355 Auxillary belt (alternator) teniosner bearing replacement?

Does anyone have any experience with replacing the tensioner bearing? Can it be done with the engine in the car? Item #8 below. Look pretty tight in there.

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Try removing the bracket that the bolt sits on.
Remove all tension, take off the aluminum bracket with the 3x 13mm nuts. Part image attached.
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it can be done. I've done it flat on my back, on the floor, under the car.

loosen nut 13 (do not remove it to begin with), totally remove the tensioner bolt from below, then slide the pully to the lowest position, then remove nut 13 & washer. With a combination of pushing the carrier bolt back and sliding the bearing forward you can get it out, no need to remove the aluminium carrier bracket. If you remove nut 13 first the carrier bolt will bind with the bracket, it only really goes to the lowest position if the carrier bolt is parallel with the housing.

I see in your case that the inner race has detached from the bearing, to get the clearance you'll need to get the pully and inner race off in parallel, as if the bearing were intact, if you see what I mean.

 

I follow you. The problem is I can't get nut 13 loose because I can't get the pulley back over the race. Anyway, I've been procrastinating having a major service. That's too much for this old man so I will probably just let the shop take care of it and get the major done. The car is now officially in storage for the winter.

 

Though I give a little update. I was able to get the belt off the alternator pulley with a little effort and was then able to push the tensioner pulley over the inner race and loosen the bolt on the shaft. But the inner race was seized on the shaft so the shaft couldn't be pushed back to allow clearance for the pulley to come off. (Need to push the shaft back to give clearance between the end of the shaft and the frame, or so I assume.)

 

Try getting a pry bar up between the frame and the shaft the bearing is on and lever the shaft backwards. That’s what I did and I managed to get the bearing off the shaft. It didn’t take a huge amount of force, although you may have a bit more of a challenge considering the bearing is damaged.

You could also consider applying a bit of heat to the inner race.

 

Already tried prying like that. No go. Thought of heat as well but really don't want to do that lying on my back under the car. I sprayed with PB blaster and will let it soak for a couple of days. Then maybe try to get a pair of ice grips on the inner race and twist it around to get it loose on the shaft.

 

I just removed the bracket and the whole thing came out iirc.

 

Can't remove the bracket if it won't slide forward over the shaft to clear the studs as far as I can tell. And how to get to the top bolt with the pulley on?

 

Top bolt is half a turn at a time with an open wrench. I thought you had the bearing slid back in? It's not easy with the engine in but it's a lot easier than taking the engine out.

 

The bearing disintegrated. The outer race is in the pulley, the inner race is frozen on the shaft. I can push the pulley with outer race back over the inner race and loosen the nut on the shaft but the inner race is frozen on the shaft and the shaft can't be pushed back towards the engine to provide the clearance to get the pulley off the shaft. As for removing the entire assembly, same problem. Unless the housing can slid forward over the shaft it won't clear the studs before the end of the shaft hits the frame. I have to get the inner race and the spacer to slide on the shaft so I can push the shaft back towards the engine before I can do anything.

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Yes, as far as I can remember from when I did mine, freeing that inner race is the key.

I get your point about heat.

you could try an old-school trick:

Line up the bearing, screw nut 13 back in all the way. Put a big washer either side of the nut and a piece of strong tube over the shaft. Pack a few more washers in there snug against the frame. Unscrew nut 13. It’ll push the shaft inwards. You’ll need to put the tensioner bolt in to stop the shaft spinning, just be careful not to overdo it or you’ll end up bending the tensioner bolt.

worth a try, anyway.