HUGE! Great Idea Valkyrie!

 

TY Val... Now I have a better feel for whats
been talked about, since I have not had any
failures on my FJ's...

 

i think you know my story about my pulley failure. ill let you know which ones broke when i get the truck back

 

You have a pulley problem????

 

LOL... This guy ^

 

something's gotta be wrong with one of mine.

I get a high-pitched sound coming out of the engine that sounds like a strained power steering pump. another poster reported that that's what their idler pulley did before it crapped the bed

 

thats the noise mine was making at first, then it got worse. take it in asap!

 

weird, maybe you got a howling ford power steering pump!

 

Have an appt. Thurs. for a check-up and an alignment...Prob. have my extended brake lines installed as well...

 

cool, let us know whats going on with that

 

its good that nothing was wrong with your rig. cool dealership too

 

That is good to know. The technician was right, a serp belt (like any other) can & will squeal if dirty, basicall comes from slipping just a little bit, but that sound is much different than a pulley going bad.

So far, the poll is disappointing- only two users/voters reported issues... not quite a "widespread" problem. However, I think I remembered to leave the poll open indefinitely so it can be added to later if there appears to be a rash of these.

 

What does a pulley sound like when it's bad?? Like grindin' gears when shifting??

 

I had one replaced, but I was going to assemble all of the info Valk requested. I'm nothing if not thorough. Anyway, I only had one pulley go out so it was probably that idler pully at the bottom. I sunk my front end in sand/water. Replaced under warranty. Bought the truck in August.

 

If you want, post the part number from the Repair Order and I'll look it up so it is known for sure which pulley it was and you can put it in the poll.

 

hmmm.... I think it's more of a groan/growl than a sqeal until the bearing gets cooked, then it's pretty sharp.

A belt squeal is usually short duration and tends to ease up as RPMs rise.

 

i have a low-pitch whine, started at about 500 miles that only occurs when vehicle is moving. does not stop until i let off the gas. seemed to be from the rear of vehicle, but now i suspect the serp belt. i never realized how many friggin' pulleys the serpentine belt went through until i saw the diagram in this post. might try a small shot of belt dressing and see what happens.

 

Hmm, I've never seen a pulley fail. A bearing yes, not a pulley.

 

Thank you... I appreciate you taking the initiative.

 

Mine started making noise after a day on the muddy trails. Hard to say but it sounds like either the PSP or the IP#2. Had it in for alignment, fluid changes and inspection a day after the romp in the woods. No problems found. I'll be watching.

Follow-up:
Just got it back from Toyota. They replaced the belt and IP #2.

1. Reason for replacement/service: noise
2. Number of occurrence(s):1 sofar
3. Dates of occurrence(s): 4/15/2007
4. Replaced under warranty? yes

Any other information? Dealer made no mention of vehicle condition. They just took my comments. "Noise from engine bay." The FJ gets a very thorough pressure washing after each off-road adventure. But, it is still very obvious that mud gets everywhere. Anything that gets hot under the hood has a baked on coating of mud that will not come off. I have three dealers that I have taken all of my toyotas to over the years. There are differences from dealer to dealer. So shop around. One I will always buy from but now another gets my service business.

Hope this helps.

 

I know yoda and blue cruise both have had pulley,bearing and belt problems!Thay all occured after wet muddy runs at paragon! Ive been luckey so far mine have held up not sure if thats good or bad if there gona go go now not later!!!Todd,s (Yoda) had alot of problems with his.Ive had overheating problems b/c of mud in radiator and it not getting onough circulation!!!If you go in mud dont delay go to nearest car wash and hose out real good!!!
ICENUT

 

I had my pulley's replaced in February. They replaced the belt too "just in case". I'll post up the part numbers as soon as I get through the 3 months worth of mail filing

 

OOPS!!! Steering pump failure today. Looks like the belt shifted over one groove on the alternator, shredded it self on the pulley. Then pieces wrapped around the shaft on the steering pump. Not sure how but all the fluid sprayed everything under the hood, suspension, frame, and oh...no power steering. The FJ is sitting at the dealer right now. I'll update once I hear something.

 

I covered the pulleys in mud a few times, got a nasty squeak, power washed a few times, then applied heavy duty silicone a few times, no more squeak. I spray everything with silicone before I wheel to keep stuff from sticking.

 

Take #3:

Got my FJ back today. Noticed when I picked it up that there was some fluid on the ground. Did not think much of it since the power steering pump had pretty much oiled the whole engine bay anyway. So I took it home and cleaned everything under the hood. Had it spotless. No oil anywhere. So then I took if for a short drive and came back. Guess what, oil everywhere. There is a reason why fluids in a car are different colors. Engine oil is coming out from somewhere on the front of the engine. My best guess, timing chain cover. Anyway, I'm taking it back to Toyota tomorrow for "Take #3".

Bummed :ugh:

 

Curiouser and curiouser...what do you think started this cascade of events? Surely not Alatoona :slant:

 

Interesting. I will keep an ear on it. No problems so far.

 

all 3 of my pulleys are being replaced. just found the news today when investigating a humming/whistle when accellerating.

 

No prob here yet...And I love to hit the wet trails!

 

Massive problems after sinking the front end into about 3 feet of water and sand. Will be at the dealer next week for a diagnosis.

It would be immensely helpful if those that had them replaced could report back the part #s so we can source them ourselves.