This car is going to owe me some money

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
04/26/2020 at 17:56 • Filed to: The Hot Mess

Usually I don’t get too bent out of shape about the cost of car stuff. It is all part of the hobby and I never really expect to get a 100% return on my costs, let along my time, on my projects.

But for fucks sake.

Anyone want to guess how much this idler pulley costs?

I’ll give you a hint: The serpentine belt idler pulley was $14.

Here, have another look!

Well as you may have inferred from my asking the question: quite a lot!

$145 shipped, in fact.

Not only that but I found exactly one for sale in my less-than-exhaustive search. Now, in retrospect, I had other options and probably could have/ should have/ would have explored them, but I got a little too excited when I actually found one and pulled the trigger.

And yes, I probably could have/ should have/ would have measured it and found a generic replacement. Or taken it somewhere to have the bearing replaced.

But I didn’t.

And yes, I am both mad at myself and mad at the car for this.

Heh, oh well.

Oddly the serpentine idler and tensioner both sounded OK so despite the horrid condition of the belt I wonder if they’ve been replaced before. I’m throwing in a new supercharger tensioner for good measure anyway because at this point I might as well get this system to 100%.

Or something like that anyway.

As a minor update I’ve got the supercharger’s oil changed and am a little stuck waiting on parts at the moment, so I’m going to switch gears and start going after the brakes....

DISCUSSION (15)

dogisbadob > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 18:17

damn $145 for a used rusted-out pulley? WTF?

What system is this for? I tried to look it up on Rock Auto

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 18:17

Because they probably only made 50 of those engines and 51 spare pulleys.

jminer > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 18:23

I’ve run into the same issue on several cars I’ve owned with parts impossible to find and then expensive when you do. The same thing has happened where in my excitement I bought that $130 heater core instead of finding something close enough for $22 that would work just fine.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 18:26

Goddamn. My parts are considered expensive but for the same price I can buy a complete accessory refresh kit containing three pulleys, two tensioners, and two belts.

sn4cktimes > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 18:56

My idler and tensioners are coming up due on my Eagle soon. I’ll just swap the bearing. Going to wait until I swap the power steering and A/C pumps. They’re not that bad yet.

Urambo Tauro > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 19:40

Good grief. A price like that would mak e me attempt to take the old bearing apart and see about repacking it with fresh grease. Or try hunting down just the bearing itself to press into the pulley after pressing the old one out.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 20:38

Hey: when you’re finished being tormented by your car’s maintenance needs, shoot me an email so I can send you a sticker. oliphant.chuckerbutty@gmail.com

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/26/2020 at 22:40

At that price, you can press out the bearing and any bearing and seal supply shop will be able to get you a new one. Probably for about $5.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > dogisbadob
04/28/2020 at 16:09

Well the rusty one is the one I pulled out of the car.

2004 Jaguar S-Type R. Specifically looking for the supercharger idler and tensioner. Rock Auto has the tensioner (sometimes but not always) but not the idler.

dogisbadob > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/28/2020 at 17:23

aahhh ok ok

Is it this one ?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > dogisbadob
04/28/2020 at 18:17

I think so? Oddly while investigating replacing the bearing I think I’ve found a generic replacement that will work. Either way I’m going to wait to see if the seller of the first replacement I’ve ordered comes through.

Unfortunately now I’ve lost my source for the tensioner! :facepalm: Looks like the site you posted has one, but the last one I ordered got weird because apparently there was some sort of update. Going to try and do the same hat trick with a generic replacement...

Just Jag things...

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/29/2020 at 13:41

The blower has its own oil supply? Not oil from the sump?

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
04/29/2020 at 13:49

Correct! Apparently supercharger oil is a thing. Sort of makes sense as you wouldn’t want dirty oil/contaminants getting into expensive, high speed, impossible to replace bearings.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/29/2020 at 13:55

Yeah, I guess that does make sense. You’re having enough issues with bearings right now..

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
04/29/2020 at 16:59

Oh yeah. That was one of the thing on my PPI, such as it was. I guess if the center bearing on the supercharger goes that is it. It is welded in and in most cases cheaper to just buy a new supercharger ($1200 - $2000 )