The idler pulley on my 92SE on the A/C belt has been squeaking off an on the past couple of weeks, I felt the idler pulley bolt, and it is vibrating. Is the bearing definitely wearing out, or could the pulley just need tightening? Also, if I need to replace the bearing, does anyone know the specific size of the bearing, or will I need to take it out first to see? Do I need any special tools to take out the bearing?

 

the pulley MAY be loose...also the fan belt may be bad/old/worn.
the bearing in the pulley is pressed in. it's quite difficult to have them pressed back out due to a metal retainer Nissan used after they pressed it in...damn NTN bearings. your best bet is to purchase a new pulley/tensioner assembly can call it a day.

 

DanNy is right. Belt noises can be very deceptive. They can click, for example, when they are cold. In my experience with other cars, that bearing in the tensioner does not go bad often (but it can happen). My advice is to put a new belt on before you invest in a new tensioner. If that doesn't work, then there you go.

 

alright when i started the car today (I already planned on working on it when i got home), there was an extremely loud squealing sound that last 10 seconds before disappearing - seemed like the belt was rubbing on the pulley. plus the car was harder to start up, like more work was needed to turn the pulley.

i tried working on it, and it looked as if the rod bearing the pulley slides through was bent down somewhat, so i tried tightening it some, but this seemed to make the squealing only worse. looking behind the pulley, it seems that the bearing is not flush against the pulley, the bottom is touching, but not the top half. so my guess is the pulley is rubbing too much on the bottom of the bearing, but I dont' know how i can fix this. i guess i'm gonna have to take it to get fixed, but my concern is, is this suitable condition to drive? is there anything i can do so I can at least drive the car a couple of minutes to the shop?

 

definitely sounds like the bearing is bad. I've had to change a couple on different Maxes over the years. both of my Maxes have had that bearing fail.

I had no problems pressing the bearing into the pulley. I destroyed one while removing the old one, but at that point, I didn't care what happened to the old bearing.

since it's on the A/C pulley, you can simply remove the belt to get wherever you need to go. sounds like you'll need to buy a new bolt and everything at this point. might just consider buying an entire new pulley, but it's up to you. I paid $12 for the bearing at a supply house. the entire pulley will likely run about $70.

 

Alright I understand that, but one more question, is the power for the heater/blower assembly generated separately, or is it part of the air conditioner? If I take of the belt, will I only lose air conditioning, but still have heating?

 

lose AC and defrost air..but your heat will still work.