't have the tools, this is a viable option for them.

 

I just replaced 1 of the upper idlers and it’s so much quieter now.

Did anyone not reuse the large dust washer? I tried putting it on but it rubbed the new idler so I took it off. Just wondering how important it is.

 

I'm all shades of confused now.
My 2006 V6 Prerunner Tacoma has the noise problem. I didn't even bother going to the stealership so I've been reviewing this thread. In post 20 someone put up a belt diagram with torque values and part numbers for the pulleys.

Are these accurate for my '06 or is there different part #'s. Also, I've been reading that replacement tensioner pulleys wont fit correctly. Currently my garage "workspace" is over run with now deceased mother in law's "keepsakes" ( read junk and crap) so banging bearings in and out of pulleys wont be happening any time soon.

Suggestions? Or am I just overly paranoid and over thinking this whole thing?

Thanks.

 

It's accurate for 2nd gen Taco V6. Also FJ V6 and 4Runner through similar years. The part #s in the diagram are for Gates pulleys but torque values are for all brands of pulleys. And note that the tensioner pulley part # in the diagram is for the tensioner pulley assembly - at the time, no one sold just the pulley, not even Toyota. Folks would usually use the pulley from Idler #1, but that is a wider pulley and did not line up properly without some modification. Now, Febest makes a tensioner pulley replacement - part # 0187-GRJ200. It's Chinese made, thus quality control may be an issue.