Looks like I'm not the first one to break one of these. Dorman has a supposedly new and improved one.

https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-73149-917-124.aspx

 

I wanted to put mine back together and not wait for parts, so I took one of the lock nuts up top with the reverse threads and welded it to a big washer with a hole reamed out larger.  It worked.  Sorry I didn't take pictures, I was in a hurry.  Does anyone know if the new Dorman one is metal or plastic?

 

The bad part is that the new idler pulley is the same exact one as the one I replaced.  I hear they don't last very long.  Although it get rid of the noise in the engine compartment!

I believe it is still plastic.  Many don't loosen the nut that holds the pulley before trying to adjust the long bolt and snap the plastic bits.  My dealer stocks them.  Dorman kit is a good option.

 

I take that back, since they say parts are powder coated the adjuster may be metal

Edited February 16, 20188 yr by Mike104

i have one of the tensioner bolt kits in my office if that's what you mean and it's all metal.  i'm not sure if maybe there's old or newer stock that could be plastic but mine is Dorman 917-124 and all metal. 

The description of the Dorman replacement one says it is much stronger than the factory one.  At this point I don't know if I'll ever need it or not with my fix.  My welding isn't the greatest but I *think* it's good.  At LEAST as good as the factory one.  If I do need one someday I won't buy a plastic one from the dealer, that's for sure.

get one of these - they have replaceable bearings in them...you cant replace the bearing in the plastic pulleys..

 

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/subaru,2004,forester,2.5l+h4,1426788,belt+drive,idler+pulley,6956

 

I just had the AC tensioner pulley fail on my  02 Forester and will be replacing it with one that I can change out the bearing. Not in a huge rush for it as it is still most definitely winter up here in Wisconsin.. teens & twenties for highs.

Just for the hell of it, cause I tend to HAVE to do these things, I put a little bit of oil on the old one and spun it.  It went from grinding to spinning freely.  Not that I'd waste my time using it again, but I may poke a grease needle in the current one when it starts making noise.  Hopefully it won't be too soon.  Oh by the way, I changed it in my garage with all the doors open to let the warm air in, it was unseasonably warm the other day with a high of 75°.

Gee, thanks for rubbing it in about the warm temps down there, LOL

 

mine was howling when i took it off.. not even gonna waste time with it. It will be replaced with a metal pulley, that has an easily replaced bearing.

Gates and Delco same part no. but $1 difference.

Those look metal.

 

Started another post about my needing a new bearing in my tensioner pulley.

Thanks for any help. Cheers

Edited April 1, 20187 yr by moosens