1965 L79 idler pulley

[Daniel D.]

[Tom E.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Wy not replace the bearing in your idler? Any decent bearing shop will have a replacement bearing and it should be an easy press in and out.

[Daniel D.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Thanks Tom. I like the idea of replacing the bearing. I googled for bearing shops, but didn't find anything local in Northern Virginia. Does anyone know of a place that I could ship the pulley to to have the bearing changed, and is it a standard bearing? Thanks.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Thanks Tom. I like the idea of replacing the bearing. I googled for bearing shops, but didn't find anything local in Northern Virginia. Does anyone know of a place that I could ship the pulley to to have the bearing changed, and is it a standard bearing? Thanks.

Daniel-------


The last available GM bearing was GM #908076 but it's discontinued. I don't know of another equivalent bearing but there may be one. If you contact an industrial bearing supplier they may be able to cross-reference from this number.

[Tom E.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Daniel,
As Joe stated an industrial bearing dealer will likely have your bearing. I have used Norfolk Bearing and Supply in Norfolk Virginia numerous times and they always seem to have what I need. I have repaired several idlers for a fraction of what a new one costs. There should be a number on the bearing race that you can use for them to cross reference, if not you will need to provide measurements for the cross reference. Hope this helps
Tom

[Rocco S.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

The replacement bearing should be easy to obtain. Its probably just a single row ball bearing with 2 seals. You will need to measure the ID, OD and width. Be careful as it may have metric dimensions. Contact any industrial bearing distributor. I work for Motion Industries in NJ and sell these products every day. There are probably 10 manufacturers that make this ball bearing. I would stay with a premium brand like SKF, Timken/Fafnir, NSK, FAG. I know Motion Industries has a store in Harrisonburg, VA. search their website for ball bearings. the dimensions should lead you to the industrial bearing number. Should be something 6203 2RS.

If you have trouble removing the old bearing you may need to bring to a shop that has an arbor press.

If you post the dimensions and a photo I will look up the part number for you.

[John F.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

I didn't know the L79 required the idler pulley. Just the L76 & L84 in the small blocks.

[Daniel D.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Thanks to all who replied. I am following up with this information. I'll report back.
Dan

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Dan, bring it to the shop and we can press it out. There used to be a bearing dealer in Alexandria called American Bearing but it is probably long gone. If we can get a number off the bearing, there is probably an equivalent to the GM bearing listed somewhere. There may still be bearing suppliers in Baltimore.

[Daniel D.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Pat, thanks for bailing me out yet again. You're the man.

[Richard G.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

885198 is the bearing part number it's made by New Departure.
If anyone comes up with an equivalent I would love to know the source.
A picture of the assembly apart would also be of interest.
Thanks
Rick

[Daniel D.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Thanks to Joe for the part number, and to Pat for figuring out that it is also used on Corvairs. I ordered it from Clark's Corvair Parts for $38. http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/sear...?search=908076 Corvette Pacifica also sells it for $70. https://www.corvettepacifica.com/pro...acement-62-74/ Not sure of the brand for either supplier. It appears that it might not be a standard bearing because the shaft seems to be integral. Thanks again to all who replied.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Thanks to Joe for the part number, and to Pat for figuring out that it is also used on Corvairs. I ordered it from Clark's Corvair Parts for $38. http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/sear...?search=908076 Corvette Pacifica also sells it for $70. https://www.corvettepacifica.com/pro...acement-62-74/ Not sure of the brand for either supplier. It appears that it might not be a standard bearing because the shaft seems to be integral. Thanks again to all who replied.

Daniel------


This type of bearing/shaft assembly is quite common. It's exactly the same type used on most waterpumps except that it has an external shaft on only one end. This type of bearing has two rows of internal bearings---either two rows of ball bearings or one row of ball bearings and one row of roller bearings. These bearings are sealed within the bearing housing and are lubricated for life at the time of manufacture.

[Daniel D.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Thanks Joe. That's good to know. By the way, I ran the engine without the idler belt, and everything is quiet (except side exhaust). The idler pulley is definitely where the noise was coming from.

[Tom L.]

Re: 1965 L79 idler pulley

Would be glad to know of a replacement bearing is around. I believe it's the same bearing for idlers up to '74. '72 is my application. Joe will confirm or dispute. At 140 for the assembly I'm not sure if 70 for the bearing alone is worth the labor involved. Just FYI, my assembly is a repro to start with so nothing significant to save.