Shredded Pulley

[charlesj]

Hey fellas. Been a long time since I been on this board and a long time since I've driven my viper as well. Last summer, I was cruising on the freeway with my son when all of sudden I noticed my temperature gauge start rising steadily. I knew this wasn't normal so I immediately got off at the very next exit and pulled in to a video rental place. So you don't think I am a total *****, I will preface the rest with I just drive and love the car, I am not mechanically inclined. I am really good at other stuff though like investing and retirement planning, so there! OK, to continue... I popped the hood and there was some steam coming out of the radiator and when I looked under the car, there was a small stream of water coming out of the bottom but I couldn't really tell from where. I imagine there must be some relief valve? I also noticed that my serpentine belt was completely off and also a plastic pulley was shreaded. I researched this issue a little and it seems that other people have had problems with this plastic pulley as well. I can't believe that such a critical item was made out of plastic! ***. Anyways. I got the car back to my garage. It runs fine but of course it is not driveable. I have been starting her up periodically just to keep the juices flowing. I want to get her back on the road in spring. A few questions / concerns...

1.) Could the car have been damaged in anyway due to the overheating of the radiator? I immediately turned the car off but it did hit the red mark.

2.) I researched this plastic pulley thing and I believe they now make a replacement aluminum one but it is expensive. Any advice in terms of replacing the pulley - plastic or aluminum or other suggestions would be most appreciated.

3.) Is replacing the pulley and reinstalling the belt something a not-so mechanically inclined person should attempt or will I hurt myself.



Best Regards,

Charles McKelvey
Bethlehem, PA
1997 Blue/White GTS

 

[Red Snake]

The car should be ok if it just overheated and was immediately shut down. If you ran it that way for long, it could have caused some pretty major damage.

You will definitely hurt yourself. Maybe a VCA member who lives near you can come over and check it out for you.

 

[ViperGTS]

This is a common issue.
Overheating can compromise the engine, yes.
The cylinder head can be damaged too...

You start the engine without the belt? Not a good idea!!!

Since you have no idea about cars I recommend a good Viper mechanic like CHUCK TATOR.

 

[charlesj]

LOL. Thanks for the reply. That made me laugh. I am not a total complete ***** when it comes to cars. This seems like it should be simple to do but then when I look at the pathway that the belt is supposed to travel, there is barely any room in there. Dang V10 motor takes up the entire front half of the car.

 

[charlesj]

This is a common issue.
Overheating can compromise the engine, yes.
The cylinder head can be damaged too...

You start the engine without the belt? Not a good idea!!!

Since you have no idea about cars I recommend a good Viper mechanic like CHUCK TATOR.

Yes, but only until the temperature hits the mid-range. I was concerned that it would be worse to not start it. Which is worse? Obviously I should have just gotten it fixed immediately but life happens when you have 4 kids.

 

[LifeIsGood]

There are numerous threads on this topic as it's a common problem. I wouldn't think you'll have any additional problems based on your description of the incident. You'll find that the IPSCO replacement pulley and bracket are the most popular among viper owners. Here are a few of the threads...

Who sells the best power steering pulley?

I have learned my lesson....another Power Steering Pulley Story!

Replacing power steering pump pulley and bracket, should i do the lines too?

I think my belt broke ... dark out. Lost power steering after taking a turn ---

 

[Fatboy 18]

Ok, slightly confused here, Your serptine belt came off because a plastic pulley broke?

I take it you mean the Plastic Power Steering Pulley? Did you not notice the steering being really hard to turn? Or did you get the car Relayed home on a truck?

There are a couple of options open to you, You can get the IPSCO Billet aluminium power steering pulley or Roe racing do a replacement Black one.

http://www.ipsco.org/Viper_files/Viper Power Steering Pump Pulley.htm

http://www.roeracing.com/ProductCar...cket-Metal-Pulley-96-02-GTS-RT-10-166p389.htm

 

[Fatboy 18]

Just noticed where you Live, Without any hesitation I would get the car over to Chuck Tator in NY state, wile the cars there he could check over the rest of the car for you and piece of mind Job done!

