What does your idler pulley do?
What does your idler pulley do?
The idler pulley is a common part that’s found on the majority of the vehicles on the road. Its primary function is to provide tension and guide the engine drive belt. These belts wrap around the various parts of the engine such as the power steering pump, alternator, water pump etc…
What’s the best way to remove an idler pulley?
Use a ratchet and a socket or a hand wrench to turn the bolt head located in the center of the idler pulley counterclockwise. Remove the bolt and then remove the pulley.
What kind of wrench do I need to change pulleys on Ford Taurus?
Once you have the parts you’re about ready to get started, but be sure to have the tools. On the Ford Taurus, both pulleys are held on by 15mm bolts. Therefore at a minimum, you need a 15mm wrench to do the job.
How do you change the pulley on a serpentine belt?
Using the 3/8” ratchet, remove the bolt holding the idler pulley bolt. The bolt may have a clip on the backside of the pulley and a washer on the front. The washer, clip, and bolt will be re-used with the new pulley. Before proceeding, verify the pulley is the correct size. Now set it aside and move to the tensioner pulley.
What does the belt tensioner on a Ford Taurus do?
The Ford Taurus belt tensioner serves to hold the serpentine drive belt in place. The tensioner, which consists of an arm and a pulley, presses down on the serpentine belt to keep it in constant contact with the other pulleys in the serpentine system.
Once you have the parts you’re about ready to get started, but be sure to have the tools. On the Ford Taurus, both pulleys are held on by 15mm bolts. Therefore at a minimum, you need a 15mm wrench to do the job.
What can I use to remove idler pulley on 3 / 8 ” drive?
To speed things up a 3/8” drive ratchet with a 15mm socket can be used to remove the idler pulley, but there is not enough room for the ratchet for the tensioner pulley. A ratcheting wrench works well for this.
How do you remove a belt from a pulley?
While holding the tensioner, remove the loosened belt from one of the pulleys. Once the belt is removed from one of the pulleys, you can slowly release the tensioner arm. Be aware the arm will rotate beyond the original position and could cause a pinch point on your fingers.
