Idler pulley

On my 95 there is a toothed washer that goes behind the pulley and on the idler pulley bolt. What is this washer for? Is it necessary? Could it be causing excessive belt squeaking?

I've replaced 4 belts and the pulley twice with no luck.

I see no visual leaks from anywhere, but I suspect I might have a spray or pin hole leak while driving extensively for long periods on the interstate (when I can't see it).

Anyone with neverending squeaker on their Winnies?

There is a TSB about the power steering pump pulley on 1995-1997 3.8L windstar.
States that it can cause a "chirping" noise due to the flanges on the power steering pump pulley "interfering" with the belt.
Solution is to replace the power steering pulley with a new one.

TSB # 97-5-16 released on 03/03/97
Maybe this has something to do with your sound?

Both the Removal AND Installation of the power steering pulley requires that you use a power steering pulley removal / installation tool (I got mine at Advance Auto Parts).

It has been so long since I changed my idler pulley that I cannot remember if there was any washer..... I do remember that it had some sort of retainer.....a peg that kept the bolt from becoming loose from the rotation of the pulley.

Of course....any fluid getting onto the belt can make it slip and squeek.......as I have found out from experience.

I recently bought an idler pulley from Rockauto (AC DELCO) and remember reading something about the OEM washer not being needed on some models with the new pulley. I will see if I can find the box for the new pulley and confirm this.

My idler pulley from napa said the same.

You can use it without problems though. I know becasue I am. I just switched it out last week.

It wouldnt cause a chirp as its sandwiched between the pulley and bracket.

Its basically a shim.

IM assuming you have replaced the tensioner pulley?

There is a TSB about the power steering pump pulley on 1995-1997 3.8L windstar.
States that it can cause a "chirping" noise due to the flanges on the power steering pump pulley "interfering" with the belt.
Solution is to replace the power steering pulley with a new one.

TSB # 97-5-16 released on 03/03/97
Maybe this has something to do with your sound?

Both the Removal AND Installation of the power steering pulley requires that you use a power steering pulley removal / installation tool (I got mine at Advance Auto Parts).

It has been so long since I changed my idler pulley that I cannot remember if there was any washer..... I do remember that it had some sort of retainer.....a peg that kept the bolt from becoming loose from the rotation of the pulley.

Of course....any fluid getting onto the belt can make it slip and squeek.......as I have found out from experience.

I spent some time (about 30 minutes) in the devilish heat using thick soap and hot water washing/scrubbing the belt VERY VERY CAREFULLY while it was running. Afterwards the sound seemed to get better, but not by much. Its still extremely embarrassing to drive it down the street as I have not committed to improving the body work (bad rust on roof and a few dents here and there) until it is running properly.

I have managed to eliminate the noise up to 1500 rpms. If I go over that it happens and increases in noise if i go over that so it squeaks the entire time on hwy/interstate. I had eliminated it up to 2500 rpms right after I cleaned it, but it changed when it occurs after sitting overnight.

After looking at the bucket water after I was done cleaning, it appeared the water had a grayish/black green tint. My mother agreed with that too, so to me this is an indication that somehow even though I cannot see it EVER radiator fluid is getting on the belt and it has to be coming from the cap again as I had to clamp a tooth of the cap down in order for it to be flush with the neck of the radiator. Apparently the radiator neck was not made right. A very very very disappointing thing.

Though I feel its radiator fluid, I still really have no confirmation (seeing it happen; instead of just a guess from dirty bucket water) that it is in fact radiator fluid.

I guess even though I have a new power steering pump the pulley could still be messed up huh? Think the remanner's read the TSB's when they reman parts?

My idler pulley from napa said the same.

You can use it without problems though. I know becasue I am. I just switched it out last week.

It wouldnt cause a chirp as its sandwiched between the pulley and bracket.

Its basically a shim.

IM assuming you have replaced the tensioner pulley?

Do ya'lls power steering pump pulley's seem to slightly wobble when its turning? I swear mine does, but I've never known if its just an illusion of the coloring/edges and the way it looks.

All pullies are new except the crankshaft and water pump pulleys as I believed those were transferred over to the new engine. The rest have been replaced and idler pulley replaced 2x.

Only exception would be if the new power steering pump pulley didn't get fixed or replaced when it was remanned? What ya'll think the chances of that are?

I swear though its coming from the idler pulley. I cupped my ear and pointed it at different pullies and it was definitely loudest coming from the idler pulley.... tensioner is brand new OEM...... though I wonder if the power steering pulley could be causing irregular shifting/wobbling of the belt (sideways slightly or long ways even) and even messing with the tension.

Would over-torquing the idler pulley bolt possibly cause belt squeaking too?

