Replacing the idler pulley 6th generation

[blunderchief]

Hey guys, the idler pulley has a bad bearing on my 99 civic. I've got the replacement for it, but frankly, I'm not terribly mechanically-minded. I am not sure how to get to it. Looks like I have to remove the power steering pump to do so, but once I'm down there, I don't know how to loosen the belt to get it off. I could use a little advice, there. Also, it looks like there's no room to get a socket wrench in there. I'm assuming I'll have to use a crescent?

One more thing: is there a way to get the power steering pump off without losing fluid, or is that just something I'll have to accept?

Thanks!

 

[CO671]

First remove the two 12mm bolts on the power steering pump.
One will be on the top right to mount, the bottom left would be the pivot bolt, remove the belt.
Then you can just move the power steering belt aside and hang the power steering with the hose still connected to the reservoir.
Loosen the 14mm bolt on the pulley with a wrench or crescent
No need to remove the 10mm bolt and mount.

Take that pulley to a Hardware store or somewhere that sells bearings
Take it to a machine shop to get pressed in.

Or you could just go to a junkyard and buy a secondhand pulley

Ive changed my pulley three times and pressed bearings twice

 

[xxBLOOD88SHOTxx]

First remove the two 12mm bolts on the power steering pump.
One will be on the top right to mount, the bottom left would be the pivot bolt, remove the belt.
Then you can just move the power steering belt aside and hang the power steering with the hose still connected to the reservoir.
Loosen the 14mm bolt on the pulley with a wrench or crescent
No need to remove the 10mm bolt and mount.

Take that pulley to a Hardware store or somewhere that sells bearings
Take it to a machine shop to get pressed in.

Or you could just go to a junkyard and buy a secondhand pulley

Ive changed my pulley three times and pressed bearings twice

On the same car!?!

 

[RonJ]

See attached diagrams. After removing the mounting and lock bolts and the belt from the pump, just reposition it without removal of the hoses to give access to the idler pulley, which can also be accessed from below after removal of the splash shield.

A ratcheting wrench will make removal of the center nut easy. I forget whether it's a 12-mm or 14-mm nut.

 

[CO671]

The size for the pulley and bearing should be:
V-Ribbed 4 Grooved (70mm x 17mm x 20.5mm)
Bearing OD: 70mm
Bearing ID: 17mm
Pully Width: 20.5mm

Luckily Ron came in with his pictures, makes everything easier!

[/U][/B]

On the same car!?!

YES. First one, bearing was bad, so I fitted it with a used bearing but that was bad after a while too.
Then, I got a pulley from my CRV and it fit
CRV pulley fell off the car while driving.
Third, got one from a DelSol.
Bearing was bad too, fitted it with a new one.

 

[blunderchief]

Thanks so much for the responses, guys! Incredibly helpful!

 

[blunderchief]

Also, CO671, thanks for the advice - I didn't realize I could do that and I already bought a new pulley online. I'm just gonna go ahead and drop that one in.

 

[blunderchief]

Alright, it's done! Thanks a lot for the advice, guys. It was super easy.

And now, the instructions, since I couldn't find a good one when I was searching online (hence the helpme post), and it would be nice for any other newbies to be able to easily find such a description:

A/C idler pulley replacement on a 6th generation, specifically 1999 Honda Civic:

Step 1: Using a 12 mm wrench or socket, loosen mounting bolts for power steering pump (the topmost piece of equipment with a belt around it) and remove power steering pump, moving it forward and to the left. There is a grounding wire that you'll have to maneuver it under to secure it out of the way. You should not have to unbold the hose or the copper tube affixed to the pump. Move the belt out of the way

Step 2: Using a 14 mm wrench, preferably a ratcheting wrench (a socket wrench will not fit), loosen the nut on the pulley bolt itself. Be careful not to let the washer fall.

Step 3: Use a 10 mm socket and with very long extension (more important later) to screw out the tensioner bolt that is going straight up and down behind the pulley. Be careful not to unscrew it all the way out of the idler pulley axle bolt below. This will result in the belt tension being relieved enough to pull the actual pulley free of the bolt. Be mindful not to lose the other washer/bushing, and also be mindful of the order in which these are placed, as well as the side of the pulley. Additionally, one side of the pulley is hollow and one is basically flat. Make sure to take note of which side is which in relation to the engine. The hollow side should be facing outward, away from the engine.

Step 4: Place the new pulley on the axle and go ahead and tighten the nut all the way (but not too tight).

Step 5: Replace the power steering belt and then replace the two 12 mm bolts on the top/bottom, careful to get the right amount of tension (to test, push down on the belt away from the pulley. You should get less than 1/4 of an inch of play).

Step 6: Use your extension on the 10 mm socket to screw the tensioner bolt on the idler pulley clockwise, adding tension. Your bolt should be clear silver where it's been sitting within the pulley axle itself, so it should give you a general idea when to stop, and then you can fine-tune the tension when you're finished.

