Replacement idler pulley for AC belt, 1973 Duster /6

-
T

timk225

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2024
Messages
296
Reaction score
123
Location
Pittsburgh
The bearing in the idler pulley for my AC system is starting to squeak. No surprise, I'm sure it has old dried out grease in it. I was looking online at Advance Auto Parts for a replacement pulley, and there's such a variety and few look like the original. Many aren't even for a V belt.

Does anyone have a stock replacement part number or link to order one? I saw in another post here that the factory bearing is pressed in with the metal crimped over the edge, it'd be a lot of trouble to get it out, then no way to secure a replacement bearing in it. If I were able to pop off the oil seal and regrease the bearing, I'm not sure the oil seal could be snapped back into place.

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance
 
timk225 said:
The bearing in the idler pulley for my AC system is starting to squeak. No surprise, I'm sure it has old dried out grease in it. I was looking online at Advance Auto Parts for a replacement pulley, and there's such a variety and few look like the original. Many aren't even for a V belt.

Does anyone have a stock replacement part number or link to order one? I saw in another post here that the factory bearing is pressed in with the metal crimped over the edge, it'd be a lot of trouble to get it out, then no way to secure a replacement bearing in it. If I were able to pop off the oil seal and regrease the bearing, I'm not sure the oil seal could be snapped back into place.

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance
Click to expand...
My mistake, I meant to put this in the AC section not the /6 section.
 

If this is the typical old style idlers, the bearing is removable. and you can just press it out and put a new one in

Be careful, as most common ball bearings are metric, including the one in the front of the alternator, and before that, generators. But some are US and MAY still wear the metric part no. stamping on the side, and originally had the modified US dimension part no. "inked" around the outside of the race. It is easy to mistake, and a few of these will result in you fruitlessly hammering a shaft "at" a bearing that is never going to fit
 
I've seen one that requires drilling out four spot welds to split the pulley halves, releasing the bearing. It could be bolted or the spots rewelded with a new bearing installed.
 
I went and measured, it is 3.5" diameter. The classic industries link looks like the same one, but so does the rock auto one, and the rock auto one is 1/4 of the price. So...... you know. :)

20250516_210743.jpg
 
Last edited:
Also — (nth verse, same as the first and all the rest of them): Classic Industries is a garbage company selling garbage parts at LOLROFLWTF prices.
 
You can drill those 4 spot welds out, but bearing cap will still not come off. It it fused together with some kind of copper looking stull-will not come apart without ruining the pulley. I tried!
MV8 said:
I've seen one that requires drilling out four spot welds to split the pulley halves, releasing the bearing. It could be bolted or the spots rewelded with a new bearing installed.
Click to expand...
 
lemondana said:
You can drill those 4 spot welds out, but bearing cap will still not come off. It it fused together with some kind of copper looking stull-will not come apart without ruining the pulley. I tried!
Click to expand...
If there was not a $13 rebuildable idler on rockauto and it was the spot welded type, I'd try a bearing splitter between the sheaves to mount a puller (instead of a 2-3-4 jaw direct that can bend the pulley), apply reasonable pressure, then heat one sheave around the bearing until it pops/releases.

Looks like he has the one-piece cast pulley with a press-in bearing like on Rockauto but I'm sure the new pulley bearing is not the best quality. A longer lasting repair would be to replace the bearing with a high quality one that costs about the same as the new pulley with cheap bearing.

If the marks are not visible on the bearing, use a dial caliper to measure the bore id, bearing id, and bearing width. The bore is the most important spec.

Use an extension on a socket that barely fits inside the pulley, set pulley on a vise, use a little map gas heat and tap.

If the new bearing is not a tight fit to the pulley, use an "automatic" spring loaded center punch to put a few small knurls around the pulley bearing bore (straight across from each side) or loctite, which will let go with map heat next time you need a bearing replaced.
 
lemondana said:
You can drill those 4 spot welds out, but bearing cap will still not come off. It it fused together with some kind of copper looking stull-will not come apart without ruining the pulley. I tried!
Click to expand...
Yeah I don't think that cover on front of pulley is removable

PXL_20250517_142734414.MP.jpg
 
I have cut that special shoulder bolt out of these pulleys and have a Continental idler pulley that will work with that shoulder bolt. It just doesn't have the cover over the bearing. I think I have pictures of this on file on my home computer. I can get that pulley number later if anyone is interested. Someone has repros of the smaller big block pulley, but they are $. This Continental pulley is like 15.00.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Similar threads

straightlinespeed
Problem with replacement Idler Arm
2 3
Replies
60
Views
19K
straightlinespeed
straightlinespeed
R
A body big block oil pan replacement
Replies
5
Views
249
66fs
66fs
CFD244
STEERING BOX SEAL REPLACEMENT QUESTION
Replies
15
Views
480
scatpackbee
scatpackbee
brodphish
Engine is pulled - 273 rebuild or replacement 360 crate?
2 3 4
Replies
75
Views
2K
NC Engine Builder
NC Engine Builder
Chuter
65 Barracuda Trim Replacement
Replies
12
Views
430
Bob Jasinski
Bob Jasinski
Back
Top Bottom