Good info!
1st pic, It seems to me there is a lock ring, right? so the removable seals under that lock ring/clip!
did you try to remove the lock first or directly the seals?

just wondering how you did it w/o damaging the brass seals,
Figured, if that easy to remove that's mean there is a gap between the outer race and the seal so grease will leak out slowly!

Thanks

There is no retaining clip. The seals are plastic, reasonably flexible. So it's pretty easy to just hook them at the outer diameter and carefully pry them up. They seat on the inner diameter and outer diameter in small grooves. If you do deform them a bit with the screwdriver where you lift them up, you can just use the screwdriver to smooth out the plastic. I didn't have this issue.

Only problem I can forsee is if the bearings have been running dry for a while, this could cause high heat that can degrade the plastic to the point where it becomes brittle. But this plastic seemed pretty forgiving, unlike the nylon retaining clips used on some cars underhood wiring connectors. Those seem to break the instant you touch them.

Got it!!
planning to do the same :)

Thanks for the info!

Hi,
is it possible that you post a "how to" of getting the idler pulley out.
I am not a bad mechanic, but I don't want to damage anything.
So please post pics and a howto.
Best regards from Germany.
Hanno

NICE! Good post!

My A/C idler just started squeeling now. I've maybe put 50 miles on it since it started. I went ahead and removed the belt untill I can get another idler.

My question is.... is it too late for me to grease my idler and put it back in?

Just wondering trying to save a buck :) O'Reillys has this idler for $15 if not.

Thanks

Sorry, no "how to", but it's pretty easy to do, just remove the belts and unbolt the pulleys. There are metal slingers (washers) on the pulleys, just note their orientation for the reinstall.

Probably, but you lose nothing by opening it up for a look. If the balls don't looked trashed, go ahead and try greasing. If they are shot, at least it was good practice for the other 3. Don't overlook the possibility that the belt itself was the cause/contributed to the squeeling.

No. Optispark bearings are sealed in place with epoxy and you can't get to them.

This is a real cool idea that I will be trying real soon.

Re'

Update:

Greased the A/C idler and tensioner. I put in really sticky moly grease.

The noise is 100% GONE!

Thanks again for the cool info, please leave this a sticky for other people to see!

just did this and the noise is all gone!:thumb:

i need to do this....was it hard?

Can we have some pics of where it is located?

I guess it depends on your level of experience, but I thought it was cake.

Here is a pic I scammed off the net and added arrows pointing to the 4 idler pulleys. The red one has the torx bolt for clearance cause it's behind the main drive belt. The blue one has the metal outer, as far as I remember, process was basically the same on it too. Been a long time since I did it.
Attachment 49565

Hello,

in my other Thread we talking about, ill must make this mod too, because my belt was falling of (dont know why) and my engine was overheating. The first way (you all suggest it to me) is to grease the pulleys and change the belts to Goodyear Gaterback Belts.

Im wondering if it exist any pulley, that is be the same like the idler one (with a right and left boundary), so that the belt have a better guideway.
Your blue one are the same like mine and dont have a boundary. Its clean and maybe it prefer to fall of the belt. Can i change it with the same one like in the Idler or the Alternator? Yes it looks like a little big bigger, but maybe it works and give a little protection to the belt.

Next days ive made an order at summit-racing, so when i order that stuff to germany i must make sure, that i not forget important stuff.
So if anyone have a good idea, please tell me.

The shock is sitting so deep in my stomeck, when i drive on the autobahn and the temperatur gauge is jumping to red. Its not funny not do know if the engine is going bad and then in panic brake down in traffic to cut off the engine :irk: :no: :mad: :rant: :death:

Thanks verry mutch. I hope my english isnt to bad ;)

Don't worry about you're English, it may not be perfect, but it is easier to understand than some other people who post here :).

Check the alignment of you're pullies, as 4 out of 6 (crank, tensioner, power steering and altenator) pullies have lips (boundries). If everything was lined up right, the belt should stay on without any problem. I don't have much LS1 specific experience, but I do work on cars for a living (Nissan), so it's good to know that the Goodyear belts I bought were a good choice.

Hopfully my car will be running next month.

I did this maintenance a while back on my 2000 SS. While changing the oil on my 96 vette (LT1) I thought I'd look at idler pulleys ~ same deal. This works for LT1 the same as the LS1, so it may be worth sticky to the LT1 page?;)