Idler pulley question

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Jan 25, 2011 | 05:54 PM

derekguzz

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Melting Slicks

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From: Strongsville Ohio

Idler pulley question

1999, auto, vert.. I need an idler pulley but my car is not near me tonight and I am going to the store tomorrow in the AM. Is my idler pulley ribbed or smooth??

Jan 25, 2011 | 07:19 PM

bighank

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From: Silver Spring MD

Idler is metal and smooth, tensioner is ribbed and plastic

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekguzz

1999, auto, vert.. I need an idler pulley but my car is not near me tonight and I am going to the store tomorrow in the AM. Is my idler pulley ribbed or smooth??

Got one at Autozone for my 98 vert at about $18 much less than the GM price. Caution, had to ADD a washer under the conical washer/dust shield which was in front of the original one or the pulley would sieze when tightening the retaining bolt. No problems with the pulley and my intermittent squeal has disapeared. When you tighten the bolt in the center of the pulley MAKE SURE the pully turns freely.
Look for my post on here for more info.
BIGHANK

Jan 25, 2011 | 07:40 PM

derekguzz

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Melting Slicks

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From: Strongsville Ohio

so smooth or ribbed?

Jan 25, 2011 | 08:21 PM

styx

Heel & Toe

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From: Fort Worth TX

Idler on serpentine belt is smooth, the tensioner is ribbed.

Both the idler and tensioner pulleys [on the a/c system] are smooth.

Jan 26, 2011 | 06:02 PM

derekguzz

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From: Strongsville Ohio

Now that I got to the car and heard it ran while checking the pulleys, I am not sure which one is making the noise. How do I double check to make sure which one it is?

Jan 26, 2011 | 06:20 PM

japc5

Burning Brakes

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From: Liverpool NY

First you need to isolate which belt (drive or AC) is making the noise. You should also check to see if your harmonic balancer is wobbling since that is a know problem and can result in pulley failure. If the balancer is okay I would remove the main drive belt and run the car to see whether it is the AC belt. If no noise with the main drive belt removed then you know it is one of the pulleys on the main drive belt. I used some belt dressing carefully spraying it as best you can in the area of the bearings one pulley at a time. The lubricant should quiet down the noise. I had the quadruple problem of wobbly balancer plus three bad pulleys likely caused by the balancer failure.