Tools needed for Viscous Heater Bearing Replacement

user113 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:06 am

My Viscous Heater bearing is starting to squeal. Very obnoxious. So I want to do the replacement as discussed by Roostre (see See viewtopic.php?f=5&t=60567).

I have never done any such bearing replacement, but I have checked out a number of YouTube videos. Lots of different possibilities with these types of bearings. So, for those of you that have done it, what tools will I need? I am only interested in replacing the bearing. I don't care if the heater heats or not.

By the way, I found the bearing at AutoZone for $14, see part number MT2149. (But they won't do store pickup for it?)

a. waterfield · **Joined:** Fri Oct 02, 2015 5:00 pm **Posts:** 58

Ok so I have just done this-
Put new bearing in freezer
Drain some coolant off from rad lower drain.
Unbolt (2bolts one large Allen key type one normal) and the two hoses
You'll need to hold the clutch face and undo the 10mm bolt and remove face

Remove circlip and apply pentrating spray
Use hammer or a puller to remove pulley wheel

Tap out old bearing wit something large try to keep it in one piece to use as a form to put in new bearing

Heat pulley wheel
Removed bearing from freezer
Tap in to place
Refit as reversal of removal

tomasnc · **Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:23 pm

Please tell me purpose the viscous heater serves?

Thanks,

Tom

Hexus · **Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:34 pm

The viscous heater heats the radiator fluid (coolant). It assists in warming up the engine faster since Diesels are notoriously slow to warm up.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:06 pm

Hexus is correct but how much help is debatable. Down here my viscous heater has been disabled by pulling it's clutch relay years ago and I notice no difference. My son (stoutdog) is working in Kearney, NE where they have much more "real" winter and he reports a marginal improvement in the delivery of cabin heat and engine warm up with the viscous heater engaged without use of the block heater. In point of fact in the winter if you plug in the block heater on a timer for like 1 hr or so before startup you probably get more benefit than the viscous heater supplies.

So is it a critical component - no other than the serpentine belt runs across the viscous heater pulley (translation if the bearing goes bad it's hard to reroute the belt so you kind of have to put in a new bearing) but lack of a functional viscous heater doesn't really matter from a vehicle operation perspective. Is it a convenience component - sort of but block heater is better.

user113 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:15 pm

Thanks. I will give it a try. You don't have any pics of the

a. waterfield wrote:

Tap out old bearing wit something large try to keep it in one piece to use as a form to put in new bearing

step, do you? I can't picture how this would work...maybe once I get it uncovered it will become clearer?

user113 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:33 pm

tomasnc wrote:

Please tell me purpose the viscous heater serves?

As Papaindigo notes, not much!

I would love for somebody to make an air compressor that would bolt on in its place. Of course, probably should have happened back in 2006...

rankom · **Posted:** Thu Nov 05, 2015 1:30 pm

just got my VH bearing part number ( 35BG5222-2DL NACHI -made in japan ) from local Applied industrial store. 60$

rankom · **Posted:** Fri Nov 06, 2015 8:05 pm

today i replaced VH bearing , with out draining coolant or removing unit of the vehicle , got my special home made puller set up re re pulley press out old bearing install new one and i notice bearing i purchase from this industrial place is the oem one

Mountainman · **Posted:** Fri Nov 06, 2015 9:59 pm

I really enjoy the access and visibility of having the worthless thing gone :2cents:

Tools needed for Viscous Heater Bearing Replacement

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