How to Replace Idler Pulley 1997-2010 Chevy Malibu
Created on: 2011-09-23
Find out how to remove the serpentine belt and replace a bad idler pulley yourself with our expert help in this how-to video
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step 1 :Removing the Engine Mount
- Place a jack underneath the engine oil pan
- Apply penetrating oil to the engine mount studs
- Remove the two 15mm nuts from the engine mount
- Remove one 18mm bolt from the engine mount
- Jack the engine up slightly
- Remove the other 18mm bolt
- Pull out the engine mount
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step 2 :Removing the Serpentine Belt
- Jack the engine up further
- Attach a 3/8 inch drive ratchet to the belt tensioner
- Pull the belt off the tensioner
- Slowly release the tensioner
- Pull the belt off the pulleys and out of the engine compartment
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step 3 :Removing the Idler Pulleys
- Remove the 15mm bolt from one idler pulley
- Pull off the idler pulley by hand
- Repeat these steps for the other pulley
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step 4 :Installing the New Idler Pulleys
- Put one new idler pulley into place
- Insert the 15mm bolt into the pulley
- Repeat these steps for the other pulley
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step 5 :Reinstalling the Serpentine Belt
- Consult the belt routing diagram
- Loop the belt underneath the crank pulley
- Bring it around the A/C compressor pulley
- Bring it under the power steering pulley
- Pull it around the front idler pulley
- Pull it around the tensioner pulley
- Pull it over the alternator pulley
- Pull the tensioner with the 3/8 drive ratchet
- Stretch the belt under the rear idler pulley
- Release the tensioner
- Check that the belt is routed correctly
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step 6 :Reinstalling the Motor Mount
- Put the mount into place
- Lower the engine slightly
- Start the two 18mm bolts into the engine mount
- Let the engine all the way down
- Start the two 15mm nuts onto the engine mount
- Tighten the engine mount nuts and bolts
Tools needed
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Socket Extensions
15mm Socket
Ratchet
3/8 Inch Drive Ratchet
Floor Jack
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In this video, we're working on this 2001 Chevy Malibu, and this repair is basically the same for any '97-'03 Malibu with the 3.1 liter. We're going to be looking at the serpentine belt idler pulleys, checking them, seeing if they're okay, and then if need be, replacing them. Tools you'll need are a jack or engine hoist, 15mm and 18mm sockets with ratchet and extension. You need a 3/8 inch drive, and you either need a flexible bar or the ratchet handle.
Your serpentine belt is obviously right here on the passenger side of your engine. What you actually need to do is remove this engine mount, which involves removing two 18mm bolts here and two 15 mm nuts, one there and one down there. That is the engine mount, so you either need to support here with an engine crane, or you need to use a jack and support underneath the oil pan here. Do not jack the car up yet. You actually just want to support the weight of the engine. Spray some penetrating oil on those studs down lower, and I've cheated a little bit, with a 15mm socket and an impact wrench. No reason you can't reach everything pretty easily with just a regular ratchet and extension. I've got my 18mm socket on here. I'll loosen up one of these bolts. I'm going to start loosening the other bolt, and you're going to see the engine falling, which is actually more the car rising. What you want to do now is take your jack, and jack the engine up. Now it's supporting the engine. You can remove these bolts the rest of the way. For this mount, slide it back and right out. I'm just going to remove these two lines, just to make it easier for you to see.
Now, what you want to do is take your jack, and jack the engine up a little bit extra. Now right down in here is your tensioner. What I have is a little flex arm. What you want to do with this flex arm is put it down; there is a 3/8th hole at the bottom of the tensioner. You want to put it in, just like that. Here is my bar. I'm going to reach in, and I'm going to pull the bar up, which pulls on the tensioner. It releases the tension on the belt, and you can pull the belt off and then slowly release your bar back down. Be careful not to pinch your fingers. Take the bar out, and then just take your belt off of all the pulleys.
There are two idler pulleys on here: one here and then one right down here. To test those, spin them, listen for any noise, try and shake them back and forth to see if there is any play in them at all. If you do want to change the idler pulley, remove a 15mm bolt and the pulley comes off. I see the idler's in okay shape so I'm going to put it back on, and the same goes for the one down there.
Here is your belt routing diagram. This is key. Make sure you have this before you take the belt off. If you don't have this, make sure you draw yourself a diagram similar, so you can get the belt on again. It's kind of hard to film this, so you're just you're just kind of have to take my word that I'm doing what I'm saying I'm doing. Take your belt, and you want to put a loop down underneath the crankshaft, which is the lowest, largest pulley and then the A/C compressor, which is the pulley that's lowest and closest to the front of the vehicle. It comes up, under this power steering pulley, and right up over here. Now, I'm going to reach down and I'm pulling it back to this idler pulley here, and then around under the tensioner pulley, and then I can pull it up on top of my alternator right here. Now, I'm all routed except for this idler pulley. Now, I'm going to take my 3/8th bar and get down in to my tensioner. Use both hands. Pull the bar up, grab on to my belt here and slip it under the idler pulley and let my tensioner go. I'm off a little bit here. Now check to make sure your belts on correctly everywhere. It's not quite on my crank pulley correctly. Pull up again on the tensioner, reach down and kind of flip it a little bit. Now it's on there correctly. It appears to be on everywhere correctly.
We're just going to kind of speed through putting this stuff back in. Put the mount back down in there, and then you can let your engine down just a little bit. Start the two top bolts on the mount and kind of preliminarily tighten them up. Then, you can let the engine all the way down. Take the jack out. Then start your 15mm nuts on top and preliminarily tighten them as well. Here I'm just reconnecting those hoses that I moved out of your way. Use a wrench. Make sure the mount bolts are tight, but not too tight.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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