tx03v6

Hello all, I have a quick question. My fiancee has an 03 V6 automatic 45k miles. She noticed a groan/whine a couple of days ago from under the hood. I know nothing about Stangs as my V6 2 door is from another american manufacturer and ceased production in 02
After a little research on the board I looked at both the idler and the tensioner pulley. With the belt on I can make the idler pulley wobble so I'm 99% sure that is the problem, no biggie they are pretty cheap at Orelly and it's about time to change the belt anyway.

My question is that are there any known issues with replacing the pulley. I read that you have to pull the power steering pulley to get the water pump off and I'm wondering if I have anything like that to look forward to in what would seem to be an otherwise simple replacement.
Are there any bolts that I will have to take off which go through oil or water passages I should be especially careful with? Or am I dealing with just the bolt which holds the pulley itself on. Also what are the torque specs for that bolt? I really don't want to break some aluminum bracket.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Jugador

i don't have a v6 either, so i can't offer a whole lot of advice other than possibly getting the haynes or chiltons manual for her car. i'd imagine it could answer most of your questions

jthorn9

I believe it's held on strictly by one of those star socketed bolts, can't remember their exact name right now. But I believe you're gonna need a serious air compressor to break that bolt, because it's held on there extremely tight, you will have to take the belt off, as you can imagine, to take off that pulley.

tx03v6

She has the haynes manual, I found a quick section on the tensioner but not the Idler. I'm wondering if there is anywhere I can get the shop manual in PDF for this model. I have them for both my bike and my car. If it's just a really tight bolt no biggie, I have been looking for an excuse to buy a big azz breakover bar anyway.

Jthorn, nice ride by the way, not many cars IMO can make yellow look good but yours does. I'm just glad you didn't go too far and get purple powercoated wheels or anything like that [sm=icon_stickpoke.gif]

jthorn9

Thanks, better take a good look at it as only 3400 95 5.0Ls were ever made.[8D] Powdercoat purple[:'(][:'(][:'(], I'm planning on swaping to 17" or maybe even 18" Saleens in the future.

Sorry, thought you were talking about the tension pulley, the idel pulley, which one is that again, it's not the crank pulley is it?[&:]

tx03v6

this is the one that sits near the top of the engine, it's a smooth pulley to the right of centerline of the motor. It isn't spring loaded like the tensioner just sits there and helps with routing of the belt.

the purple rim comment was an LSU jab btw. I went to La Tech from Alexnadria originally.