I just replaced my idler pulley, the belt now hangs like 1/16th of an inch off of the back of the pulley but spins fine, is it something I need to worry about? Where would I get a replacement allen/star bolt thing for the pulley?
I just replaced my idler pulley too (the freestanding one on top - not the pulley on the tensioner) and my new idler (Ford plastic piece, made by our friendly neighbors to the north) had lips on the edges to capture the belt. Does yours not have this?
I ask because tensioner pullies dont have these lips on the edges (I have a Dayco part number in the garage for the tensioner pulley if you want to compare your idler # to my tensioner # to make sure they didnt give you the wrong one).
I just looked on LRS's webpage and they show the pulley from the side so you can't see the lip.
The pulley you get really should have a lip. You could try and tweak the pulley alignments if you wanted. However, without interferance from your new pulley, if the belt sits perfect between the alt pulley and PS pulley, but the belt is not sitting over your new pulley perfect, that suggests the wrong pulley to me.
I have found that I have to go to 'the good ol' parts stores to get what I need (we have a great one that still has rows of books rather than computers, since half the 94-95 parts seem to be wrong in the generic parts' store computers).
Though a pain, trying to get a more correct pulley will probably save headaches down the line (that's a real long run across the front of the motor, which is why [I believe] the pulley should have a lip).
Good luck bud.
Oh yeah, FWIW, LRS sells the pulley for about 18 bucks (that's where mine came from).
My idler pulley is chipped so I was searching for one of those. Every parts store I went to gave me the tensioner pulley and said it would also work. I didn't like that idea at all and I still have the broken idler. I just ran across this, thought it was pretty cool http://www.jdsperformance.com/index.asp?initemuid=584&fcmd=item&inmake=ford
HISSIN5.0 are you talking about Merle's? I never went to them and they are becoming my favorite place to get stuff second only to Lowes
John, I was placing an order with LRS some-time back and I decided to get the idler pulley from them (to help offset shipping on an electrical part).
It was the tensioner pulley that I got from Merles (I never tried to get the idler from them, though I would in the future).
I tell ya - I have been in both of the stores around me (Thornydale and Roger stores) and the guys really know what's up - I dont have to explain repeatedly what part I'm trying to find. With other stores goin down the toilet it's nice that Merles is around.
I hear ya on Lowes too. The HD's around me are a little, oh I dont know.........DATED. It's nice to go into a clean store that's well stocked (Lowes).
I had teh same problem when mine went out. do you still have your old one? take it with you and ask to have them match it up. I went to advanced auto and their computer system has the wrong pulley listed. One they had listed was non ribbed and no sides. I would bet autozone has the problem.
i dunno guys, like i said the old pulley is exact same as the new one, neither have a lip and they look 100% identical, wonde rwhy the belt hangs slightly off this one