Awesome! Just completed this task. Prior to watching your video, I had no idea that there was simply just a bearing that could be replaced inside the tensioner pulley. Took me under 30 minutes to replace. Thanks!
My good man, thank you for your attention to detail at a digestible pace. You make uneducated mechanical minds like mine feel empowered to "do" and not just pay someone else
Glad it was helpful. My goal is not to provide a technical how-to, but to give a decent idea of the level of effort, share tools I used and parts so that it might inspire someone to tackle and save some money!
Very nice video, thank you for posting. A simple way to make the installation of the new bearing into the pulley much easier is to throw the new bearing in the freezer for a couple hours, and throw the pulley in the oven for 30 minutes at 300 or so. Be careful (obviously) with the hot pulley when you pull it out...the cold bearing will practically fall into the hot pulley. The tolerances will tighten as the temps normalize and then it's ready to bolt back on. That trick works in any similar situation.
Thank you. I had just got off the phone with Subaru dealer for a pulley price then thought to check the difficulty level no the job. Time and money saved.
My 2016 Crosstrek started making that awful noise yesterday. Thanks for all this, I will verify that it applies to my situation and fix it accordingly.
My 2.5l outback 2014 have different bearing 6303 2rsh , I used the vice with 15 mm socket to take the old bearing off and use 35 mm socket to drive the bearing in with NO hammer. I changed both idlers pully. Thank for the video. there was nothing in the back of the pully.
I didn’t know you had the choice of different quality bearing. Original Subaru bearing are known to have a short life, they must be bottom line bearings. Will be replacing mine soon and, will make sure to replace with the better one. Thanks for this well done vidéo and the bearing info, I will be more confident doing the work myself!👍👍
Glad it was helpful, I believe weather may play a role in how long bearings last, but replacing them is not that hard and saves a lot $. It’s a good time to replace the serpentine belt too if it’s been a while.
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I'm about to do this job. Hopefully other people about to do this job will see this. The 6203-ZZ bearing you used is 'shielded' but not sealed like the 6203-2RS (or DUl1b) you took off. a shielded bearing is better than open, but will still allow fine dust and moisture in through a small gap around the inner race. the ZZ bearing will not give as long of life as the 2RS in any task where it is exposed to the elements. further, my 2017 has a 6203DUl1b which is a Deep Groove bearing, better at resting side loads.
While the idler pulley is a different pulley size, pretty certain it should also use the same bearing type (6203), and be a similar process to replace. Just take your time tapping the new bearing into the pulley so as not to damage it. You might also use a c-clamp with the socket to press the bearing carefully into the pulley. Good luck.
Please don’t use ZZ bearings. They are meant to be used while submerged in oil. 2RS (double rubber sealed) bearings for exposed air and water type applications which is definitely pulleys in serpentine belt
Thanks for the feedback. I live in a very dry climate and the bearing is still holing up 4 years+ later. The point of the video was to share how I “pressed” a new bearing in. In the video description I do recommend the 2RS version of the bearing.
How did you make sure you ordered the right bearing before you started the repair. I have a 2015 legacy 2.5 with with what I think is the same problem. Great job
Ken, good luck sorting out your noisy bearing. Could be the tensioner bearing or the idler bearing, maybe replace both and reset the clock on not having to worry about either for a long time.
My 1” impact socket has a thicker wall than a standard 1” socket. It’s nearly 1.5” total diameter, which is just shy of the diameter of the bearing. With this I was able to carefully tap the bearing into place, and the little bit of grease helped too. Another option might be to grab a 1.5” flat washer from your local hardware store, maybe sand or file the edges a bit making sure it will not end up pressed in also, and use it to distribute the tapping force to the edge of the bearing with your current socket. Go slow, good luck.
Jerry, honestly I haven't looked. The bearing is typically the part of the assembly that fails and is much cheaper to replace than tossing the whole unit. That said I'm sure there are cases when it does need to get swapped out. Best of luck with your repair!
this is awesome! same exact thing happened to me with with the tensioner and idle pulley. do you happen to know what kind of bearing the idler takes? thanks
The bearing should also be a “6203” size. I have not replaced this one yet, but I have since posting this ordered the replacement bearing. Keep in mind the pulley is a larger diameter, and when pressing the bearing that it may not bottom on the pulley the way the stock tensioner pulley is designed. Be gentle on the new bearing only applying pressure to the outer perimeter when pressing or tapping it into place.
not that it would matter but I believe those bearings are not technically sealed or water proof like the 6203 with rubber seals (correct me if I am wrong)
Perhaps not, but I'd venture to guess that neither are really water proof. We're in Southern California and see very little rain. I just bought another 6203 by Timken (amzn.to/2svU6hY) that I'm going to swap into my original Idler Pulley. This one does have the rubber seal, and is a bit cheaper too.
