Idle Pulley Replacement 4.0 V6 Ranger

[chux64]

I have been experiencing an intermittent noise (growl) under the hood of a 4.0 liter V6 Ranger for quite a while. It always stopped by the time I got the hood up and never could tell where it was coming from. An old trick I learned somewhere along the line worked today where I used an old piece of 3/8 rubber fuel line like a stethescope, one end in my ear and the other end moving around under the hood while the noise was happening. The noise stayed long enough today that I'm pretty sure I pinned it down as coming from the idler pulley.
I was wondering if it is it hard to take off and are there any torque requirements when I install the new one? I have an old Haynes Repair Manual but couldn't find anything in it about this subject.

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[chux64]

Thanks for the welcome! It looks like, because I didn't read the rules first, I mistakenly put this post on the new member forum. Do I have to delete it and start over or can it be moved?
chux64

 

[Tbars4]

...You are fine as the Mod's will either move it to the "Under the Hood" section or the "Ranger" section...

...Pulling the pulley off and swapping it is relatively easy ...

 

[chux64]

Thanks Tbars4 / I changed it out and as you said, it was easy. The hardest part was getting the old lock washer off the bolt. I put on some red locktite when re-installing the new pulley and bolt. The old pulley bearing was froze up!
Thanks
chux64

 

[Tbars4]

...Congrats on a job well done...

...Did you ever find the torque spec???..It may be useful to future readers...

 

[chux64]

tbars4
I looked again, in the Haynes Repair Manual I have (1993 thru 1997 Ranger Pick-Ups) and could not find the torque spec on this part.
In an old thread written 05-17-2007 by 97AWDEXPLODER, he said to apply some red loctite to the bolt and reinstall the new idler pulley. So thats what I did. I tried to remember the amount of force and how it felt when I removed the bolt. It broke loose quite easily with a 1/2 inch drive 5/8 socket. But then switch to 3/8 drive to remove because it was physically smaller and didn't have a lot of room working around the fan blade. Reinstalled the new pulley and tightened with the 1/2 drive 5/8 socket. With the loctite on the bolt I guess it should be oK, as long as I didn't over tighten it.

Thanks again for your help
chux64

 

[Scott B.]

Just so you know,

the tensioner pulley is the same as the idler pulley BUT it is held on with a left-hand threaded bolt. (Don't ask how I know...)