328 V-Belt Tensioner Bearings

Has anyone looked at replacing the V-belt tensioner bearings on a 328? I have poked around in the threads and can find how replacing cam belt tensioner bearings is very important, but no one seems to address the V-belt tensioner bearings. Is there a good source for replacing these? There would be 2 of them. One is for the water pump belt and the other for the AC belt.

 

Actually, four bearings: each idler pulley has two.

You can't just push them out from one side because there is a C-ring in the center between them, so at least one side needs to be pulled out, then you can push out the other side.
The trick I used was to heat the aluminum pulley with a heat gun to expand it and then the bearing could be pulled out easily. It's got to be pretty hot.
The bearings are a standard size and readily available from the usual sources.
The idler pulleys are aluminum, and if they are starting to get pitted, I'd replace them. Hill Engineering makes perfect replicas; originals are NLA, I believe.

Forrest

 

Sure...
We replace these bearing frequently. With the cars being quite old and belts tensions often set higher than they need to be, these bearings are noisy more often then not. Ferrari specified a high quality bearing (not your typical bearing supplier garden-variety crap), though are reasonably available.

The bearings are very simple to replace, once the design is understood.

 

I did the ones on my water pump belt tensioner - wasn't that difficult. There are no tensioners on the Alternator or AC compressor tha I can recall!

 

US and Euro cars are different with regards to how the AC belt is tensioned. US cars have an AC belt tensioner which use the bearings discussed. Three belt cars, regardless of market have a WP idler. Two belt cars don't.

So, Euro 328 has a WP tensioner. USA 328 has both a WP and AC tensioner.

 

David,

I have a 308 and I am NOT putting the AC back on but would you be so kind as to recommend one or more manufacturers and product numbers as "trusted" replacements?

If not, I understnad.

 

I stand corrected.

If the AC tensioner on the US cars (presumbly because of the York comressor? - Mine is a Sanden) is basically the same as the WP tesioner then as above, its not hard to change the bearings in it. I did the ones in my WP because they were a bit "crunchy" possibly from the bolt being overtightened I think.

 

Thanks all for your help. I did find the bearings and like most Ferrari parts....they ain't cheap!

Oh, yeah, idler.....that's the term I was looking for. Sorry, had a senior CRS moment when typing the OP.

 

Check the cross reference thread. There should be Timkin or SKF alternates to the same bearings in "horsey boxes."

WP is an interesting setup with an inner seeger ring and two bearings...look for WP tensioner/idler bearing replacement threads. The setup is shown on T. Rutland's site.

 

But we knew what you meant....
The bearing is easy to find, generically. The "C3" spec is bit more challenging.

 

When I bought 2x105038 for the WP tensioner last April they were £4 each. I just looked them up on www.ferrariparts.co.uk & they are now £20.60 (+ 20% tax) each .

Looks like its the same part for the US AC belt tensioner

 

Yep on both counts....