Idler Pulley Failure

[Drew]

Looks like the idler pulley failure is about to strike. When I started up the truck this morning I heard a rather unusual intermittent sound. At first I thought it was due to the truck sitting all weekend in the cold.

Once I got to work and put the truck in park, the sound came back. I put the e-brake on and the truck in gear and checked under the hood. The sound appears to be from one of the idler pulleys on the passenger side. Anyone remember the dealer partnumber for those two little pulleys?

 

[MACKIN]

Idler #97226289
Tensioner #88909589


I believe

 

[Drew]

Well, I can only find one of the idler pulleys in the area...all dealers are out and supposedly Chicago doesnt have any either.

Napa doesnt show it as an item they sell, online or at the store.

I did buy the only one I could find at the dealer today. $18

The new part number is 98072072

I picked up the grooved pulley for the idler arm from NAPA. TEM 209780 $22.

 

[SfcJones]

I keep a spare on the truck, as well as altenator and a couple of goodies just in case

 

[whitetrash21]

It's nice to catch them before they go. I had one that made no noise.... right up until it seized at 70mph on the freeway. That would be a ~7ft long serpentine belt smashing itself to pieces against my hood, fan, rad shroud, fenders and so on.....

 

[busdriver75]

It's nice to catch them before they go. I had one that made no noise.... right up until it seized at 70mph on the freeway. That would be a ~7ft long serpentine belt smashing itself to pieces against my hood, fan, rad shroud, fenders and so on.....

x2 thats what happened to me. i didn't think much of it until the power assist brakes and power steering pump quit working....

 

[Drew]

Turns out the idiot at NAPA either didnt give me the right part, or the napa part is not compatible....and it was a POC plastic grooved pulley. No thanks!

It also seems like a pathetic design how the bolt holds it on to the tensioner (see pics at link)

So back to napa to return the bad part, and back to calling around to dealers for the right part.

I did get one of the two smooth pulleys replaced, both are getting worn, I replaced the one that was the worse as I could only find one dealer that had only one. I am waiting on two more from Eric....looks like I should have ordered the grooved pulley that goes on the tensioner from him as well.

There is a video as well that includes the sound mind started making indicating a pulley failure.

http://duramax.onlinedesk.net/photos/index.php?album=/2003 Duramax/01-09-idlerpulley

 

[dmaxlover]

You can press the bearing out of both the idler and tensioner and get it at Napa for half the cost.

 

[Pepperidge]

You can press the bearing out of both the idler and tensioner and get it at Napa for half the cost.

great advice...Thanks!