Topic: A/C Idler Pulley Help

[bryancobb]

Hey Folks,
I got my NOS Idler assembly.  It looks nice and the bearing is perfect, but it  has to be a factory "second."
The milling of the curved slots and the facings of the faying surfaces where the bolts tighten up looks like it was done with the machinists' eyes closed.
I want to get the pulley off, paint the porkchop, and reface the milled surfaces and slots to clean up Ford's mess.
Has anyone had one of these apart?  The center cap is staked in place in 6 locations.  I'll bet I can't remove the cap without ruining it.  Can I press the shaft and pulley out as an assembly to do my work, and then press it back in without removing the cap?

[CharlesTurner]

You're going to mark up the pulley and cap by removing them.  I would suggest a 3" or 6" sanding disc to cut the machine surface back.  80 grit or lighter paper can be used.

I have heard that any leftover or rejected parts from the assembly plant were simply thrown away.  Service parts were not held to the same quality standard as reproduction parts.

[e093116]

A new cap came with a rebuild kit I bought from NPD.

I think it had a Dorman number on it.  Should be pretty easy to track down a replacement if need be.

Also agree with Charles regarding the machined surfaces, I think you could clean that up with a 3" roloc on a right angle die grinder.  You can start with an 80-120 grit disc and follow that up with a surface conditioning or unitized disc for the final finish.  Your local paint jobber should have all this stuff.

[bryancobb]

Thanks, but I really wanted to have milling cutter swirls, after the paint dries.

[CharlesTurner]

Thanks, but I really wanted to have milling cutter swirls, after the paint dries.

There shouldn't be any paint on the bracket, normally only the pulley was painted black on a 65-66 idler.

Think you could get decent results with a sanding disc with coarse paper.  But, understand that it wouldn't be exact.

[bryancobb]

So this bracket had no paint, and the pulley did,  hmmmm.   That's good info.

Thanks and Merry Christmas

[rockhouse66]

I figured the bracket on my 9/65 San Jose car was originally painted based on the way I found it, but then I can't be certain it didn't get painted sometime before I got the car.

[CharlesTurner]

I figured the bracket on my 9/65 San Jose car was originally painted based on the way I found it, but then I can't be certain it didn't get painted sometime before I got the car.

Hard to say from that pic.  Would help if we knew if the machine surfaces had black paint also. 

[rockhouse66]

Hard to say from that pic.  Would help if we knew if the machine surfaces had black paint also.

Yes, I agree, but the original stuff is long gone now and repainted black.  One of the many, many things you learn to look at AFTER you have completed your first restoration project