Shelby GT/SC Pulley Wobble Poll

[springer]

Recently, my Ford technician noticed a slight wobble in the ribbed idler pulley which is highlighted by a red arrow in the photo below. This is the stock, plastic, 6-ribbed idler pulley which is found on the non supercharged cars also. My Ford tech noticed a slight wobble in this pulley while checking the drive belt and pulleys after I had brought my car in to find a "rattling" noise which was emanating from under the hood. The technician isolated the rattling noise and determined it was coming from a bad bearing in the pulley located on my Thump RRR tensioner arm.

 

While I was there, I had the tech install an 8-rib, aluminum, Thump RRR idler pulley, which replaced the "wobble-prone," plastic, 6-rib idler located on the middle right side of the timing chain cover. (I had purchased this idler pulley a few months ago but never got around to installing it.) When this new 8-rib idler was installed, the belt was placed on the first six rows of the pulley, the six rows closest to the engine block, which would place it in the same location as the stock, 6-rib pulley. After my tech got everything installed, we started up the car and examined everything. He commented that the aluminum 8-ribbed idler pulley had a slight wobble, just like the pulley he removed. I shut the car off and the mechanic moved the belt to the center six ribs on the 8-rib aluminum idler pulley. After starting the car again, and checking the pulley, it now was turning straight and true!!!!!

 

So my question to the members here is, has anyone noticed this "pulley wobble" in the ribbed idler pulley on their SGT's, and if you haven't, could you check your car and see if you have any pulley wobble in the ribbed idler pulley highlighted by the red arrow in the photo below.

 

For those that have followed some of my other threads here on the forum, the belt on these cars, especially the supercharged cars, are very sensitive to improper pulley alignment. If you are having belt issues, or do not want to have belt issues, this might be something you may want to check.

 

jP