Hey everyone -

One of the guys here has damaged threads on the power steering pump idler pulley, the one that adjusts up and down to tension the belt.

The bolt that threads in and out to move the pulley up and down has 2 thicknesses. When it's screwed all the way down, the adjuster is at the bottom and is still engaged in threads. When all the way up, the adjuster is at the top and has the threaded shaft well through it.

It doesn't look like it's possible to remove that part, you have to replace the whole bracket.

Am I correct or am I missing a trick?

Dale

 

Replaced one that was bent somehow on a friend's car. Can't remember what I did, as it was 5 or 6 years ago, but do recall there was something a bit weird initially trying to get it off...keep at it, there's definitely a method.

 

It has reverse threads once you get to a certain point.

 

yup... as zoom zoom said. the smaller shaft is reverse thread. keep turning the adjuster and it will eventually come out. it may help to remove the nut in the middle of the tensioner when it is full loose to relieve the tension on the smaller shaft. when putting a new one in, you have to be VERY careful. it can cross thread VERY easily.

 

I'm the guy Dale is referring too. You are right on being careful. Destroyed the threads trying to put it back on before I realized it was counter threaded.
Thanks for the insight

 

I have a spare PS bracket that Surfmon is picking up today. I tried last night, running the adjuster all the way to the bottom and it started getting really hard to turn and didn't look like it was fixing to disengage. Didn't want to go too far with it and booger it up.

Obviously it had to be put together at some point and should be able to be taken apart.

Dale

 

its probably toast already. Order up the new parts and it will be more obvious how they work once you have them in your hands.

The circular part on the back is held in place due to the reverse thread. Take off the pulley and push the stud that holds the pulley back and you can remove the circular part with the reverse thread by hand. At least that's how I recall doing mine last time. I ate one up getting it off the first time, it's not an intuitive part to remove.
You can't just spin the top bolt with a gun. You will see how it works. It's probably already done for.

 

That's how I recall doing it too, pulleys has to be removed.

 

Yep if you keep unscrewing the same direction you'll strip the top section.

If you need a new bracket I have some

 

I'll have to play around with one again. Might need to post some pictures to make it clear .

Dale

 

Yeah, pulley needs to come off first. Weird setup. You'd think they'd come up with less complicated idler pulley