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Another day, another $1,000.00
Just spent the best part of 2 days trying to find replacement idler pulleys. Detroit prints the part numbers on the pulleys, but won’t sell them individually. They don’t even show them in there parts queu.You have to buy the whole assembly. I took my pulleys apart figuring I could do as Tom did and just replace the bearings and seals. Even with the bearing number and maker, I was unable to get a replacement bearing. I called the manufacturer and they couldn’t look up the number. I went to my local Kaman Industrial Store and thought we could use a micrometer and get a bearing to fit. Problem is no one makes a bearing 27mm wide. I thought, ok, I’ll call Prevost and see if I can get it there and they were very nice and sent me a schematic of the Engine with the detail and part numbers of everything on the engine which included the part numbers that DDEC doesn’t have. After much surfing(Not the good kind), I was able to find a brand new kit that included a new tensioner and belt on Ebay for $700.00. Detroit wanted $939.00 for just the pulley and Bracket assembly. It just seems like a big waste to not be able to rebuild something so easy. The first pic is the reason I am even replacing the pulleys. This is the second belt in 2 trips. I used a straight edge and everything was perfect, so it has to be a pulley issue, right. The second is a pic of the pulleys and bracket. You can see the part numbers right on the pulleys. The pulleys are in great shape, the bearings had all lost there lubricant.
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6 Replies
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Check out line #8 in the the first post
of the link below. Is that the right bearing?http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/showthread.php?4109-Belt-Tensioner-Pulley-Bearing-Replacement
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The bearings do dry out and start shredding belts. I had the manual belt adjuster and had to replace belts every few hundred miles. The pulleys still turned fine by hand but I could hear the bearings and every so oftern one would lock up for a moment.
I upgraded to the automatic tensioner plus the pulleys that come along with it. No problems since.
I’m wondering when the bearing on the fan pulley idler will go….Probalbly should just replace it too.
Gerald
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I had the same problem last year. Neither Prevost or Detroit had the pulley I needed for the manual belt adjuster. Apparently it was a country coach pulley, but they no longer had it and could not get it. I ordered a pulley from a company called Elreg. The bearing would not fit the adjuster so I took the adjuster off and a local machine shop punched out the shaft, put in the correct size and all has worked well since.
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That is the bearing I needed, too late now, I ordered the complete unit off of ebay, but I will keep that info for future! I thank you for that. I must have overlookedthat post when I was searching PC for info.
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I think I am correct but can’t be sure without looking through my log books from my previous coach, but I replaced the bearing(s) on pulley(s) and I got the bearings direct from Prevost. That would have been seven or more years ago.
The problem that is becoming more widespread is manufacturers including Prevost and apparently Detroit are getting their suppliers to assign proprietary part numbers to their purchased parts so they can get substantial profits from the sale of replacement parts.
Bearings are generic. A good bearing shop can source bearings with the key dimensions.
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You are right Jon! I checked out line 8 of the post from POG posted by Tim T. and the part #510618 is still a good number for Prevost and I verified the dimensions(30mm x 62mm x 27mm) with the parts guy to be sure. The only thing I didn’t verify was the price. To me it verified just how valuable PC is to us all! I didn’t think a bearing would be that hard to find. Thanks again PC!! The Dues are worth every cent! 😉
Now if I could just get to a No Rally Rally to put faces with names!
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