TRD S/C Idler Pulley Replacement
 

hey everyone, it's been years since i've posted on the boards. recently, my s/c shredded the belt. i thought it was just a case of an old belt, so i replaced it. however, once i put the new one on, it kicked that belt off and that's when i discovered that there was an issue. one of the idler pulleys (the lower one) was very wobbling, which is why it kicked the belt off. i thought it was a bearing issue so i picked up some koyo bearings and had them replaced. the mechanic that replaced it said that the bearings did not help because the pulley was still wobbling. now i need to replace the idler pulley. after a few hours of searching online, it seems like toyota does not stock that part anymore (PTR41-21062). was wondering if anybody else has had any success finding a replacement idler pulley for the s/c. does anybody know if the vortech idler pulleys will be compatible?

***UPDATE: THE VORTECH IDLER PULLEY IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE TRD S/C*** SEE POSTS BELOW

http://www.vortechsuperchargers.com/product.php?p=63

So the pulley is worn inside the where the bearring sits? It is unusual that the pulley itself gets damaged, can you provide pics?

yeah that's what the mechanic told me, and honestly, that's what i was worried about during the initial stages of trying to figure out what was wrong. unfortunately i don't have pics. the bad idler pulley was moved to the position where the working pulley was. doing this kept the belt on the car, and the mechanic said it was okay to drive home on (less than 5 miles).

My idler pulleys failed because the clip holding the bearing in was warped and no longer held the bearing in snugly. Normally, you would need a bearing press to install the new bearings, but mine were very loose. Upon removal of the faulty pulley, the bearings were clearly loose. My problem could not be fixed simply by replacing the bearings. A pair of Koyo 6203 bearings cost me ~$30. I decided to replace both idler pulleys which was about $53 per pulley.

just wanted to update for future references; the vortech idler pulley (part# 1210517) listed on the link in the original post is compatible with the TRD S/C. it's pretty much an exact fit. I measured the diameter of the TRD idler and it came out to be 2.5". We use a 7 ribbed belt and that part number is for a 2.5" idler pulley for 6-8 ribbed belts. Called Vortech to see if they could confirm that it would fit the TRD S/C; they could not confirm that it would be compatible, but they did say that it uses a 6203 bearing (same as the TRD idler pulley). The parts came in last night and they looked almost exactly the same. Got it installed today and the mechanic said it fit perfectly. I'm actually surprised nobody has tried this pulley before (or if they did, they didn't post about it). Well I'm confirming it for s/c owners that will need it in the future, the vortech idler pulley (part# 1210517) is compatible for the TRD S/C.

Very good info! Good job on finding a main part of our superchargers to keep them running! How much did it cost from Vortech? Does the idler pulley look similar to the one on their website or does it look more like our original idler pulley? I'll definitely be ordering one, recently had a bearing spin inside the idler pulley. Are you sure we can't order the idler pulley from toyota? I've ordered it maybe like 2 years ago, lol.

it doesn't look like the picture, looks pretty much identical to the stock idler pulley. I got it from UltraRev on Ebay for $53 I think. They are good to deal with, but not if you need it asap (they took 1 week before sending it out). I didn't call toyota to ask if we can order it, but from reading posts from years ago, people have not been able to order it from toyota. Not only that, it was costing them $100 for the pulley from toyota.

Supercharger Idler Pulley
 

The the vortech idler pulley (part# 1210517) is the compatible part for the TRD supercharger becasue the original is also made by Vortech. Same exact part which is where Toyota/Scion get theirs from as well.

It is a Toyota TRD Supercharger, made by Vortech, installed by Toyota. Stock pulley and PSI, which I think is 6.5 PSI. I have not attached a picture as you cannot tell from a photo, but the bearing is loose inside the pully itself. This causes two issues; 1. the bearing spins inside the pulley causing premature pulley wear and 2. The pulley wobbles side to side causing catastrophic belt failure.
This is the third pulley I have had to replace since I purchased the vehicle in 2009. I believe it is a design flaw. When I contacted my supplier, they said they spoke to Vortech and found that this pulley has a 30 day warranty. Now when I tried to send the pulley back for a replacement, I have been told that Vortech no longer honors any warranty on this part. Boy, that really tells you something about the part and the company.
The larger issue is, until the part is redesigned or another manufacturer produces a suitable replacement, the Vortech pulleys will fail.
It's realy too bad because this is a relatively inexpensive part and easy to install. I guess I need to purchase a couple and keep replacements on hand so I don't get stuck.
Overall a very frustrating situation, especially when a reputable company won't stand behind their products.

I have a brand new Vortech idler pulley that will fit a Scion tC with TRD Supercharger. This Vortech idler pulley (part# 1210517) is the compatible part for the TRD supercharger because the original is also made by Vortech.
Same exact part which is where Toyota/Scion get theirs from as well. When I replaced mine I bought an extra but sold the vehicle and now have no use for it.

If you own a Scion tC with TRD Supercharger made by Vortech, eventually the bearing inside the pulley itself will become loose causing catastrophic belt failure.
The pulley is easy to install; about a 10 min. job.

How many bearings per idler pulley? One or two ?

just 1

Anybody got pulleys for sale