idler pulley bearings

[Moparmat2000]

Idler pulley bearings on TBI engines. Can you get replacement bearings and just press new ones into the pulleys? Or do you have to buy the whole bearing/pulley assembly.

If you can just press new bearings in, anybody have a useable sealed bearing part number? Timmkin, torrington, koyo??

Thanks
Matt

 

[Moparmat2000]

Beuler. Beuler. anybody ? Bueler.

Would i be better off just buying the whole pulley?

 

[sntrym]

Buy the pulley. They are cheap.

 

[someotherguy]

Seriously. There's being cheap, and there's being cheap.

About the only situation I see replacing the bearing alone is in a custom pulley situation, like the hydraulic pump kit on my old wrecker. The pulley is milled out of steel billet and is $100 to replace. Screw that. Bearing held in behind a fat snap ring, no biggie to pop out; knock it out with a 1" deep socket then use my bearing kit I've owned since the 80's (replaced many wheel bearings and races on 50's/early 60's trucks made before tapered roller bearings) to carefully drive the new bearing in. $7 vs. $100, no-brainer.

In the case of a stock mass-produced pulley on these trucks...no-brainer to buy the assembly. You're money ahead on the labor involved, even if you don't value your own time very much.

Richard

 

[michael hurd]

You can put a bearing in the housing if you so desire. I pitch the whole pulley out and install new, it's not worth my time, even though a bearing is cheaper.

A friend of mine in the vibration analysis and preventive maintenance field, trained through SKF and ***, claims a finite life for the grease in sealed bearings before it starts to separate, with the heavier solids dropping out of suspension in the carrier. IIRC ~ 2200-2500 hours.

That means even if the bearings sit on the shelf for a period of time before use, they are still 'going' bad.

Buy from a high volume supplier and be happy.

With A/C:

Looking on the Rockauto website, under the info button, where you can zoom: 6203 DU, double sealed. The Hayden one uses an NSK bearing.

Word of caution: the steel pulley is undersized and 'deforms' when the bearing is pressed in when it is new. You may not achieve the same fit if trying to replace the bearing. Loctite red may work for you, and slightly peening the inside bore with a center punch.

It should be the same bearing for non-A/C idler, but I haven't checked.

 

[michael hurd]

Whoops, guess my estimate on bearing life was a bit on the short side. Here's a document from SKF that advises no more than 3 years storage:

http://www.skf.com/group/products/b...earings/principles/bearing-storage/index.html

Timken says their grease is good for 2 years:

http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/lubrication/Pages/faq.aspx

What is the shelf life of your grease products?

The shelf life of most oils and greases manufactured by Timken is two years from the date of manufacture, provided that the oils and greases are properly stored in their original, unopened containers.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Seriously. There's being cheap, and there's being cheap.

About the only situation I see replacing the bearing alone is in a custom pulley situation, like the hydraulic pump kit on my old wrecker. The pulley is milled out of steel billet and is $100 to replace. Screw that. Bearing held in behind a fat snap ring, no biggie to pop out; knock it out with a 1" deep socket then use my bearing kit I've owned since the 80's (replaced many wheel bearings and races on 50's/early 60's trucks made before tapered roller bearings) to carefully drive the new bearing in. $7 vs. $100, no-brainer.

In the case of a stock mass-produced pulley on these trucks...no-brainer to buy the assembly. You're money ahead on the labor involved, even if you don't value your own time very much.

Richard

Wasnt trying to be cheap, just wondering if anybody researched this. Reason being is i have replaced bearing assys for FWD car hubs for dirt cheap with pressing in new bearings instead of changing out whole hub assys which can run $150 at minimum. I realize an idler pulley would be way cheaper.

Anybody got a specific brand pulley that is pretty good? My truck has A/C no air pump. 2 idler pulleys both different diameters.

 

[Moparmat2000]

I got new tensioner and idler pulleys made by Hayden off of rockauto along with a few other needed items. Good deal at about $12 each. Also picked up a delphi ICM, felpro exhaust manifold gasket for my HHR, and a pair of Dorman lower door hinges for my 67 barracuda. I was able to get everything shipped out of the same warehouse, and used a 5% discount code on the order which pretty much covered the $7 cost for shipping.