Our tax dollars at work....

I sheared the front passenger swaybar endlink in the '98 SSEi. Likely on a pothole which the township "fixed" by putting cracked rock in it, then forgot to asphalt it for two weeks. (If I've bent the castor align on the strut and mount, somebody in the township dept is gonna get a MacPherson suppository.)

Anyway.... the SC idler pulley that sits right next to the torsion mount got destroyed.

Is there a clever way to release the mount and replace the pulley? Or do I have to pull whatever is in the way on the engine, and remove the whole bracket/mount?

Thanks.

You talking about the pulley on the front of the engine by the coils?

Hey Dan,

On the SuperCharger belt loop... there'* the tensioner pulley at the coils, and then a ribbed idler at the front of the bay. Next in line is a smooth idler, lower and just above/between the crank and compressor. It faces straight into the mount on the ledge/upper baywall, with no clearance to get to it.

Even if if I just pull the hunk of rubber out of the top, I think the cast iron bracket, still won't let me get a torx bit into the pulley.

The bracket is the one with the lower bolt/sleeve which has to be removed to change the reg accessory belt. It also has an arm that heads under the coils/ICM. Then another arm on it goes back behind the power steering pump.

I wanted to check before I remove all of that. It has the look of one of those things I do all of the the work, then you or Bill goes "Nah, you didn't have to do that. You just release the mount, and one on the front cradle, jack the engine a 1/2 inch, and you're good to get to the pulley".. (something easy like that)

So I wanted to check.

Are you talking about pulley #9 in this link?

https://www.gmforum.com/mechanical-134/pulley-change-index-285990/

OK, I know which one. Ya, that'* a pain. You will need to support the engine from below, a board on a jack and lift a little. Then you need to unbolt that side engine mount and remove both half'*. The bracket on the fender well has 2 bolts on top, remove those, and 2 bolts on the side facing the engine, loosen those, the holes are slotted. Then there are 3 studs holding the mount to the block, remove the nuts, then remove the studs. The bracket will then come out. You can then get to the #9 pulley.

Yep, dat be da one, guys. Frankly, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that'* the only problem. It took a tremendous amount of body/engine torque to move that mount in enough to seize the inside bearing of the pulley on the stud, and rip the plastic away from the bearing. It will be what it will be, though.

Thanks for your help.