AKlowriderZ71

iTrader: (22)

Laser, coaster, it's all the same.....

I was kidding too. I'm not sure, but guessing the idler pully on the bracket has too thick of a spacer on it, and the tensioner may need a spacer added. Hopefully you will get in touch with Joe & he can enlighten you. I never thought this mod was so difficult, until your post.

Edit: Maybe there is a spacer/washer between the tensioner pulley and the tensioner arm that needs removed.

1SlowHoe

iTrader: (28)

Ya, who knew this was so complicated? I looked through some other HD tensioner pics and they look just like mine as far as where the pulley sits on the tensioner and spacing. So I think it's the spacer. I may be using a T-Mac spacer on an IW idler so that could be the poblem.
I'm sure if you buy the whole kit direct from T-Mac at one time you wouldn't have any issues.

1SlowHoe

iTrader: (28)

I've come to the conclusion (with several PM's between TXBlownTBSS and I) that the idlers I have are IW. The spacers I have are T-Mac. They don't play well together. I ordered 2 new T-Mac idler pulleys tonight. Hopefully they ship tomorrow and I can check it out soon.

CAM-T

You are correct in your conclusion. The T-Mac pulleys use a larger bearing suited for higher loads, and is centered in the bearing for optimal bearing life. This is why the spacers and pulleys can not be mixed. Also, all of T-Mac's idler pulleys are clear coated so the aluminum in the pulley is not transferred to the belt. This feature works great when using the green, Fleetrunner Mico-V HD belts. Uncoated pulleys transfer the uluminum to the belt causing it to turn black. It doesn't affect performance, just the look.

Spacers 1 & 2 are the correct ones for the T-Mac pulleys. Spacer 1 is for the 3 1/2" smooth (non-shouldered) idler and #2 is for the 3" shouldered idler.

The tensioner pulley has the bearing slightly offset from center so it can be mounted from either direction. This is a nice feature to obtain the best possible alignment of the belt system.

I hope this clears things up for you. As stated earlier, Joe (LeftCoast'32) can help you out with any questions you mave have or send me a PM.

Blown06

iTrader: (32)

Agreed, the extra ribs are generally added to the outside of the pulleys.

After going through this same conversion on my procharger, I'll offer some pointers.

First, never assume that the pulley's were perfectly lined up to begin with, they likely weren't. Saying that all the pulleys just added ribs to the outside so they should just line back up rarely works.

Second, invest in a laser pulley alignment tool. I use the one gates makes and it will save you a ton of headaches. Tip: Find the cheapest place to buy online, call jegs and they will match the price. That way you can buy from a reputable dealer and still get the ridiculous price. This is what I did and I got mine for around $110.

Third, order of pulley installation is key. Start with the crank, then do the power steering as you do have adjustment with that one as you press it on. Once those two are lined up perfectly start working your way out, ending with the pulley furthest from the crank. Use the laser tool and don't move to the next pulley until the one you are working on is perfect. Try to align each pulley off the crank with the laser and then double check against the other pulleys. As you work this can become impossible as there may not be a line of sight from the crank to all the pulleys.

Fourth, if you using the stock water pump/pulley, have it tig welded on by someone who knows what they are doing. Trust me, that 8-rib belt will rip it right off. True story.

Fifth, don't be afraid to shim some stuff to get it aligned properly. Joe at left coast swore to me that I'd be able to bolt the tensioner right up and it should align perfectly with the crank. Mine did not. No fault of his, everybody's combo is different. Hence the reason I'm telling you to check yours.

1SlowHoe

iTrader: (28)

Ok, I got the T-Mac spacers in. Makes all the difference when you have the right parts. I used my scientific coaster again so you can see that the lean is almost eliminated. I'd say it's square enough to not cause me problems. I also flipped the HD tensioner pulley which helped. I had no idea they were made with an offset to adjust the way they sat until CAM-T posted in this thread. Pretty smart thinking I'd say.
The clearance from the shouldered pulley to the bracket is about .050 from what I could measure. The clearance on the non-shouldered I couldn't measure but you can see in the pic its pretty close as well. All in all I think this part is figured out.

CAM-T

Everything looks great. The angle on the coaster from the tensioner pulley to the shouldered idler is intentional. Both idler pulleys are wider than the ribbed pulleys so the belt does not come in contact the the idler shoulders. Looks like you're set to go. Keep us posted.