serpentine pulley question

[dr sportster]

Power steering pump blow out .Ordered a pump and a pulley puller set .185 thousand miles Would you gentlemen throw on a new pulley or should I save my money? How long would they last ? { they actually want you to change belt tensioner and belt at this time according to Rock Auto. Says it makes the new pump work better Oooookay .

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Old pulley is shiny and polished smoo-ooth. Belt slip is how much?
New pulley is how much less slippage?
YMMV

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 16:35:45 11/13/21) Power steering pump blow out .Ordered a pump and a pulley puller set .185 thousand miles Would you gentlemen throw on a new pulley or should I save my money? How long would they last ? { they actually want you to change belt tensioner and belt at this time according to Rock Auto. Says it makes the new pump work better Oooookay .

f the tensioner has 185 thousand miles on it, you've been on borrowed time for a long time already.

 

[Janicholson]

A 1/16 inch (.0625 or close) wire should fit under the belt and into the groove (with the belt in it). if it is tight OK if it pushes the belt up, the belt or pulley or both are worn. If a new belt will allow the wire to go in it is good to go. If the grooves are showing polish at the bottom of the grooves, a new belt might not stay new very long. Jim

 

[redforlife]

The only pulleys I have ever replaced was tensioner and idler pulleys. And only because they were bad (mainly because bearings were bad). Never had a problem otherwise, with any of the other pulleys.

 

[onefarmer]

My F250 PSD after 250K miles, started eating belts. After feeling all the pulleys it was the smooth idlers that had a low spot where the belt rides. It wore off center making the belt ride crooked on the splined ones eating away at the belt. After replacing the smooth pulleys never changed another belt.

 

[guido]

dr sportster,

Yep they are right. 100.00 miles on a serpentine belt, is my rule of thumb them a new one goes on. Pullies are usually fine, as the belt tensioner keeps a steady pressure. Tensioner bearings do go bad at times, evem though the belt is good,

Guido.

 

[560Dennis]

Give the idlers a spin if they sound and turn smoothly keep them ,but lumpy or rusty stains around pulley change them out while you got down in the driveway rather than on i64 .
Tensioner think about it it its been going under spring tension 185 k miles might be good to give it a burial. Just depends on how far you want to go. Suggest

 

[MARK ROBKE]

Besides the obvious bearing failure, the pivot/hinge that the tensioner revolves on, can be worn and cock the pulley a few degrees and cause the belt to jump off track. Mark.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I have never replaced the pump pulley unless I could see damage to it. I don't remember seeing one worn out.

If its a Reman pump I would be more considered I was getting a usable pump that's not re-sealed, re-painted and worn out. Good reman pumps are hard to come by : (

Check the shaft side play on the replacement if it sloppy its to worn to give good service. If the old pump shaft does not show side ware I seal them up...

 

[ASEguy]

I would not buy a reman power steering pump. I have seen too many issues with them. Mainly noisy. I would put on a new belt and tensioner if old and if this is a serpentine belt the pully must be pressed on as deep as the old one to prevent squeaks.

 

[showcrop]

I agree with tim. Time for a new tensioner.

 

[Determined]

I have owned trucks that went well over 300 000 miles and never had any steering pump pully issues.

At 185 000 miles it would be more than likely your belt and idler have been changed out.

Check the belt and check the idler and tensioner bearings and replace as required, maybe they were new 10 000 miles ago or maybe they are junk, no way to know without checking.

When the pump let go if it got oil on the belt then you are best off to replace it even if it is not very old.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Let me tell Y'all why I became a believer on replacing serpentine belts at 100K...

I get a call the lights have came on in my dash and maybe its running on the hot side. The first question I ask does it have power steering I get a YES. I tell him to stop driving it I will come get it. He says he will turn around and go home and drive another car. His call not mine. The next morning he drives up to my shop I open the hood the belt is OFF torn up.

I think its a 2016 Jeep Cherokee with 101K I have serviced since new. How can it still have power steering with no belt.

All in said and done if you expect the belt to live a long happy life the tensioner and all the idlers need to be replaced. The idler bearings are easy to replace and cheap I have not had the balls to do it on a customers car. Its not worth it to me for a few extra bucks in my pocket.

 

[Fred Werring]

I also believe changing idler and tensioner pulleys as a maintenance item...just do it.

Did bug me though...wife had a 2013 Explorer. Could buy an idler pulley, but couldn't just buy a tensioner pulley...had to buy the whole assembly. Nobody had the separate pulley listed.

Took the tensioner off, looked like a regular pulley bolted on to me.

Thought Hey? got a tensioner pulley I had on the shelf for a Focus. Was the same pulley.

Swapped pulleys on the Explorer, ran it 40k miles before trading. Saved $60...difference between pulley price and tensioner assembly price.

Fred

 

[moresmoke]

I have had thee spring let go, or the pivot wear and the pulley get out of alignment as often as the bearing fail in tensioners.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If you think they're just trying to soak you for some unnecessary parts, then don't change them. Since you're not paying the labor it won't cost you any more to change them later if/when they fail.

What I don't understand is why power steering pumps don't come with a pulley. Alternators come with a new pulley. Air conditioner compressors come with a new pulley. Why do you need to buy/borrow/rent a special tool to pull the old pulley off the old pump for the power steering only? Why not make it so you need to buy/borrow/rent a special tool for ALL the accessories?

 

[Carlmac 369]

(quoted from post at 08:53:53 11/15/21) If you think they're just trying to soak you for some unnecessary parts, then don't change them. Since you're not paying the labor it won't cost you any more to change them later if/when they fail.

What I don't understand is why power steering pumps don't come with a pulley. Alternators come with a new pulley. Air conditioner compressors come with a new pulley. Why do you need to buy/borrow/rent a special tool to pull the old pulley off the old pump for the power steering only? Why not make it so you need to buy/borrow/rent a special tool for ALL the accessories?

In many applications the pulley has to be removed from the pump in order to unbolt the old pump from it's mounting bracket.

Therefore the new pump comes without a pulley attached to facilitate installation.

 

[jimg.allentown]

I don't ever remember having to replace a power steering pump pulley for anything other than being broken. Many have hard plastic bonded to a steel hub. If it looks good and undamaged, it is fine to re-use it.

As far as idlers and tensioners go, when the bearings start to feel rough, they make a lot of noise. When they get noisy, it is time to replace them before they become a problem. As for the tensioner, the part that fails first is usually the spring. There is quite a bit of motion there as the belt tension is constantly changing due to changes in loading. Every time you start the engine, load on belt changes. When you turn the steering wheel, the load changes. That is the reason they are only sold as an assembly.

Also, consider that every accessory on the front of the engine depends on that belt. Alternator, power steering, water pump, cooling fan, and whatever else they hang on the front of it.

 

[js305]

You ask how can it have power steering without a belt.....I have a 2014 Durango that has electric power steering, no belt operated pump...

 

[Hobo,NC]

You win the cigar : ) When he called with his symptoms and still had PS I assumed the belt was still intact. Fooled me : (

I won't forget that one...