Serpentine belt shredded

[blast7]

The other night I was driving in the icy weather and my belt started screeching real loudly all of the sudden. Then the lights went dim and the power steering was gone. I checked the engine and my belt was ripped right off. After getting it home and examining I found that the lower pulley on the passenger side seized. Based upon the diagram under the hood this is the idler pulley. However, when I went to Autozone they asked whether it was for the alternator or A.C. My truck only has one belt. I need to know what the part number from Autozone is.

 

[410Fortune]

the peson you spoke to at Autozone is a moron, any serpentine belt system will have an idler pulley and a tensioner pulley, sometimes a couple of idlers. It has NOTHING to do with the AC or power steering, except that the belt routes over them as well.


it is the tensioner pulley down there, DONT get it from Autozone, their computer is WRONG.

I know this because they sold me an idler pulley, which works great for the idler but on the tensioner (lower pass side like you said) it will not clear the tensioner spring and housing.

Sorry I dont have a part number for you but Autzone will tell you the idler and tensioner use the same pulley, they are wrong. Typivcally on the Ford engines this is true, bit not on the 5.0L.
I went to the Stealership and got the correct pulley for $25 instead of the wrong pulley for $15.

You can take your pulley with you however if you are dead set on Autozone and compare. DO NOT TAKE HOME a smaller dia pulley, it wont fit. You can also buy a $2 bearing and fix the pulley yourself.

 

[blast7]

Do you have a picture of it or know where I can find one?

 

[410Fortune]

You mean like this?

tensioner is uin bottom left corner, you can see the idler has been removed from this 5.0L for now

Here's another pic of a 5.0L with the full dress still on it:

 

[410Fortune]

You can see the idler pulley is between the alternator and power steering pump

the tensioner pulley is below the alternator and above a much smaller idler pulley.

The bottom pulley is the crankshaft, the one above it is the waterpump and on the right hadn side is the AC compressor.

Pictured is a 96 Explorer 5.0L all 96-01 Explorer 5.0L V8 will be the SAME

Idler and tensioner are FLAT surface
Small idler is ribbed surface.

 

[blast7]

The small idler pulley is the one that seized. The tensioner pulley spins freely as do all the rest, except a little resistance felt with the PS pulley. I'm not sure if that is normal. This engine is a lot different from my '91 SHO.

 

[410Fortune]

hahaha your 91 SHO had the Yahmaha 3.0L transverse mounted, two completely different animals.

I dont think "The Zone" will have that tiny pulley, but who knows.
Finding it in the computer could be fun, trying to describe it to the guy = PITA.

You can call Ford and explain it to them, because they will have a picture they can look at, get the Ford part number, then call your local parts stores and see if they can find it.

OR

you can remove the pulley, take it to your local bearing place and see if they can replace just the bearing, the bearings usually have part numbers stamped on them.

I have NEVER seen this pulley fail, but I was just wiondering yesterday why that is so since I have seen several of the tension and idler's go kaput.

Your pulley is ribbed, size should not be a big deal here in fact I think of my 3 different 5.0L engines (2 ea 96 and one 97) the pulley in question is two different sizes...I will have to look into that now

 

[aldive]

This is an idler pulley off my '99 SOHC.

It is Ford part number F7CZ-60348-AA