Does the nut that fell during removal hold the pulley to the tensioner as a thru-bolt, or is the tensioner arm threaded to accept the bolt that holds the bearing, making that nut function as a lock nut? I guess the root of the question is: Where did that nut come from? Where was it before you removed the tensioner pulley?
Jobe, my recollection is that the bolt that holds the pulley actually threaded into that nut which fits into the back of the tensioner arm. If your tensioner was ever replaced it may differ. I like to only change the bearing if possible. Good luck.
Nice video, but some of your subtitles were covering parts info. I don’t see the Amazon link you mentioned either. My bearings are bad but the pulley actually broke off the part that it screws onto or attaches too. Is that an easy fix too? Do you know the parts needed for that job? I think the pulley itself is ok still. Ty
I believe you can replace the whole tensioner assembly, should be fairly simple but I have not done it on my Outback, nor do I know the specific part number for that. Part numbers I do mention in the video and links are in the video description (click show more in the description on a computer or small downward arrow to the right of the video title on mobile). Good luck with your repair.
Kyle, i’m not certain, although I was able to read the “6203” on the side of my bad bearing. Perhaps you can remove it to inspect before purchasing or ordering a bearing.
Im at 106k miles on my legacy 3.6r. What irregular maintenance have you had to do past that point? I had to do rear wheel bearings at 100k miles but other than that it has been the only maintenance that is not on the schedule i have had to do.
Sadly I had to replace the transmission at around 80,000. Since then it’s been simple stuff with the Thermostat and hoses in the past year at around 100k miles.
A bad bearing will still be noisy even when the engine is warm. If you remove your serpentine belt and give each pulley a spin it will be very clear if any bearings are going bad.
I should've captured it before I took it apart, I felt like it was more of a grinding noise. Remove your belt, and you'll easily be able to spin your pulleys, and if they make noise, the bearing is on it's way out. You do want to catch this before it fails and seizes up.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY how or where did u get the bearings' specs? i have a 2.5 sohc outback [2003], had the geared (or toothed) idler pulley bearing fail, and have been frustrated trying to locate the correct size info to order one for cheap that actually works.
I believe I torqued to 15 ft/lbs, but don’t see it in my notes, nor do I have raw footage with my torque wrench (just looked). I may have forgot to record while fixing...be careful not to overtighten stripping the bolt hole or crushing the bearing.
I have another video where I do replace the whole idler pulley (all it need was the bearing) New pulley with bearing was roughly $35. Replacement bearing alone averages $10-12 depending on what you buy (Timken or NSK). For some paying 3x is worth the convenience. For others the bearing alone (which is the part that fails) is Much cheaper than replacing the pulley also. :)
Awesome! Just completed this task. Prior to watching your video, I had no idea that there was simply just a bearing that could be replaced inside the tensioner pulley. Took me under 30 minutes to replace. Thanks!
My good man, thank you for your attention to detail at a digestible pace. You make uneducated mechanical minds like mine feel empowered to "do" and not just pay someone else
Glad it was helpful. My goal is not to provide a technical how-to, but to give a decent idea of the level of effort, share tools I used and parts so that it might inspire someone to tackle and save some money!
Very nice video, thank you for posting. A simple way to make the installation of the new bearing into the pulley much easier is to throw the new bearing in the freezer for a couple hours, and throw the pulley in the oven for 30 minutes at 300 or so. Be careful (obviously) with the hot pulley when you pull it out...the cold bearing will practically fall into the hot pulley. The tolerances will tighten as the temps normalize and then it's ready to bolt back on. That trick works in any similar situation.
Thank you. I had just got off the phone with Subaru dealer for a pulley price then thought to check the difficulty level no the job.
Time and money saved.
My 2016 Crosstrek started making that awful noise yesterday. Thanks for all this, I will verify that it applies to my situation and fix it accordingly.
