I've converted my A/C to R134 yadda yadda..... and after I got it working, the A/C belt flaps and yes it IS tight. I've lived with it for a year, but today at the local yard I found a 76 volare with an A/C idler pulley on top ( not to be confused with the lower tensioner pulley). So I snatched it up
I've tried looking for the part on the parts stores websites to no avail.
Where would I find a new one if the bearing on the one I picked up is bad?
Has anyone heard of / seen such a thing?

Don't cast too far afield just yet. That is a very common bearing. I pressed them out of my pulley for good luck. The number is on the race, like most bearings. It didn't take awesome pressure in my shop press, like old axle bearings can take. Lemme see if I have the bearing number in my project notebook. I got mine from Dixie Bearings as I recall, a regional first class bearing retailer and wholesaler.

rock
'64d100

Rock, I do think I found it at rockauto..
ACDELCO Part # 1520671

Looks like it fits a bunch of different things from GM, Dodge, Mazda.
I've seen a lot of slants over the years and I've never seen this thing before. It's a flat pulley that rides on the top of the belt. I had thought about making something like this but just stumbled on it. The A/C compressor on that car also had a HUGE clutch on it, dang near as big as a harmonic balancer. The Pic shows the bracket location and you can see the little rust spot on the belt where the pulley was touching.

Hello,

I haven't had a chance to look for my notes yet but it sounds as if you are on the right track. That bearing is used almost everywhere and I recall it being in the less than ten bucks range, more like 2 or 3. Memory is deceiving though. If you can readily extract the other parts at the junkyard, particularly the braces to the head, I would be glad to trade or pay for them. I bought at least 2 sets off ebay and upon arrival something was always left out. Seems I have the pulley you are talking about but don't have the other, or something simple like that. I have the big engine to compressor plates, just not all the little stuff.

rock
'64d100

I bought the pulley just last summer from a Dodge dealer when I eliminated my A/C.

All they had was the pulley and the 'sheaves,' I think they called them. No bolt, no spacer.

I got a bolt, nut, and spacer from Lowes. and drilled out the bracket hole to the inside diameter of the pulley. Worked pefectly. Did not have to grind or shim the spacer at all.

That said, if you have no luck w/the bearing, you still may be able to get a whole pulley from a dealer.

Rock, It may be a couple of days before I get back out there. As I recall, the bracketry for that car is a smidge different than mine, it has a bracket that goes from the back of the compressor to the middle of the manifold just under the carb. I'll have to take some pics and get back to you.

I did get the bearing lubed up and the pulley installed, I even had one of the holes for the bracket already in the main A/C compressor bracket. No more flop.