Pulley and AC Questions on 89 GMC R1500

[Myk_Myk]

My serpentine belt came off yesterday, and it was a fairly new belt. I spun everything while the belt was off, and I need to replace the pulley below the compressor. Now I have questions.

• Is the stationary pulley called the Idler Pulley? Because when I look up the Idler Pulley for it, it shows up with some that are the whole tensioner assembly. I ended up buying one at AutoZone, but it's slightly larger than the one on my truck right now. It's the same size as the one on the tensioner. Will it work/can it be the same, or do I need to get the smaller one?
• Is the compressor supposed to stop and start when the AC is on Normal and stay on when it is on Max? That seems to be what it's doing.
• How hot and cold should the lines be that come off the back of the compressor?
• As it's idling, the tensioner moves a bit. Is that normal?

This is for an 89 GMC R1500 Suburban with the 350.

 

[zora]

Not knowing exactly what the store sold you makes it difficult. If you can get the belt on and nothing interferes you should be ok. Compressor cycling sounds correct. You can't judge by feeling pipes, need gauges to test pressure. Slight movement is normal.

 

[Myk_Myk]

Thanks!

I think I'll try it. Who knows if the one on it is the original one? Actually, I'm the second owner and got her with only 62k Miles! The previous owner kept meticulous records. I could probably find out if it was replaced. I'm not sure how long they last in general.

I suppose as long as the AC works fine, I shouldn't worry about it. Thing is, it seems to cool better on Normal.

 

[zora]

Not sure Autozone was the right place to buy.
Rockauto shows different tensioners for AC and NON-AC

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