Did you do just the pulley or the whole tensioner?
My 2.5l outback 2014 have different bearing 6303 2rsh , I used the vice with 15 mm socket to take the old bearing off and use 35 mm socket to drive the bearing in with NO hammer. I changed both idlers pully. Thank for the video. there was nothing in the back of the pully.
Well done. You used the vice as a mini press!
I didn’t know you had the choice of different quality bearing. Original Subaru bearing are known to have a short life, they must be bottom line bearings. Will be replacing mine soon and, will make sure to replace with the better one. Thanks for this well done vidéo and the bearing info, I will be more confident doing the work myself!👍👍
Glad it was helpful, I believe weather may play a role in how long bearings last, but replacing them is not that hard and saves a lot $. It’s a good time to replace the serpentine belt too if it’s been a while.
Thanks for sharing this video! This was exactly the same problem I had and I was able to fix just the bearing and not the whole assembly.
Well done, not that tough and you surely saved a few bucks!
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I'm about to do this job. Hopefully other people about to do this job will see this.
The 6203-ZZ bearing you used is 'shielded' but not sealed like the 6203-2RS (or DUl1b) you took off. a shielded bearing is better than open, but will still allow fine dust and moisture in through a small gap around the inner race. the ZZ bearing will not give as long of life as the 2RS in any task where it is exposed to the elements.
further, my 2017 has a 6203DUl1b which is a Deep Groove bearing, better at resting side loads.
Excellent point. I didn’t like seeing the shielded bearing installed.
Thank you !! Just had an idler fully fail today on my 2012 Outback . This helps a lot to keep the cost down.
While the idler pulley is a different pulley size, pretty certain it should also use the same bearing type (6203), and be a similar process to replace. Just take your time tapping the new bearing into the pulley so as not to damage it. You might also use a c-clamp with the socket to press the bearing carefully into the pulley. Good luck.
Please don’t use ZZ bearings. They are meant to be used while submerged in oil. 2RS (double rubber sealed) bearings for exposed air and water type applications which is definitely pulleys in serpentine belt
Thanks for the feedback. I live in a very dry climate and the bearing is still holing up 4 years+ later. The point of the video was to share how I “pressed” a new bearing in. In the video description I do recommend the 2RS version of the bearing.
Thanks for a great video and links to get parts. Mine are on order and will replace them soon.
How did you make sure you ordered the right bearing before you started the repair. I have a 2015 legacy 2.5 with with what I think is the same problem. Great job
Rick, when I removed my pulley and cleaned the surface of the old bearing I could see it marked “6203”.
Oreilly’s wanted $130 for the entire tensioner! Found this video and picked up the bearing for $10 on Amazon. Lol 😂
Thank you for the video. My Subaru has noise that could be the bad bearing, will check it out this weekend.
Ken, good luck sorting out your noisy bearing. Could be the tensioner bearing or the idler bearing, maybe replace both and reset the clock on not having to worry about either for a long time.
Thanks for the info. Picked up a 1” socket but it sat on the rubber so I couldn’t know back in.
My 1” impact socket has a thicker wall than a standard 1” socket. It’s nearly 1.5” total diameter, which is just shy of the diameter of the bearing. With this I was able to carefully tap the bearing into place, and the little bit of grease helped too. Another option might be to grab a 1.5” flat washer from your local hardware store, maybe sand or file the edges a bit making sure it will not end up pressed in also, and use it to distribute the tapping force to the edge of the bearing with your current socket. Go slow, good luck.
Any good videos on how to replace whole tensioner assembly?
Jerry, honestly I haven't looked. The bearing is typically the part of the assembly that fails and is much cheaper to replace than tossing the whole unit. That said I'm sure there are cases when it does need to get swapped out. Best of luck with your repair!
this is awesome! same exact thing happened to me with with the tensioner and idle pulley. do you happen to know what kind of bearing the idler takes? thanks
The bearing should also be a “6203” size. I have not replaced this one yet, but I have since posting this ordered the replacement bearing. Keep in mind the pulley is a larger diameter, and when pressing the bearing that it may not bottom on the pulley the way the stock tensioner pulley is designed. Be gentle on the new bearing only applying pressure to the outer perimeter when pressing or tapping it into place.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY They are both the same bearing as I just replaced both on my 2013 3.6R Outback
not that it would matter but I believe those bearings are not technically sealed or water proof like the 6203 with rubber seals (correct me if I am wrong)
Perhaps not, but I'd venture to guess that neither are really water proof. We're in Southern California and see very little rain. I just bought another 6203 by Timken (amzn.to/2svU6hY) that I'm going to swap into my original Idler Pulley. This one does have the rubber seal, and is a bit cheaper too.
