Please help - need idle pully stuff

[DonP1]

I purchased the Gates kit from Rock Auto, but had a massive amout of issue trying to get off the idler pully. Here is why. Does anyone have a bolt and more importantly, the metal thing that got chewed up that goes between the bolt and the idler pully?

Or if you can tell me where to find this stuff?

THANKS!!!

[fdryer]

The spacer bushing was destroyed along with the bearing. The spacer bushing should be a junk yard part.

[DonP1]

Thanks. I was hoping someone had one to purchase. I'd really like to finish this repair soon, and I'm not sure if the junk yards would have one right now.

Or if you know a place where I could purchase one?

If you have a picture of what it looked like that would be great too.

[ssicarman]

The idler pulley mount/support is part of the timing chain cover. The condition yours appears to be in...not really there at all, means that you are looking at replacing the timing chain cover.

[454cid]

Originally Posted by ssicarman

The idler pulley mount/support is part of the timing chain cover. The condition yours appears to be in...not really there at all, means that you are looking at replacing the timing chain cover.

I'm not familiar with the timing cover area, but I have these parts to do too. How did you go from spacer to idler-pulley-mount/timing-cover? It looks like some sort of eccentric washer...which I must admit, I can't imagine a design that should require that.

[Waiex191]

There is a machined boss on the cover. You can see it here:


It looks like the idler bearing failed and wore down that boss.

[454cid]

I guess I'm not understanding how we know the boss is worn down without looking at the cover itself. Unless this is just a known thing with these engines?

[fetchitfido]

Originally Posted by 454cid

I guess I'm not understanding how we know the boss is worn down without looking at the cover itself. Unless this is just a known thing with these engines?

Fairly common when the idler pulley bearing fails or some chucklehead goes full ugga-dugga on the bolt. There's no spacer for the pulley, just a boss thats machined out of the TC cover for it to ride on and the bolt goes through the middle of it making it rather brittle.

[DonP1]

Ok I was under the impression that I needed an idler pully bushing like this one on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons-...999+Saturn+SC2

But you guys are saying this won't work and I need a new timing chain cover? That really complicates things.

I guess that metal was the ground down boss (or what's let of it).

[fetchitfido]

If it's broken off like this it *might* be fixable with modern epoxy compounds.


If it's only half broken you can try epoxy as well but it's more likely to seize the bolt in place.

[ssicarman]

If it was only broken off there is usually enough thread left in the cover to put the mount in place and thread the bolt in place to hold things in place.
The original picture shows that there is little to nothing left of the broken mount.

[DonP1]

Well, this might be good or bad, but at O'Rileys I got the 17mm OD, 10mm ID bushing, and used it successfully. Car is back in action.

If the boss was on the timing chain cover, it sheared off cleanly. The new bushing rested nicely against the cover, the new idler wheel fit perfectly on the bushing, and the bolt had enough meat into the timing chain cover to hold it tightly.

If you remember how badly destroyed the old pulley and boss were, the bolt was still holding all that junk on securely.

So now it's all back together, and hopefully will hold together. Looking at the belt while running, everything is spinning smoothly and quietly.

Thanks.

[toggenburg]

Great persistence !!!

[TomM96]

Yes, indeed, DonP1, nicely done!

Be sure to check that none of the other bearings in the serpentine drive
ever seize up, because the idler will not be as resistant to sideways force, not that it lacks the rigidity afforded by the original casting.

We are advised to remove the belt, and check each accessory for free, and quiet rotation.

You are the second SatFan this month to experience that failure; I'm preparing to renew my own idler & tensioner.