 

[rukcus]

All aluminum engines tend to warp faster at a overheating temperatures vs cast iron engines. That being said it really is now a matter of how hot and how long it was overheating. If it happened for 15 min straight redline overheating on highway speeds you can bet it will have caused a warp cylinder head and/or scuffed piston/cylinder walls. If it went to redline and you noticed it right away and shut it down, etc.. you will be okay. A simple way to check would be to put everything back together in proper working order and do a pressure test. Also if you run the car for a while and notice alot of white smoke out the tailpipe and losing coolant is then its obvious you warped the heads.

 

[Steve-Indy]

About $200.00 for the Gen II billit aluminum power steering bracket and pulley set...CHEAP compared to price of towing/engine repair...easy math.

 

[CEJ]

Not a hard repair, but if you don't have the tools, find someone experienced to help. +1 on the IPSCO products. Very good stuff. Remember to replace the p/s bracket with a billet piece while you're doing the pulley.

 

[Stonep185]

We have all been assuming that the pulley is the power steering but its never been confirmed... I've had the tensioner pulley destroy itself because it too is plastic!
Is the pulley on the driver side top or passenger side bottom of the belt configuration?

 

[charlesj]

LifeIsGood: Thank you so much for the thread inserts. You will be rewarded in heaven.

FatBoy 18: I forget if there was an issue with the power steering. I may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as I am unable to recall. Also, my father actually drove the car home (only 2 miles to my house fortunately) so I am no. And no, I am not a weanie. He is a retired state police corporal and we just thought it would be better as we knew the trip may require "flexing" some traffic rules. I have not driven the car on the road since, only started it up periodically to get fluids moving. However, I was obviously driving when it happened and I had to pull off the road and into that video rental place... Popped the hood... Dealt with some gawkers... One dude came over, talked about the car, he has a vette at home, yada yada yada, what was his name? P SHerman, 42 wallaby lane sydney?
Hmmm... Can I help you?

Rukcus, Steve-Indy, and CEG: Thank you for your input. Much appreciated.

Stonep185: Driver side top if I recall correctly.

 

[Stonep185]

Power steering pulley it is then!

 

[Fatboy 18]

The hardest part of replacing the pulley is the removal of the pressed metal collar on the power steering shaft. I took my time with a hacksaw and carefully cut away small pieces at a time until I could pry it apart with a flat headed screwdriver and slip it off the shaft. Others use pullers or remove the whole unit from the car and perform the operation on the Bench. If your not confident preforming the job, you could always seek help of a local VCA member who has done this job or Get the car over to Chuck

I would be happy to pop over and help you, you just need to supply parts and Airfare

 

[charlesj]

The hardest part of replacing the pulley is the removal of the pressed metal collar on the power steering shaft. I took my time with a hacksaw and carefully cut away small pieces at a time until I could pry it apart with a flat headed screwdriver and slip it off the shaft. Others use pullers or remove the whole unit from the car and perform the operation on the Bench. If your not confident preforming the job, you could always seek help of a local VCA member who has done this job or Get the car over to Chuck

I would be happy to pop over and help you, you just need to supply parts and Airfare

Hacksaw? HAcksaw. You want me to take a hacksaw to my viper?!? I almost killed myself changing the battery out. Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor not a Viper brain surgeon.


Exactly how much is airfare from the UK? Wait, I don't even want to pay $200 for parts. Crud.

 

[Fatboy 18]

I changed my pulley with the Pump still mounted in the car, I could not find a suitable puller in the UK at a reasonable cost, so CAREFULLY Cut the Sprocket off the shaft, I took my time making sure I did not cut into the shaft!.

I would also need transportation from the Airport to where the car is situated, That would be an additional cost Oh will you be supplying Tea or will I have to Bring my own

 

[charlesj]

LOL.

 

[daveg]

I changed my pulley with the Pump still mounted in the car, I could not find a suitable puller in the UK at a reasonable cost, so CAREFULLY Cut the Sprocket off the shaft, I took my time making sure I did not cut into the shaft!.

I would also need transportation from the Airport to where the car is situated, That would be an additional cost Oh will you be supplying Tea or will I have to Bring my own

Do you think it was easier to leave the pump in and do it that way? Was there enough room to get the hacksaw in there with it still in the car? Is there enough room to get a puller on it with it still in the car?

 

[Steve-Indy]

For ALL of the reasons stated above, I actively encourage (some might say badger!!) Gen I and II owners to change out these critical parts...especially if one is planning a road trip. We certainly have asked Tom Sessions to change a bunch of them at our semi-annual SPECIAL SERVICE SESSIONS here in Indy. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" !!