Does the nut that fell during removal hold the pulley to the tensioner as a thru-bolt, or is the tensioner arm threaded to accept the bolt that holds the bearing, making that nut function as a lock nut? I guess the root of the question is: Where did that nut come from? Where was it before you removed the tensioner pulley?
Jobe, my recollection is that the bolt that holds the pulley actually threaded into that nut which fits into the back of the tensioner arm. If your tensioner was ever replaced it may differ. I like to only change the bearing if possible. Good luck.
Thank you for the reply, especially after so long a time after posting your video.
Nice video, but some of your subtitles were covering parts info. I don’t see the Amazon link you mentioned either. My bearings are bad but the pulley actually broke off the part that it screws onto or attaches too. Is that an easy fix too? Do you know the parts needed for that job? I think the pulley itself is ok still. Ty
I believe you can replace the whole tensioner assembly, should be fairly simple but I have not done it on my Outback, nor do I know the specific part number for that. Part numbers I do mention in the video and links are in the video description (click show more in the description on a computer or small downward arrow to the right of the video title on mobile). Good luck with your repair.
It was nice simly job :) All Perfect done I use SKF bearings
Is the same bearing used for the 2013 2.5i Outback H4 engine?
Kyle, i’m not certain, although I was able to read the “6203” on the side of my bad bearing. Perhaps you can remove it to inspect before purchasing or ordering a bearing.
Im at 106k miles on my legacy 3.6r. What irregular maintenance have you had to do past that point? I had to do rear wheel bearings at 100k miles but other than that it has been the only maintenance that is not on the schedule i have had to do.
Sadly I had to replace the transmission at around 80,000. Since then it’s been simple stuff with the Thermostat and hoses in the past year at around 100k miles.
Good evening
I has hight cold engine start noise in outback 2.5 2015, is it could be because of the tensioner bearing?
A bad bearing will still be noisy even when the engine is warm. If you remove your serpentine belt and give each pulley a spin it will be very clear if any bearings are going bad.
Thanks a lot
What kind of noise was this making? Was it a whinning noise that coincided with rpms??
I should've captured it before I took it apart, I felt like it was more of a grinding noise. Remove your belt, and you'll easily be able to spin your pulleys, and if they make noise, the bearing is on it's way out. You do want to catch this before it fails and seizes up.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY thank you for the reply! Ill check them out this weekend
Is idler and tensioner have the same bearings? NSK 6203 zz ?
Yes, same bearing (on the 3.6 engine). The pulleys are different diameter, but bearings are both NSK 6203.
@@MattsGarageMiscDIY how or where did u get the bearings' specs? i have a 2.5 sohc outback [2003], had the geared (or toothed) idler pulley bearing fail, and have been frustrated trying to locate the correct size info to order one for cheap that actually works.
When removing my tensioner pulley, I was still able to read “NSK 6203” on my original failed bearing.
Great info! What were your torque specs?
I believe I torqued to 15 ft/lbs, but don’t see it in my notes, nor do I have raw footage with my torque wrench (just looked). I may have forgot to record while fixing...be careful not to overtighten stripping the bolt hole or crushing the bearing.
I saw 25lbs. I saw 25 in another video too. Did you figure out what the right torque is? Ty
Thx, I will try next week ❤❤❤
GOOD VIDEO! THANKS FROM A DIY'er
glad it was useful.
Why wouldn't you just replace the entire pulley?
They're not that expensive. In fact, I'll bet that bearing cost the same as the entire pulley, LOL!
I have another video where I do replace the whole idler pulley (all it need was the bearing) New pulley with bearing was roughly $35. Replacement bearing alone averages $10-12 depending on what you buy (Timken or NSK). For some paying 3x is worth the convenience. For others the bearing alone (which is the part that fails) is Much cheaper than replacing the pulley also. :)
I got my NSK 6203 2rs bearing for $6 off of eBay.