mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

my LS has been acting up lately, somehow i was convinced that the fan bracket bearing was on its way out. during startup, i would sometimes hear the fan blades hitting the shroud right behind the radiator. i had checked it out and swore i saw the fan clutch wobbling.

earlier this week, i was driving on the expressway and my car started screaming for a minute or so! the next day i decide to inspect again and figure out what i'll need to remove to install a new fan bracket. i loosened the serpentine belt and the fan bracket bearing/clutch spins freely and appears pretty solid. i put the belt back on, start the car, and notice that the idler pulley isnt even turning car starts screaming again so loud that i have to turn off the motor.

i removed the idler pulley, the exposed bearing shield fell right off, and there's a picture of the bearing below. the serpentine belts is missing chunks, i guess that's what happens when it passes over a grooved pulley that doesnt spin.

instead of replacing the entire pulley, i just ordered a new bearing from mcmaster-carr. it's a 12mm inner diameter, 37mm outer diameter, 12mm wide double shielded bearing, part #6661K62. i've having a friend press the bearing into the pulley for me. oem pulley is ~$65, bearing cost ~$11, havent decided what kind of replacement belt to use yet.

mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

ready to reinstall...

alsalih

Nice job and nice installation, however you might want to use another bearing. You used the correct bearing size but not the correct bearing application. This bearing has steel sides and is intended for use in submerged fluid applications (i.e. inside transmission). There should be one that has rubber sides similar to the OEM design, which helps retain the grease and is intended for this application. This bearing will last couple of weeks before making noise again and eventually failing.

turbosix

definitely keep us updated on how well this works for you. i didnt have the patience to deal with anything like this and just bought a new fan bracket for ~$200

mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

the original bearing was a shielded bearing, the metal shield fell into my hand as soon as i removed the pulley off the car. this was verified again when the old bearing was pressed out, it was shielded on the inner side as well. the metal shield that fell off the old bearing did have a rubber gasket around the edge.

the catalog describes the bearings as:
shielded - steel shield that retains grease and blocks most contaminants
sealed - rubber seal that retains grease and blocks virtually all contaminants
both come pre-greased, operating temp range between -40°F to 248°F, only difference is price and max operating speed

as the weather continues to warm up, i'll be able to tinker more and find a suitable replacement for the tensioner pulley bearing. i will find a needle roller bearing that fits the fan bracket, the original was probably made by ntn or ngk.

hyperopt

I replaced the belt tensioner bearings with similar bearings on two of my cars and they working fine after 3 years. You don't need a press to remove that bearing - a hammer and a push rod and the bearing will come off. Perhaps you may have better luck than I am finding the fan bracket bearing. Let us know if you found any.

damon

Don't think it is possible to find a replacement fan bracket bearing. When I pressed mine out it actually broke the rest of the housing. The bearing was cracked longitudinally & sounded like a pepper shaker. It is a very unwieldy piece to clamp on to & get a bearing pressed in & out assuming that there was actually a suitable replacement.

For the part you have pictured above I used:
Mfgr. NTN , part #63011LL

Lexushead

Anybody have updates on these bearings. I think I have the Fan Bracket Bearing problem as well. I've been ignoring the weird sound for several days and now the fan clutch looks wobbly. I think I need to stop driving it.

Edit: Where is this idler pulley located? Is it part of the fan bracket? I hope it's not the timing belt idler pulley #1 and #2.

psls400

Hey Guys

I am about to replace my timing belt idler pulleys and have purchased some aftermarket ones from the USA. I noticed that pulley number 2 is slightly smaller diameter than the original Lexus one I am replacing. Should I be concerned?

Does anyone know if the US spec LS400's have difference sized pulleys than the Japanese/Australian spec versions.

I have been told that the IUZFE engine is the same except for the pollution and safety gear.

Any advice?

damon

The fan bracket support is part# 16307-50011. The bearing inside it has never been replaced or replaceable to my knowledge. I think I may be the only person to take one out of its large, gangly,cast assembly. note: I broke the housing pressing this bearing out with a hydraulic press.

I did this mainly for my own amusement since I already had a replacement fan bracket support ready to go & I had never found a replacement bearing.

The actual bearing is 3 1/2" long with a 5 1/2" circumfrence & makes a nice paper weight (it's heavy!)

This part does spin your fan clutch but is a seperate part. A fan clutch mounts to the 4 bolts on the end of the bearing I am describing. In other words your fan clutch could be worn out seperate from this part. I replaced my fan clutch with a Hayden part #2656.
-----------------------

For the idler pulley that keeps being shown I used the ntn bearing # I listed above.

Lexushead

Thanks Damon, after I removed the fan clutch, I can see metal chips coming out of the bracket bearing. I'm still debating whether I should go ahead and do the whole timing belt change at this time or just replace the fan bracket support/bearing unit. What do you think? I have 82K miles since the last timing belt replaced.

blkstealthpaid4

My 1990 gave me the same problem and I bought the whole idler pulley from NAPA for $65.I hope people can learn from this, when you hear squeeling on take off,start up or when you hit the AC then it is the idler pulley.(1st gen)

LexChamp

Same problem here, when I turn on the AC, I hear a grinding noise. My mechanic looked at it and noticed the idler pulley was bad. I bought a new pulley from RockAuto.com for $45.00 shipping included. I'll be installing it in the next few days. I'll post results. Great post with pics, thanks.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Wish I recalled this thread when I replaced the idler pulley in mine. $58 wasn't a big deal but an $11 bearing is still a much nicer cost.

en11871

Hi,

I'm looking at Rockauto.com and I'm assuming that the pulley you were referring to was the "PULLEY,BELT IDLER BELT DRIVE PULLEY" and not the "PULLEY,TMG BELT IDLER TIMING BELT PULLEY". Please let me know, for I have a very small squeaking noise and my mechanic to me to replace the idler pulley but didn't tell me which one exactly. Thanks.

en