How hard should it be to spin a idler pulley on my finger? My old one spins for a while but I can hear a little noise off and on from the bearing.

 

I went to the parts store and tried a bunch of other pulleys. it should only spin about half a turn when you try to spin it. If it spins like a bike tire then the bearings are going bad. That goes for most things with a bearing the mgr said.

 

Correct, a good bearing shouldn't "free wheel", or have any side to side play, or noise, or roughness when rotated. The test spin you described sounds about right, snug, not tight, not so loose as to free wheel.