Would over-torquing the idler pulley bolt possibly cause belt squeaking too?


i wouldnt think so.

when you replaces the ps pump did you buy the pump with pully?

hammer it on?

use a pulley pusher puller?


is the ps pulley in line with everythign?


i dont think its the belt being dirty, since this is recurring.

After looking at the bucket water after I was done cleaning, it appeared the water had a grayish/black green tint. My mother agreed with that too, so to me this is an indication that somehow even though I cannot see it EVER radiator fluid is getting on the belt and it has to be coming from the cap again as I had to clamp a tooth of the cap down in order for it to be flush with the neck of the radiator. Apparently the radiator neck was not made right. A very very very disappointing thing.

Though I feel its radiator fluid, I still really have no confirmation (seeing it happen; instead of just a guess from dirty bucket water) that it is in fact radiator fluid.

I guess even though I have a new power steering pump the pulley could still be messed up huh? Think the remanner's read the TSB's when they reman parts?

If you suspect radiator fluid getting on your belt, that would be easy to eliminate if your fluid level doesn't go down. Do you have to periodically top off the water / antifreeze mix? If you do, then you indeed have a leak somewhere. I don't ever have to "top off" the radiator fluid in any of my cars even over years of service. Only time I fill it is when I drain/flush/refill.

I wish this were easy if its radiator fluid, but what this is gonna mean if it is, is replacing the entire radiator or replacing the radiator neck..... and I don't know how I'd replace the neck with some epoxy or adhesive strong and reliable enough to hold under the turning pressure of the cap and under the pressures & heat of the coolant.

What I wanted to do was put a FORD OEM radiator neck on there, as I know that will work as it is supposed to.

I didn't replace the pump myself. This was done back when I was not nearly a automotive inclined, before this "van experience". I do know however that I got the pump at Autozone or Advance and after looking on their site and others I see that all new pumps do not come with a pulley. I didn't think about this back then, so I guess maybe this pulley could be a possible culprit after all this time. I swear though the pulley looks new to me, but it might just be from all the cleaning and working in that area that it looks clean.

I know this question has come up several times with me, but there are only 2 options for power steering pump pulley. 1 is OEM and $55 part number F78Z 3A733-AA and the other is Dorman part number 300-005 for $8-$10.

Anyone done this? Is the Dorman part more likely to be corrected from the TSB? I'm afraid if I order the OEM part that it'll have the same TSB problem.

Well, for God's sake, I finally found one of my many problems. There is A/C refrigerant oil leaking out of one of the A/C lines and I'd imagine at certain points is spraying a mist onto the s belt. It is the bottom most line that runs to the accumulator (big silver canister thing) and curves around by the radiator fan dropping resister connection onto the a/c compressor. A very luminescent yellow oily fluid came off onto my hands when I was fishing around in there trying to route my fuel pressure test gauge for my main engine problem.

I seriously doubt I'll be able to fix this without discharging the system, but I'm going to try to. After its the engine is cold one day I'm gonna clean it up very well, let it dry, then try to patch the joint where its coming from with some kind of hose repair gunk. I don't know what i"m going to use, but I'm just gonna stuff it in that joint and slather it all the way around the hose hoping it bonds tight enough to seal it back up without having to discharge the system... then I'll wait n see.

Coolant had been leaking out onto the belt as well a while back till I fixed the rad cap tooth to clamp down more.

Do I always have to get double whammies?

Well, for God's sake, I finally found one of my many problems. There is A/C refrigerant oil leaking out of one of the A/C lines and I'd imagine at certain points is spraying a mist onto the s belt. It is the bottom most line that runs to the accumulator (big silver canister thing) and curves around by the radiator fan dropping resister connection onto the a/c compressor. A very luminescent yellow oily fluid came off onto my hands when I was fishing around in there trying to route my fuel pressure test gauge for my main engine problem.

I seriously doubt I'll be able to fix this without discharging the system, but I'm going to try to. After its the engine is cold one day I'm gonna clean it up very well, let it dry, then try to patch the joint where its coming from with some kind of hose repair gunk. I don't know what i"m going to use, but I'm just gonna stuff it in that joint and slather it all the way around the hose hoping it bonds tight enough to seal it back up without having to discharge the system... then I'll wait n see.

Coolant had been leaking out onto the belt as well a while back till I fixed the rad cap tooth to clamp down more.

Do I always have to get double whammies?


The yellow stuff is UV refridgerant. I too doubt you can just parth this, but best of luck. that tubing is expensive.

this summer i had to replace the plumbing to the rear of the van. 400 dollar ford only part later it works. :lol


as for the double whamies, were talking about windstars here. :lol