Timing belt idlers

[DaveT]

Some things that may help from my recent experience -  Started the car to drive home a couple days ago.  I hear a high pitched sqeeeeeeeeeeee.  Hmm.... sounds like a dying bearing.  It faded after a bit.  I got home, not really worried, as it takes longer than that for complete failure.  Took off the fan belts, sure enough, the A/C idler's bearing was shot.  Replaced it from my stock of contact sealed new bearings, and put it back together. 

Next day, took it for a drive.  Started to notice a similar but less pronounced dying bearing sound.  Hmmm.   Took off the driver side timing belt.  Yep, the idler's bearing is toast also.  The seals are dried out and cracking, and crud got into it.  Maybe running without the covers allowed more crud in - BUT I would not have heard it's death rattle until it had gotten MUCH worse - and that much closer to being stuck on the side of the road with a broken belt. 
Just have to install that bearing now, then check the 2 adjuster bearings.

If you rebuild these, use bearings with contact seals, not just rubber [or other unspecified] seals.

Edited December 4, 2018 by DaveT

[Steptoe]

Gave my EA82T new belts only today, figuring better on the car than in a box safe at home when unknown history one sit in my supposed low km engine. It is like giving the thing a tune up , new belts. I like to keep them enclosed in what Fuji gave them and add sealant both sides of water pump housing. Did not even think (or dare) spin the bearings of idler or tensioners ...too much of a rush with one focus in mind

[DaveT]

The idler bearings are pretty much done when the timing belts are done, which is around 50 to 60 k miles.  I've run them for many years, both ways.  Since 1988.

[somick]

... and next step - check the idler bearing for the power steering pump (the smaller belt).  That what failed on my 92 Loyale two days ago. 

 

Not bad for 189000 miles.

[DaveT]

Somick, I think we are referring to the same V  belt idler.  It's under the ac compressor,  the one for the short V belt.  That was the initial noise source. 

[DaveT]

And yes, the timing belt adjusters were on their way out also.  All rebuilt with new bearings.

Edited December 5, 2018 by DaveT

[somick]

23 hours ago, DaveT said:

Somick, I think we are referring to the same V  belt idler.  It's under the ac compressor,  the one for the short V belt.  That was the initial noise source. 

My bad.  Yes this is the one.

 

I installed a new bearing yesterday and I am back on the road. 

 

Just for reference the new bearing is 6202-2RS.  I got two from Amazon for six dollars.

[jono]

gotta give you bearing replacer guys a slap on the back for your efforts. I once tried the budget method of replacing the timing belt idlers bearing but it ended up off square somehow and had a nasty wobble to it...yet to try again, possibly when I discover kits coming in with Chinese bearings I suppose

[DaveT]

Take an old bearing of the same size.  Grind a few thousandths off the OD.  Now you have a nice tool for pressing them in with a vise.

Unless you are 100% sure the jaws are parallel and square, do a little at a time, and turn by 1/3  [120 degrees].

Or tap with a medium hammer and aluminum or other soft metal drift, again, turn 120 degrees each time it moves a little.  You should be able to get the feel for how hard to tap to get a little movement, and do one tap per 120 degrees.

The sheet metal stamped pulleys, you have to support well to avoid deforming them.

When installing, never apply force in a way that transfers through the balls.  Or from inner to outer race in other words.  Always move the OD by the outer race or the ID by the inner race.  When removing a known dead one, this doesn't matter.

I started doing this back 1988 or so, when the only source was Subaru, and they wanted $90.00 each.  High quality contact seal bearings were around $7 - $10 each.