Changing Belts

If we are talking about the same small pulley, mine had a nut on the back. There is a company that sells a new one that does not require you to hold a wrench on the back. It is well worth the money.

Here is the link to the pulley on their website. ipsco.org Pantera pulley. If this is not the right one, if you could post a picture it might help.

Devin

Andy, buy the Ipsco part immediately. The orig needs two people, one laying below the car.

If it makes it easier to get room to get the old pulley off, cut the old belt, I assume you need to put on a new belt? My experience says that a new belt needs to be tightened a few times, and if it's not the exact length, it's either impossible to get on, or gets too loose.

Bottom line: buy Ipsco part and the the exact right belt, otherwise it's a nightmare.

Thanks guys.

I ordered this on the way home from work tonight.


-Andy

Another option is to avoid the entire problem, discard the idler pulley assembly and adjust the belt tension by sliding the whole compressor in or out on the slotted holes provided in the mount. All that's necessary is to slack off the 4 mount bolts and maintain alignment of the pulleys when doing this; a yardstick laying across the AC pulley and crank pulley is sufficiently accurate. The ball bearing inside the idler pulley is not long-lived and is difficult to change when (not if) it fails. Note you may need a slightly shorter belt if the idler is discarded. Mine went away in 1990 after failing at a Laguna Seca open track event, and hasn't been missed.

Can you post a picture. Or just tell me what is on the same belt as the AC compressor. Sorry to borrow your thread, but I am going to try to diagnose a belt squeak this weekend, and was hoping to get some info first. I seized my AC compressor, because my 3 year old son turned it on and I did not notice. I have the condenser out, so it was pumping air.

quote:

Originally posted by icole:
Can you post a picture. Or just tell me what is on the same belt as the AC compressor. .....

The AC compressor and alternator are on separate belts. Note that if the AC compressor is seized, then the belt should still turn freely with the switch off, if the clutch is operating properly. The squeal could be the bearings in the idler pully going south.

Thank you. I got my bulkhead off. What size are the two bolts above and below the compressor belt that hold the compressor mounting bracket to the block. Mine are missing. Just above and to the left of the word here and above and to the left of the word And.

quote:

Originally posted by icole:
Thank you. I got my bulkhead off. What size are the two bolts above and below the compressor belt that hold the compressor mounting bracket to the block. Mine are missing. Just above and to the left of the word here and above and to the left of the word And.

I'm going to take a guess that they are 3/8-16 x 1. Car projects like this require some inventory of basic hardware, like a nice selection of nuts bolts and washers. You might want to get a kit of assorted SAE and metric hardware. PEP Boys carries clear plastic boxes of these items.