96 w/ 5.8L idler pulley bearings

Got a noisy serpentine belt idler bearing by the alternator on my 96 F350 w/ 5.8L. Can I replace just the bearing or does the whole pulley have to go? Browsing through those horrible web auto parts sites (they must all be the same, as they all use the same P/N's!) I don't get any confidence that I'm looking at the right part. The bearing on the idler where the A/C compressor would be is making a bit of noise as well; what's the criteria for replacement? Best sources and prices? Thanks!

Reply to
carl mciver
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The best source is your local independent not-a-lousy-chain auto parts store. The price is whatever they tell you. Shop with them for a few years and they'll give you a discount. Eventually, though, they'll retire and you'll have to go get crappy parts from Pep Boys and help support the enormous salaries of their CEO, overhead, corporate headquarters, etc.

You could also do that now, if you wanted to, but why would you want to?

Reply to
Joe

If they are noisy, they are dry/worn and in a failing mode. If one of these fails, the entire system is dead. Some of the idlers have bearings that can be replaced with a bit of patience if you have a few tools and good mechanical ability. You will need to remove them and get the bearing #'s first as well as make sure the old bearings can be removed.

Reply to
lugnut

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