# Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy-



## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

well i drive around all day not in any kind of boost and then i come home and chill out for a few hours and then leave to go get gas (less than a mile away) and right as i pull into the gas station i hear the greatest noise (i had oil pressure so i still had a smile on my face). 
turns out the Vortech dual idler pulley bearings died. 
i could have guess that too tho since they have skate board/roller blade wheel bearings in them....junk! 
*pictures of the carnage*








part number also....thats what it would have looked like but it still had 3 ball bearings in it when i got it back home. 








what was left of the 2 bearings and circlip that exploded also








aluminum pulley vs. steel bracket 








old set-up








it was a custom made dual idler cause it was an older eurotech charger kit. 








turns out the rear idler pulley was out of a TDI timing belt kit. its a roller bearing. wider than the 2 ball bearing bearings together plus the spacer that were in the vortech and its had needle bearings. the needle bearing load ratings blow the vortech pulley out of the water for stress that they can take...plus they last 90,000 miles on a TDI timing belt.
so went to the dealer and got another one, 50 bucks. same price as a new vortech pulley and i dont have to wait til monday to order it and wait 3 days to get my car back. 
drill and tap a new hole into the bracket to go with the 6 it already has. and woohoo, new, better, best set-up. 
































grooved p/s pump makes getting a belt on a little harder but well worth it when it comes to knowing it isnt going to want to walk off a smooth pulley. 








could have made them closer for better belt wrap but i didnt know what kinda clearences i had, so i just went off what the vortech and roller bearing. looks good. 
had to do some work to get the belt on. also had to step down to a smaller belt that i had on when i had the 13lb pulley on the car.








this is a good upgrade for people who blow out thier vortech bearings...ive read of one or 2 other people running into this issue. 
ill update when i swap out to a stock header and put it all back together.


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## 631 Corrado (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (punk rock kiel)*

i think im gunna try and do this as well. do you happen to have any mesurments i could use to do this? you used 2 tdi roller bearings???


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (631 Corrado)*

see the scribe lines i made from putting the bolts in the holes and putting a straight edge across the outsides so it keeps in line and just isnt putting it where ever. then leave a half in between the two roller bearings and you should be fine, thats what i did. if i recall, center to center is 1.625. 
each bearing is 1.125 (slightly under but rounded up in size) and plus .500 for the gap and you have 1.625 center to center. 
yes, tdi roller bearings. used hardened washers to space it out to line up right.


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## g60_c (Nov 15, 2001)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (punk rock kiel)*

i just want to say "thanks" for pictures of EXACTLY what I have been looking for... for an almost completely un-related item.. it's been killing me trying to find idler pulleys for a serp belt setup.. but these will work tits!
-Nate


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## 631 Corrado (Jan 14, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (g60_c)*

do you think making the one on the right of the pic a little higher you would get better belt wrap on the charger and on the alternator???


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## leebro61 (Nov 7, 2001)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (631 Corrado)*

When I did this (~4 years ago) to make a dual idler setup, I got the pulley from a passat AEB 1.8T. If anybody else needs one, get them from http://www.germanautoparts.com. Their going price is ~$25... so you can afford a spare. Good work










_Modified by leebro61 at 7:54 PM 10-15-2007_


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (leebro61)*


_Quote, originally posted by *leebro61* »_When I did this (~4 years ago) to make a dual idler setup, I got the pulley from a passat AEB 1.8T. If anybody else needs one, get them from http://www.germanautoparts.com. Their going price is ~$25... so you can afford a spare. Good work









_Modified by leebro61 at 7:54 PM 10-15-2007_

link to the actual pulley would help. 
mine was 058 109 244 tdi roller bearing. and i was in an hour rush to make the choice whether or not to make it work or buy another vortech...so i didnt have time to research a cheaper bearing. 
moving the right one up might make for better wrap but if you also modified the charger ears for the bolt holes (grinding a little off) so the charger can rotate down further to get a smaller belt on and give you move belt adjustment so the belt doesnt have to tight as a mother to get it on the pulleys. 
cause i got all grooved pulleys...i have to take out the upper charger bracket bolt and let it pivot down on the lower bolt and then push the charger back and stick the top bolt in. was a pain in the a$$ even with the belt being slightly stretched already.


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (punk rock kiel)*









the 1.8t one is junk and costs more. 








the TDI one costs less and is better. 
i paid twice the price cause i went to the dealer and i was in a pinch.


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## leebro61 (Nov 7, 2001)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (punk rock kiel)*

Dude, the part # is the same. Passat AEB 1.8t








I'll link to the exact one later


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (leebro61)*

then how comes they parts are different per them pictures per the website you gave me??? 
cause in the end, i could care less, this is how i fixed my problem with my resources and under the time pinch i was in.


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## leebro61 (Nov 7, 2001)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (punk rock kiel)*


_Quote, originally posted by *punk rock kiel* »_then how comes they parts are different per them pictures per the website you gave me??? 


Huh?
Passat AEB/ATW engine code idler pulley...








Granted, the site isn't the easiest to navigate if you don't know where to look... but this is the 1.8t AEB/ATW timing belt idler. Same part number, same idler. BTW, if you reread my post, I wasn't criticizing you for getting the part from the dealer, I was just saying where and how others could find the part for cheaper if they weren't in a hurry.


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (leebro61)*

well i was lucky enough to even have that as the rear idler. so i googled the part number (was one number off but still came up) and it showed TDI and nothing about 1.8t. so i just called the dealer and went off what i knew. 
ill be prolly getting another one cause if i slightly overbore the vortech pulley and machine down the width of the roller bearing...it will fit inside the pulley and the circlip will hold it in. even tho it will be a press fit.


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## Cas (Jul 23, 2005)

You are my hero of the day.. much cheaper way for me to make a dual idler setup on my bracket. Nice find!


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## speeding-g60 (Aug 1, 2004)

*Re: (Cas)*

semi related question....
i have a V-1 S-trim kit on my car, and it has been on and working flawlessly since 21k miles. it is now 134k miles, and only had the belt done once. how often does the charger need refreshed? it runs awesome, never had any problems.... but if i should happen to need to send it in for a freshener up, i would do this mod at the same time. AMS kit, btw.
thanks for the time.
Aaron


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

*Re: (speeding-g60)*

check the impeller for shaft play. i have a friend that has one with 50 thou on it and wants to send it back but it isnt bad. i guess you prove they last for a long time.


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## spooln6 (May 27, 2005)

*Re: (punk rock kiel)*

any piks of this installed?


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## monmon18 (Jul 20, 2002)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (punk rock kiel)*

I know this thread is 3 yrs old, but I am in need of a fix for my dead Vortech Idler Pulley!
Anyone know if these pics live anywhere else or if OP is still on here and might have them available?


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## slcturbo (Apr 19, 2010)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (monmon18)*

Vortech








Nothing surprises me from a company that produces the POS V9 and then takes two months to rebuild it http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif


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## .LSinLV. (Nov 13, 2009)

*Re: Vortech dual idler bearings are junk -picture heavy- (slcturbo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *slcturbo* »_Vortech








Nothing surprises me from a company that produces the POS V9 and then takes two months to rebuild it http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif 

I'd be currious to see what bearing they are installing in the V9 units.....


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## monmon18 (Jul 20, 2002)

I don't need the pics anymore. I used the info from the thread and bought one of the bearings listed and "made" it fit into the Vortech pulley.








Thanks to OP for providing the part number!


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## punk rock kiel (Aug 27, 2003)

no problem.


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