Idler pulley (ok its another plug leads thread)
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,129
Likes: 1
From: Pasadena CA
Idler pulley (ok its another plug leads thread)
Alright finally getting me hands dirty after the cars been off the road almost a month. 
I got her on my rhino ramps -Christmas prezzy - with the help of 2 strategically placed books. Got some nice lighting under the car and under the hood, got my new Taylor 8.2mm plug wires (red!), got my new sparks, got my flashy new ratchet tool off Ebay.
I started on driver's side, took off wheel-well panel, ASR.. then... holy sh..ok lets start with passenger side instead.
At least I can see how it all goes now, but I can't get no.8 plug out. I think King Kong must have put it in, it wont budge. I move to leads. Well this is EASY. I got all 4 leads on that side done fairly easily. I got 2 of the 4 sparks out and new ones in. No.8 and no.4 won't budge. I just don't have a big enough socket wrench to get the leverage.
By the way I didn't use the snazzy Ebay ratchet wrench and cut-down socket at all - as soon as I put the socket on it disappeared from sight and I couldn't get the special wrench on it.. so I used a long socket and my socket wrench.
So I move to driver's side. I cannot see the opti on that side at all!! I climbed under the car, I tried kneeling on top of each wheel, pointing my light down. I literally cannot see it at all.
Went back to my notes - got to this bit :'Remove the belt, then remove the belt tensioner'.
After checking Chilterns (not much help) and looking at the belt from every angle possible, I finally identified the tensioner pulley, got my nerve up, got a socket on it.. and it won't budge! I think I need a breaker bar and a can of spinach.
I finally gave up. But I don't want to give up - I'm halfway there, at least with the leads anyway.
Anyone got any advice on removing this belt tensioner and pulley belt? Is it set at a specific tension somehow? Do I need a torque wrench to put it back on? And if I take it off can I actually *see* the damn opti? I can follow the leads until they disappear under the power steering pump, then they are gone into the abyss of pain.
I couldn't believe I couldn't even see that side of the opti from under the car.
Any advice much appreciated! Car's a 96 LT4 by the way. And it's still misfiring
I got her on my rhino ramps -Christmas prezzy - with the help of 2 strategically placed books. Got some nice lighting under the car and under the hood, got my new Taylor 8.2mm plug wires (red!), got my new sparks, got my flashy new ratchet tool off Ebay.
I started on driver's side, took off wheel-well panel, ASR.. then... holy sh..ok lets start with passenger side instead.
At least I can see how it all goes now, but I can't get no.8 plug out. I think King Kong must have put it in, it wont budge. I move to leads. Well this is EASY. I got all 4 leads on that side done fairly easily. I got 2 of the 4 sparks out and new ones in. No.8 and no.4 won't budge. I just don't have a big enough socket wrench to get the leverage.
By the way I didn't use the snazzy Ebay ratchet wrench and cut-down socket at all - as soon as I put the socket on it disappeared from sight and I couldn't get the special wrench on it.. so I used a long socket and my socket wrench.
So I move to driver's side. I cannot see the opti on that side at all!! I climbed under the car, I tried kneeling on top of each wheel, pointing my light down. I literally cannot see it at all.
Went back to my notes - got to this bit :'Remove the belt, then remove the belt tensioner'.
After checking Chilterns (not much help) and looking at the belt from every angle possible, I finally identified the tensioner pulley, got my nerve up, got a socket on it.. and it won't budge! I think I need a breaker bar and a can of spinach.
I finally gave up. But I don't want to give up - I'm halfway there, at least with the leads anyway.
Anyone got any advice on removing this belt tensioner and pulley belt? Is it set at a specific tension somehow? Do I need a torque wrench to put it back on? And if I take it off can I actually *see* the damn opti? I can follow the leads until they disappear under the power steering pump, then they are gone into the abyss of pain.
I couldn't believe I couldn't even see that side of the opti from under the car.
Any advice much appreciated! Car's a 96 LT4 by the way. And it's still misfiring
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
Likes: 3
From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
PBBlaster on the bolts, 24hrs, and they should break loose... that stuff is amazing... as far as the spark plugs... don't use Blaster,,,Try to go tighter then loosen... to break loose...
They were prob installed without anti-seez on the threads... could be a bear...
They were prob installed without anti-seez on the threads... could be a bear...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
Likes: 14
From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Hmmmmm, once I had the ASR off and the AIR pump hoses out of the way changing the driver side plugs was easy.
#8 was the only "hard" plug on the passenger side cause my big hands.
On to your other issue, routing the wires. To remove the belt get a serpentine tensioner tool, or find a socket and a long breaker. put it on the nut on the tensioner, it needs to move up to release the tension on the belt. As you have tension released work the belt off the AC or Alternator. The opti is hard to see, and getting hands and arms near it. Mine wasn't too bad, of course I had the alternator and AC off to get more room and to clean things.
#8 was the only "hard" plug on the passenger side cause my big hands.
On to your other issue, routing the wires. To remove the belt get a serpentine tensioner tool, or find a socket and a long breaker. put it on the nut on the tensioner, it needs to move up to release the tension on the belt. As you have tension released work the belt off the AC or Alternator. The opti is hard to see, and getting hands and arms near it. Mine wasn't too bad, of course I had the alternator and AC off to get more room and to clean things.
