Spring loaded idler wheel 2014 S650

[Skidmarx326]

Hello everybody. Outside of my idler wheel there is another wheel which I cannot find in my service manual. This wheel contains a 3/4" hex bolt which passes through the center of the tensioner wheel. It is loose and is rattling as I am running the machine. Upon inspection, I am trying to back this bolt out but it seems to be not moving whatsoever, tightening or loosening. Any thoughts on this?

Any help is appreciated big time. Thanks guys

 

[flyerdan]

If it's like automotive serpentine tensioners, it could have a left handed thread on the idler axle bolt if it normally rotates anti-clockwise to keep it from loosening.
If the bolt turns but doesn't seem to tighten or loosen, it probably has a nut behind the casting that you can't get to until the whole assembly is out.
If you have a bolt head on the wheel in the picture, there is probably a nylock nut on the idler wheel side, no idea why they would have something like that on there. There must be a purpose for it though.

 

[Tazza]

If it's like automotive serpentine tensioners, it could have a left handed thread on the idler axle bolt if it normally rotates anti-clockwise to keep it from loosening.
If the bolt turns but doesn't seem to tighten or loosen, it probably has a nut behind the casting that you can't get to until the whole assembly is out.
If you have a bolt head on the wheel in the picture, there is probably a nylock nut on the idler wheel side, no idea why they would have something like that on there. There must be a purpose for it though.

I'm at a loss as to what it is too. If you have a mechanical blower wheel and not hydraulically driven one, there is a spring loaded idler to hold tension on the belt, but this does not look like one of those.

 

[Bswwood]

That is a thru bolt with a nut on the other side, loctite from factory. I would bet the idler bearings have failed as it is a common issue. Loosen the bolt closest to you in the picture and use a 1/2 drive ratchet to release tension on belt and remove belt. You will see square hole in bracket to insert ratchet. Remove both bolts that are visible on the tensioner in the picture and remove the complete tensioner assembly. The spring is under a little tension and will need a pry bar to pop off. Installing the spring is tricky when putting it back together. Install the center bolt a few threads and use pry bar to push spring into place, you will see how it works.

 

[flyerdan]

That is a thru bolt with a nut on the other side, loctite from factory. I would bet the idler bearings have failed as it is a common issue. Loosen the bolt closest to you in the picture and use a 1/2 drive ratchet to release tension on belt and remove belt. You will see square hole in bracket to insert ratchet. Remove both bolts that are visible on the tensioner in the picture and remove the complete tensioner assembly. The spring is under a little tension and will need a pry bar to pop off. Installing the spring is tricky when putting it back together. Install the center bolt a few threads and use pry bar to push spring into place, you will see how it works.

Based on the appearance of the idler wheel, I concur on the bearing failure, it has a slight lean to it that a tight bearing wouldn't have.
I wonder if they included that outside disc to act as a tattletale if the bearing starts to go. It starts making noise well before the idler self destructs and leaves you stranded somewhere.
For sealed bearings,(which I assume this will have) if you can carefully pry one of the seals up with a small knife blade and give it a little moly grease, they tend to run a lot longer.

 

[buckwill]

Based on the appearance of the idler wheel, I concur on the bearing failure, it has a slight lean to it that a tight bearing wouldn't have.
I wonder if they included that outside disc to act as a tattletale if the bearing starts to go. It starts making noise well before the idler self destructs and leaves you stranded somewhere.
For sealed bearings,(which I assume this will have) if you can carefully pry one of the seals up with a small knife blade and give it a little moly grease, they tend to run a lot longer.

hi buck here, if that idler is noisy , frozen or running out of track then it is already failed, getting a little grease in there is not a fix, it is just a get it back close to the shop heater bandaid, the real fiix is get close to heat, press a new brg in there, i say get close to heat because here in my neck of the woods, its 37 dang degrees just now, and my blood turns to fudgecicle at anything below 65, yall have fun, let us know,, buck

 

[buckwill]

hi buck here, if that idler is noisy , frozen or running out of track then it is already failed, getting a little grease in there is not a fix, it is just a get it back close to the shop heater bandaid, the real fiix is get close to heat, press a new brg in there, i say get close to heat because here in my neck of the woods, its 37 dang degrees just now, and my blood turns to fudgecicle at anything below 65, yall have fun, let us know,, buck

by the way, i mean no disrespect or to sound, um supercilious, in my working days, i was machinist/ gas and steam turbine millwright, i guess im a bit of a twidgett, "read OCD" the only way to fix is to fixit but thats just me, i will do things just to "get it back to the barn" buck

 

[flyerdan]

by the way, i mean no disrespect or to sound, um supercilious, in my working days, i was machinist/ gas and steam turbine millwright, i guess im a bit of a twidgett, "read OCD" the only way to fix is to fixit but thats just me, i will do things just to "get it back to the barn" buck

Hi Buckwill, welcome to the forum. Thanks for pointing out the omission in my earlier post; I most assuredly did not mean to imply that the bearing could be fixed with a bit of grease. What I should have said was the replacement bearing should be treated with some moly grease, if the seal can be removed without damage.
Unfortunately, a lot of the new bearings just have some chicom fish-oil based cosmoline stuff to keep them from rusting on the voyage over. If it fails from lack of lube they'll be happy to sell you another.