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Ive just had an idler pulley seize ( smell that belt !! Hmm Hmmm ) I suppose I have 3 options

1) get one from a wreck or from my spares ( will be 30 years old)
2) buy a whole new pulley from Subaru ( my first "new" part - if available)
3) Press in a new bearing

I would prefer to do ( get done) 3 , as I then get a new bearing


anyone have any hints/ tips or suggestions please.

New bearing and press it in. I think mine was about 16.00 from cbc. I had to clean the pully up on the lathe a bit though the heat from seizing it distorted it a little and it had a bit of runout in it. The hardest part is getting the circlip out so 15 minute job tops.

Yep, get the old bearing out, get a new one and press it in.
By far the easiest and best result.

done the new bearing thing a few times in these idlers, say a few times then gave up for could not get the thing to sit in perfectly square and idler wobbled once in place. Went for a good used and never looked back

Nubaru wrote:done the new bearing thing a few times in these idlers, say a few times then gave up for could not get the thing to sit in perfectly square and idler wobbled once in place. Went for a good used and never looked back

If you have access to a lathe it pays to give it a quick skim. I took off about 0.2 max from memory

Freeze the bearing and heat the housing. It will drop right in without a press.

Regards

Doug

I have used a socket to press the bearing in and used a vice as a press.
Then I bought a press.

I had the same issue (although mine wasn't completely seized)
I bought a bearing from a bearing shop (duh?) and then paid a workshop $10 to borrow their press. It went right in , no worries. I fitted a new belt at the same time.
20,000 kms later it's still good....but I have had to re-tension the belt a number of times to eliminate squeeling.

thanks people, all ixed with a new bearing inserted last night ( from cbc on south road), used a "freeze bearing) and " BBQ heat pulley" method with a socket and hammer.

cheers