I have a 1988 Mazda Rx-7 GXL (NA not Turbo), and it recently started making a bit of noise (read: Rattle/chatter) I'm not that great with cars, but i managed to narrow it down to one of the pulleys at the front. I have 2 belts on the drivers side, one for what I assume is the power steering (Cause the steering fluid goes into it) and the other one that I believe is the Air conditioning (Big thing down at the bottom).

Basically, I took the belt off the power steering and started the car, noise was still there. So I took the belt off the AC unit.. sound went away. I used a screwdriver to listen with the belts back on, and narrowed it down to the little pully that is used to adjust the tension on the AC belt. SO, do I replace the whole pulley thing (bearings/wheel and all) Or do I just replaced the middle part? Anyone know where I can find out what part number I need? Or maybe happen to know off hand?

 

there are parts fiche's available all over the place. i would just source a used one from the classifieds section of the forum.

 

Like 88 T66 said, you go to the FAQ thread on this site and find the link to the parts fische........ at http://www.mazdaspeeddevelopment.com...s/rx7pubs.html

You open the file for ENGINE for your year car and flip thru the pages til you see the A/C idler pulley and it's part number.

I'd just go to the junk yard and get one for ten bucks or like 88 said, go to the Want/For sale section on this forum and ask to buy one.

 

you buy it from the dealer, and give them your vin number and let them get you the right part. You dont know if that part # is out of date or not.

Why get a junk yard pulley that might make the same noise or worse that you have now?

I replaced those ( they are called tensioner bearings by the way ) and it was worth every penny, the bearings are NOT alot of money. You can have someone press the bearing in for like $10 if you cant do it yourself.

 

You can also get them through auto parts stores: http://shop.oreillyauto.com/productd...pe=810&PTSet=A

A snap-ring tool or a pair of needle-nose pliers will be needed. And the bearing can be "pressed" in gently with a hammer or a vice. They go in pretty easily.

 

that is to say you find the exact bearing, might not be hard but I know when it comes to some of mazdas bearings its a bitch to source outside of mazda even though they did not make them in house

If you came here looking for the part number to double check the dealer thats one thing, but otherwise why would you supply the dealer with a OEM part? I can see if you were putting something that did not come in the car originally and required a part number, but if its a original part leave it to them, if they order the wrong thing its on them- you give them the wrong part number and you will pay a restocking fee to return the part

 

there may be a different number if the car is the sanden AC, that's a different catalog altogether

 

So I gave Mazda a call and they said my car doesn't come with AC standard... I checked online and everywhere I can see says the GXL DID come with AC.

I gave them my VIN, they told me "We can't guarantee this is the correct part because your car does not have AC standard".....

The pulley in the diagram HAILERS posted is $112 through Mazda.... Seems like a bit of a rip off to me <.<

 

I believe there is some truth to this.

If I recall correctly (it was a long time ago) the North American vehicles had port installed A/C (this means that when the cars arrived on the docks they had A/C and various options installed upon them at that time).

This is a pre-dealer install situation, but post factory. So a sticker for a vehicle might include A/C as standard equipment, however the car did actually leave the factory sans A/C.

I hope that helps shed some light on that issue.

 

If this is the case, should I be looking for a make of the AC unit? Or since the pulley is the tension control for the AC units belt, would I be able to get away with buying the pulley for the power steering and using one of those? They look pretty much the same.

 

yes, when you give them the VIN it shows all the parts on it when it left the FACTORY. all the stuff put on at the port was after, and thus isnt in the catalog.

in the case of the AC stuff there is a separate binder that lists the parts

 

you should double check. if its not in the EPC it SHOULD be the sanden system, its not 100%

 

I suppose your right about the maker of the a/c unit. This jpg came out of the series five parts and the one I attached in my first post was from the series four parts fische.