cool - glad to hear it can be done whilst still installed... found the TSB last night while grieving i mean trying to figure out what i needed to do!

 

why not just buy the bearings at napa and carry some in your glove box...of course replacing the currently installed one too. only 5 or 6 bucks for a 6203 2rsj. double sided rubber seal..

 

why am i considering replacing it all...? maybe i didn't mention that i am noticing some movement on the arm whilst running so i'm guessing/figuring that the spring tension is not up to par either, which is being exacerbated by the failing bearings...

plus i figure if i gotta snake my hands down in that tiny little space i have in the van to swap a bearing, i really oughta go ahead and swap out/refresh the spring tensioner as well? it's not at all that i'm looking forward to the work and want to add effort or expense, but i'd really hate to replace the bearings only to find out the spring is shot... :-o

knowhutimean?

 

Yep, I think that's a good call.

 

mine would move while running as well.

 

...Because they are still junk. Mine lasted maybe a year.
They would be fine to get you going in a pinch, but I don't trust the parts store bearings after leaving me stranded an hour from home...again...

Jusy my opinion, of course, but I'll stick to oem for stuff like this.

 

so i'm guessing you're saying that you'd recommend getting this thingy at the dealer - and not take chances on even napa quality parts? i have a friend who works at o'reilly and can really cut me some good deals , but i know better than to stick that stuff on the front of my engine - especially when this will be such a royal pain to stuff in the tiny little hole they left me to work with in this van...

 

The Goodyear 49295 is what I used. Nice piece.

 

jim i did not have the same experience but to each there own. they are cheap enough to carry a few extra in the truck though......

hows the business going?

 

Everyone says the NAPA sealed bearings are a good bearing. I know I didn't bugger it up when I swapped it out, the dang thing just fell apart in a year or so.
I agree they are cheap to carry a few to get you back on the road, but I won't trust them for long term anymore.

...And Bidness is a booming...

 

finally cooled down enough for me to take this project on (the stinking van is too tall to fit in the garage) took the tensioner off, and the two idlers (all have a nasty gravelly feeling spot on them, and i don't wanna mess with saving 30 bucks to smoke even more...)

was thinking seriously about doing the SD dual pulley swap, but was shocked at really how little room i had even after pulling the air filter assy and the apparatus... might just put the 'long arm' tensioner in with the two idler pulleys... funny thing... dealer here couldn't find a valid part number for the ribbed (lower - below alternator) idler pulley... wonder if they are "no longer supporting" the single pulley dual idler setup -encouraging all to go to the super duty setup...?

hmmmmmmm there is soooo much crap in the left front of the engine bay (heater box, hoses, copious bundles of wiring), i really don't want to pull that alternator to yank the bracket... but i'm afraid that after i start with it still on the engine, if things go wrong, i'll be stuck pulling it... since by the time i'll know if it'll work, i will have challenged the strength of the mounting boss enough to not be able to "back out" - knowhutimean?

any insights here fellas...? does the "cut the boss off even with the outside of the bracket" need to be clean? or can i (yikes) jam the sawzall in there and cut it off... knowing full well i'll be chamfering off the outer edge because of the crap in my way...?

egad... i prolly should just get a really high paying job and make the dealer do this... oh wait... i've been looking for that job for years to no avail... guess i'm stuck doing this...

 

Definately have the right size torq socket as it's a little bigger than the normal set has, done mine once so far so good there, last weeks disaster was the 4 bolts that hold the pulley on the water pump decided to back out and destroyed the pulley and the water pump, fun trying to find parts on 4th of July weekend!! Got lucky and found one in a bus at a bone yard and with the help of a blue wrench and 20 bucks I was up and running..

 

it worked out well that about a month ago i had to replace that little gray plastic bushing on my strike pin for my door on my dually... thankfully that required a T50 bit... so i had just bought one... and also thankfully i had done it recently enough that i remembered buying it, and actually knew where i had put it!

think i'm going to try to find a "long arm" single pulley tensioner and two idler pulleys... tempting as it is to try the SD swap, i'd hate to kill an otherwise perfectly functioning truck trying to upgrade it... and well, it's put 156k on the clock like this... so it ain't like i had issues... and i still was running the original "short arm" tensioner part - truthfully i only really need the pulleys/bearings replaced, but i figure after 156k it might be time to replace the spring mechanism too, and keep the original for spare since my 97 dually runs the same setup as my 96 van... (215k and still running the original - or so it appears by the length, dirt, and part number!)

anyone else have issues pulliing the part numbers for these...? the dealership here could not find a reference for the ribbed idler (F6TE 19A216 HA) we did find numbers to replace the smooth idler (mine must have been replaced at some point - F8TE 19A216 FA with a '98 model part) and for the tensioner assembly (F6TE 6B209 EA) i am hoping/assuming the part number he pulled was for the 'long arm' upgraded part...? prices (wholesale) were about 120 for the tensioner, and around 60 for the idler... there must be a better deal out there...?

 

An update: The Goodyear 49295 is what I used. Unfortunately the bearings are chinese made junk. I was hearing that chirp. I was leaning toward the power steering pump but found that one of the tensioner bearing had died. So if I cant find a 6203rs made in the USA has anyone used the Japanese Nachi bearings? Here is a link.

Fastenal also has these.

Any thoughts?

I'm going to replace both bearings on the tensioner and the flat idler just to be on the safe side.

Anyone remember if that crappy torx head bolt for the flat idler is a right or left handed thread? I gotta find a replacement for that darn bolt.

 

Right hand thread on the torx.