 

[VIPER PIT]

I got a spare billet bracket and steel pulley. If you are interested let me know. My wife got me one for Xmas but I didn't have the heart to tell her I already got one a month earlier.

 

[Fatboy 18]

You guys can get a cheap puller from Harbour Freight, but we do not have tool stores like that in my area of the UK.

I did not like the idea of removing the Power steering assembly to the Bench as this involves disconnecting the fluid lines! Knowing my luck, I would then end up getting a leak from one of the lines!
My plastic pulley was intact when I started this job, but I had no intention of ever putting it back on the car so I cut through it with a Hacksaw. Once I cut through the outer plastic rim I then got a set of grips and just snapped the thing to pieces until I was left with the metal sleeve on the shaft. Using a combination of a normal sized hacksaw and a Junior Hacksaw, I cut at an angle slowly turning the shaft to put a diagonal cut through the sleeve. At certain points the saw got very near to the main shaft, I then inserted a flat headed screwdriver into the slot to pry the sleeve apart.

Like most Jobs, If you rush it you will cause damage, so take your time! I think if I remember correctly, I also cut some parts off the sleeve off at different angles with the hacksaw to help me get down to the inner part.

Once the sleeve had been removed I cleaned up any loose filings fitted the IPSCO Power Steering bracket and then fitted the new pulley.

Note : Im not saying this is the right way to do it, but it saved me the expense of a puller I doubt I would ever use again.

Make sure you have nice new hacksaw blades

 

[ViperGTS]

A friend of mine and me, we changed the broken/spinning pulley on his 97 in the middle of nowhere (upper Michigan) with almost no tools - luckily a fellow Viper brother had a spare one (pulley) in the trunk - it can be done!

 

[challengerta]

The pulley on our '97 failed on the day I picked up the car, November '07.
I noticed the power steering felt like the belt slipped a little as I was driving off from the plate agency. The owner had driven it there.
Drove home about 60 miles cautiously (first Viper!), gave my wife the keys, she got about 8 miles, and the pulley came off!
Our belt was fine, and we didn't lose much coolant.

 

[challengerta]

The pulley on our '97 failed on the day I picked up the car, November '07.
I noticed the power steering felt like the belt slipped a little as I was driving off from the plate agency. The owner had driven it there.
Drove home about 60 miles cautiously (first Viper!), gave my wife the keys, she got about 8 miles, and the pulley came off!
Our belt was fine, and we didn't lose much coolant.
Probably the worst day we've had since buying our GTS! I wish it hadn't happened on the first day!

I replaced it with another stock one, but keep a spare in the car. The universal P.S. pulley puller at autozone fit, and worked fine.
The pulley, from Dorman was less than $20. I figured If this happens again I'll buy a better one.
Kind of a pain working under the front of the hood, next time I'll remove the hood.
Also left the pump on.

 

[GTSPOWERED]

My friend has the proper puller with that the job was very easy. I replaced the pulley and the power steering pump bracket with a stronger one this after my ballancer fell off. I decided to replace all the weak parts.

 

[GTSHolgi]

I am still going to do that. Have the parts already (IPSCO pulley and bracket). Just need to get the right puller (and a few more degrees celsius )

Holger

 

[Viper98912]

Question for you guys: for those that changed it on the car, how exactly are you doing that? Removing the airbox and removing the front crossmember?

 

[hiss highness]

am replacing a bad crank pulley right now, was pretty easy to remove the crossmember and while it was out decided to paint it to match the rotors, gonna replace the balancer as well but broke my cheater bar, way easier to play in the bay with the crossmember removed, might put in the ipsco power rack bushings while in there as well, problem is once ur in there then your credit card starts to glow brighter, maybe all billet pulleys and power steering bracket, hmm woodhouse mounts lookin good as well, hmmm twin turbos hmmm. and then the credit card vapourizes into a giant mushroom cloud and the wife is pullin ur arms out of the sockets

 

[Fatboy 18]

Oh that's so true


I changed all my pulleys to Billet aluminium pulleys.

As for the power steering pulley, I changed mine with the crossbar still in place and also changed to the IPSCO Billet power steering bracket.

Mark makes great products.