WTH!!! Power steering addition (1 Viewer)

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Nov 16, 2020
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Does anyone know this part number or where I can find one? This Idler is kicking my butt.
idler.JPG
 
Gosh, I just wrote this up earlier this month someplace else. Might as well copy and paste it here for posterity. Let me resize the pictures and I'll include in post #2. If you want a cast pulley I have a bunch. I never let them get crushed at the boneyard. Otherwise a stamped pulley is available from Toyota, or aftermarket.

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Since the question came up, and this is a common problem, I thought I would make this an education moment.

A common failure on our trucks is the bearing on the power steering idler pulley. There are two flavors. On early trucks Toyota used a cast pulley with an easily replaceable bearing. On newer trucks, and the replacement from Toyota, the pulley was stamped, and while the bearing could be replaced, it was originally crimped in, not with a spring retainer.

On the cast pulley I've seen two different flavors. One with a heavy, small dust shield on the outside, no dust shield on the inside, and a 19mm nut. A second has thin dust shields on the inside and outside, and a 14mm nut. See pic. The orange bearing is a Nachi 6204NSE with the single outside dust shield. The black bearing is a Koyo 6204RS with the double dust shields.

Replacement is pretty easy, but you do need tools like sockets and a vice. You don't need a fancy 20T press. Before the bearing can be pressed out you need to remove the spring clip ... you can see it in the pic. A screwdriver works well. After that clip is out the bearing can either be pressed out in a vice or hammered out. In the pic I straddled the pulley in a vice, placed a socket on the bearing, and LIGHTLY tapped it out.

For install I never hammer it in. I used the vice to squeeze it in. When you press the bearing in you want to drive it in pressing on the outside of the bearing, not the inside. In the pic I used a bearing seal driver ($40 for a set at Harbor Freight) on the bearing. You can also use a large-size socket.

This is a simple repair. Most dealers will not fess up that you can replace the bearing and try to sell you an expensive, stamped steel, pulley. I was lucky to have an honest dealer.
 
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First, replacement bearing if you have a cast pulley is Koyo 6204RS, or Nachi 6204NSE. The 6204 is the trade size. The letters can vary, but basically you want double sealed. You can get SKS from NAPA.

Pic of the two cast pulley choices. Top row has the 19mm nut and the single outside dust shield. Bottom row has the 14 mm nut and double dust shields.

Cast Idler Pulley-sm.jpg


Bearing removal is easy and a fancy 20T press isn't necessary. A vice will do just dandy. Don't forget to remove the snap ring. You can either press the bearing out, or use a BFH. First pic is pressing out the bearing with a socket, backing the pulley with a gear puller.

Pressing out bearing-sm.jpg


If you hammer out the bearing it's easier to get the bearing started first with the socket and vice, then place the pulley on top of the vice to hammer out the rest of the way.

Removing bearing with hammer-sm.jpg


For the install you want to press the bearing in, not hammer. Make sure the socket used to press in the bearing is the same diameter as the bearing. You don't want to load the inside of the bearing, press from the outside. In the pic I used a seal driver.

Pressing in bearing-sm.jpg


Don't forget to install the snap ring.

Note that the cast pulley uses a larger bearing. Here are the two side by next.

pulleybearing_sm.JPG
 
Since you asked, the part number for a replacement from Toyota is 44350-60021, $231.09 list, $167 discount. I seem to recall it's a stamped pulley, not cast. Autozone offers a replacement for less than $30 bucks. Note that the bearing in the stamped pulley can be replaced, but it might have a crimped on dust shield that can make pressing it out difficult.
 
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First, replacement bearing if you have a cast pulley is Koyo 6204RS, or Nachi 6204NSE. The 6204 is the trade size. The letters can vary, but basically you want double sealed. You can get SKS from NAPA.

Pic of the two cast pulley choices. Top row has the 19mm nut and the single outside dust shield. Bottom row has the 14 mm nut and double dust shields.

View attachment 2625939

Bearing removal is easy and a fancy 20T press isn't necessary. A vice will do just dandy. Don't forget to remove the snap ring. You can either press the bearing out, or use a BFH. First pic is pressing out the bearing with a socket, backing the pulley with a gear puller.

View attachment 2625941

If you hammer out the bearing it's easier to get the bearing started first with the socket and vice, then place the pulley on top of the vice to hammer out the rest of the way.

View attachment 2625945

For the install you want to press the bearing in, not hammer. Make sure the socket used to press in the bearing is the same diameter as the bearing. You don't want to load the inside of the bearing, press from the outside. In the pic I used a seal driver.

View attachment 2625946

Don't forget to install the snap ring.

Note that the cast pulley uses a larger bearing. Here are the two side by next.

View attachment 2625949


Wow. Great info. I will save my cast pulleys now.
 
Since you asked, the part number for a replacement from Toyota is 44350-60021, $231.09 list, $167 discount. I seem to recall it's a stamped pulley, not cast. Autozone offers a replacement for less than $30 bucks. Note that the bearing in the stamped pulley can be replaced, but it might have a crimped on dust shield that can make pressing it out difficult.

You never fail to amaze me with your extensive knowledge on these trucks!
 
You never fail to amaze me with your extensive knowledge on these trucks!
Google is my friend. Plus, I'm just fking old, er, experienced.

For the record, I keep learning things here. I'm always amazed how much I don't know.
 
I just replaced the bearing in my top idler as well last week. Was surprised to see how expensive the pulley was from Toyota, then I discovered that the bearing could easily be replaced, so there you have it.
 
I just replaced the bearing in my top idler as well last week. Was surprised to see how expensive the pulley was from Toyota, then I discovered that the bearing could easily be replaced, so there you have it.
Did you figure it out, or did my tutorial help?
 
I tried finding the pulley online for sale. I had no luck, was only able to find the lower stamped pulley for sale. I then looked at diagrams to get the part number for it to search in that fashion and found that the bearing was sold separately by Toyota. That is when I realized that the bearing could be replaced individually. It's good that you have this info out here for all to see. Eliminates a bunch of headaches for folks.
My minitruck is kept in a maintain/ repair as needed status, as my 60 series is taking a bunch of my free time for now.
The mini will get the desired attention in the near future as well.
 

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