OEM Smooth Idle pulley

[BirchMarauder]

I was getting a rattle noise which I determined to be idle pulleys. replaced the grooved and the smooth and also the tensioner. All Motorcraft parts from the dealer. still got the rattle noise. Went by to see DR and he helped me diagnose a smooth pulley wobble which is noticable when you eyeball the pulleys from the side. He tested an autozone pulley with no wobble. Got back home, put the old one back on, it wobbles too. I called Ford parts, got a replacement today for the new one I bought earlier and haven't put it on but noticed that the inner steel ring wobbles if you put pressure on its sides...WTF! Chinese bearings. any other options to the grooved & smooth idle pulleys and tensioner other than motorcraft? They all seem to be made the same, with the same crap bearings.

[sailsmen]

What are your mods?

There are several chioces on the tensioner. If just the bearings are bad those can be changed.

[BirchMarauder]

no mods, only tune and K&N. seems as if the chinese bearings are just junk! I have a press. you know where I can get better bearings?

[justbob]

Napa #6203. Same bearing for all idlers and tensioner. No press needed, a socket and slight tap of the hammer is MORE than enough...

This was posted live, in real time.

[BirchMarauder]

****awesome!****

[Roadwarrior]

I had just replaced the bearings on the smooth & grooved idler pulleys of the fan belts in my Marauder & justbob's suggestion works like a charm. Thanks justbob. BTW, the local Ford dealer parts dept. wanted $86 for a replacement pulley, which has been superseded by the equivalent part number of the smooth pulley for the 4.6 DOHC engine. Still wondering how that would work out. {The part number of the original grooved pulley is: YW7E-19A216-AA}

[BirchMarauder]

i bought a metal shielded bearing from napa..#6203. I pressed it in but haven't done the others yet. I am currently using an autozone smooth pulley but i'm still hearing the noise from the grooved pulley and the tensioner pulley. going to have to punch those out too and change all 3 at the same time. next is the belt even though its only 6 months old. wonder if having a jammed up grooved pulley that wasn't free spinning would cause damage to the belt itself making it uneven or something.

[justbob]

I had just replaced the bearings on the smooth & grooved idler pulleys of the fan belts in my Marauder & justbob's suggestion works like a charm. Thanks justbob. BTW, the local Ford dealer parts dept. wanted $86 for a replacement pulley, which has been superseded by the equivalent part number of the smooth pulley for the 4.6 DOHC engine. Still wondering how that would work out. {The part number of the original grooved pulley is: YW7E-19A216-AA}

Just passin the info, you can thank Zack for helping me last year when I did all mine. IIRC there was only one that I couldn't do because it was completely sealed by plastic front and back. It may have been one of the ones from the Trilogy kit as well, can't remember.

This was posted live, in real time.