So this is a little goofy. Hot day, traveling quickly, engine is fine. Stop for a red light, overheating. OK, We've all heard that story before, right?

So I took a look. Can you believe the idler pulley on the fan belt actually fell off? No belt tension, no fan, no air through the radiator, and...

So I can fix this, right? Look for parts. SNG Barratt has just the pulley, "use your idler arm." Has anyone done this?

It looks like I need to bore a 25/32 hole in the arm, and the bushing will sit in the hole, and that seem like it will line up with the other pulleys.

This image is what I have.




Thoughts? I'm contacting SNG Barratt directly, but they are not open until the AM.

 

140 views, and I guess no one has any insight? I can't be the only person that has purchased this part.

[size=13px]Honestly, I thought that the “old part” was bored and/or threaded for the bolt and it would be a simple replacement. It wasn’t until I couldn’t thread the bolt in that I pulled the arm, and saw why I was mistaken.[/size]Looking at the part, it looks like the original pulley was TIG welded into the cast iron, and the weld let go, and here we are. Cheaper to manufacture, perhaps, but who really expected these cars to last forty years, give or take?

I called SNG Barrett today, but they had no information/instructions.

I took the arm to a machinist, mostly because while I have a drill press, I don’t have the correct bit, and the odds of me getting it square were limited at best. One might even say those odds approach zero from the left.

Together, we determined that 20mm makes more sense than 25/32. The difference between the two is just over .006 inches. He said he can make that part a press fit, so we should be OK there.

What we did learn is that it’s not one bushing with a shoulder. In fact, it’s two bushings, they were “stuck” with a bit of oil. The smaller will work as a washer to help torque the bolt, and while I asked about pinning the nut, he recommended red Loctite. Should be done by Friday.

So I think the smaller bushing will sit in the arm, and the bolt will tighten against it. The larger bushing supports the bolt against the bearing, and it’s to be hoped (there’s that word) things will align and I can get back on the road. Will update as we get there.

 

One of the many reasons ALL my V12's went Efan.

I did not reply, as I have never done anything with that arm but remove it. Maybe got them somewhere in one of the sheds, maybe??????

 

E Fan is a consideration, sure... but carries with it some wiring challenges for which I'm not yet ready, to include determining correct alternator size. First I think I need to consider replacing springs and shocks, rebuilding calipers and fixing that nasty power steering leak, which I think is a leaky rack. These are winter projects, and I'd like to get this back on the road for what is left of the summer....

 

I have a complete good one in my parts bin

 

OK, just to close the loop on this one:

What looks like a stepped bushing in the photo is actually two bushings. They were "stuck" with a light coat of machine oil.

The smaller of the two is about 20mm in diameter. Idler arm was bored for a press fit. I added a lock washer to the rear, part to lock it in, and part to provide some clearance for the nut. Add a dash of locktite red just to be sure.

It seems to be back together and in alignment. Road test tomorrow.