I removed the idler pulley for the PS and AC belt and bought a new genuine Mazda one since it was making a little noise. I wasn’t able to reinstall it for a few weeks and forgot which direction (which side out) it is supposed to go so looked in the manual and installed in the direction shown below, but the belt is misaligned like that. It runs on the back lip of the idler pulley.

So googled it and saw that while Banzai shows it backward to what the manual shows (photo below) no one else does. In any event I flipped mine around and it doesn’t bind the belt.

I am installing a set of anodized pulleys from iirc Banzai so wondering if the PS pump one is offset like 1/8” from the factory one? If my memory of where I got the pulley set is correct that it was Banzai, that may explain why their photo has the idler flipped.

Wondering about the aftermarket pulley set, if the manual is wrong, or the new idler design changed, or possible other issue?

Also: I bought the dust guard for the bearing in the idler at the same time as the new idler and it only makes sense to install it if the pulley is in the direction shown in the manual. Otherwise it wouldn’t seem to do much. The diagram for that also shows the pulley in the same direction as the manual.

I’m not fussed about flipping the idler pulley if there won’t be any issues from it (other than I am going to have to paint the back side of it to match since that will not be the front side). Photo below of the anodized-look paint below too

 

It depends on the year. The new one is mounted lip out.

 

Thanks @Banzai-Racing appreciate it.

 

1993 models have it lip in and early 94's.
mid 94 the spacer was changed and it became lip out along with 95.

 

thx @Tripple 7's

 

Mine is a '95 and I was almost certain it was lip in. Guess my memory wasn't accurate - shows you should take photos of even the obvious things