All done! Your new pulley has been installed! Start her up, and you'll find that grinding noise is gone! Unless you misdiagnosed the problem and it's another pulley.

Anyway, thanks to everyone here who gave me advice.

 

[ConnieSpam]

Thanks guys

My '99 Honda Civic idler pulley was screaming and I was cruising the internet for the info which I ended up finding in this thread.
Thanks to everyone for all the great tech help.

The job only took me about 3 hours, and most of that consisted of the internet search and getting all the right tools pulled together from all over the farm.

The actual pulley job was a breeze thanks to the pictures and descriptions above.
Thank you blunderchief, CO671, and RonJ.

 

[davidronolson]

Thanks for the detailed instructions.
One question I have is that I want to replace the belts while I'm at it. I noticed a motor mount that appears to "trap" the belt onto the pulleys... If that makes sense. I was told by the guys at NAPA that I just needed to support the engine then remove the mount.

From what I've found online, I need to remove the front left (driver side) wheel and the wheel well shroud to access it. From what I can tell, the mount is press fitted onto the shaft. Any suggestions as to how I should remove it? I figured I would just replace it while I'm at it. I'm guessing a bearing puller would work the best.

Thanks again, and I'll look forward to your reply

 

[jameswanser]

after you support the engine, you can remove the 2 bolts for the bracket that bolts to the underside of the frame. once unbolted from the frame, you should have enough gap to get the belt off/on. If not, you can unbolt the nut on the end of that shaft to remove that bushing (it's not pressed on)

 

[davidronolson]

Thanks for the insight!

Here's some info for anyone who wants to replace the belt along with the pulley. I also replaced the motor mount, because it was in pretty bad shape. It cost about $25 at NAPA.

1. You'll have to put the car up on jack stands and remove the front left (driver side) wheel. You'll then need to remove the underbody shroud to access the the motor mount and the belts. (This also makes removing the idler pulley a lot easier instead of coming down from the top of the motor!)

2. Although it is always good practice to support the motor prior to removing the motor mount, this motor mount does not actually support the weight of the motor. So it's really not required to support the motor before removing the motor mount. You'll also need some wiggle room with the motor to get the new motor mount into place. (More info below.)

3. The motor mount is attached to the frame work by (2) 14mm bolts and attached to the motor support shaft with (1) 19mm nut. I suggest loosening the 19mm nut first, then removing the 14mm bolts, but you can do this however you see fit. The motor mount is not press fitted onto the shaft, so it'll just slide right off. You'll notice that part of the framework is in the way, and you'll just hav to use some elbow grease and some muscle to get it off.

4. After you've loosened the idler pulley, the belt will slip right off. Put the new belt into place, and replace the idler pulley. (My suggestion is to just buy a new one... They're very inexpensive. you can get a new bearing and pulley fully assembled for about $20-$25 at NAPA. Why waste your time going to a junk yard for something that you're not even sure if it's usable?)

5. Putting the new motor mount get's a little tricky, but just keep in mind that you're not going to break it. There's enough give in it to allow you to manipulate it into place. (I attached a picture for reference.) As you can see, part of the frame work sticks down past the frame where the motor mount bolts to. (This is where not having the motor supported helps.) You'll get a little play in the motor, and the motor mount is fairly flexible. Start by putting the motor mount onto the motor support shaft, you'll then have to spend some time manipulating the motor mount to get it underneath the lip of the framework. I wish I took pictures while I was doing this, because it's not as bad as you think. Just keep in mind, you're not going to break it.

6. Once it is in place, put the 14mm bolts back in and then put the 19mm nut. I suggest tightening down the 18mm nut before you tighten up the 14mm bolts. (Obviously, this is another, do as yu see fit.)

7. Reinstall the underbody shroud, and wheel, and you're done!

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this. I'm enjoying this website more and more every time I use it. Great info and great people make life much easier!

 

[jameswanser]

Yup, not really that bad, just a tight squeeze in a couple of places.

 

[Joe Mason]

I replaced the idler pulley last night along with the P/S belt and AC belt. I just wanted to add that taking the top motor mount bracket off was a big help. It's only 3 17mm nuts. Getting the bracket out of the way made getting my big hands in there a lot easier. Of course support the motor from below with a jack and a block of wood. I am still getting some occasional bearing noise mostly noticeable at idle. I'm thinking it's from the alternator bearing. Also, it's very helpful to use anti seize compound on the motor mount nuts and bolts during reassembly.

 

[jameswanser]

I had a strange belt noise recently after I replaced my alternator. It increased in volume as the RPMs increased. Turns out when I was fitting the alternator belt back on, I didn't get it fully seated on the alternator pulley (was only half on). Noob move, I know, but learn from my mistake. Check your belts, make sure they're actually fully on the pulleys!