Progress made on HD tensioner...
 

Started off with a Gates 38518 tensioner from Rock Auto:

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...ates_38518.jpg

See pg2 for tensioner specs:
http://www.goodyearep.com/uploadedFi...ifications.pdf

Then with the info shared here by BigKID and schino and some tweaking of a drawing by the Design Engineer at my office, I have a friend working on machining a bracket for it. The CNC went down right after he got started so he ended up having to make it manually. He said the back would've had smoother transitions if done on the CNC, but I'm very happy with the results. He's rounding off the corners on another CNC later today.

Front:
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...cket_front.jpg

Back:
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...acket_back.jpg

Test fitting tomorrow...noting any clearance concerns we may have...
also marking the location for the indexing pin hole. :thumb:

I would add a couple of extra indexing holes at 20 degrees either side of what you think you'll need. This way you can adjust where the tensioner bottoms out if need be. You don't want the belt slamming the tensioner at the ends of its travel when you get hard on the gas or let off.

Cleaned up w/ radius corners...

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...HD_bracket.jpg

Looks great!

looking good!

Looks good. Wish I had access to a CNC machine. Not sure what I would use it for but im sure I could find something LOL

Thanks guys!
Update tomorrow! :)

Tell him to make a few more, you qualify to sell in the member made section ;)

Update:
One of the steps on the back hit the water pump so a little milling tonight and she should be good to go! :D

+1 :nod:

Looks great! In for final results.

installed.

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w..._installed.jpg

Nice work!

Thanks!
Gotta pick-up a longer bolt tomorrow to mount tensioner to bracket.
Friend that made the bracket went ahead and put several indexing pin holes around the mounting pad of the bracket to increase it's adjustability.
Will post a pic tomorrow.

That's indexed differently from how mine did...

But I guess that's why you put all the indexing hole in it ;)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y57...6/photo-82.jpg

Yeah, I was busy @ a job-site all day yesterday and was keeping in touch thru text as they were mounting it. The clocking of it was the FIRST thing I asked about when he sent me that pic. He said it needed to be @ 11 o'clock. Is that pic from the ProCharger set-up you had briefly?
I'm gonna stop by and look at it tomorrow...didn't get a chance to today.

Actually it was a Kenne Bell, but yes. That was the 8 rib setup I ran.

I made it by the shop tonight before they left and took a look at it. It definitely needs to be clocked @ +/-1:00 w/o belt which should place it it @ +/- 3:00 w/ belt.
Index pin hole @ 6:00 should do this. The reason it was @ 11:00 in the photo was to allow them to use the laser alignment tool and be able to hit the idler and crank pulleys with it.

kb, BigKID and schino...
That's about the same index pin hole location you guys ended up with as well, correct?

yeah mine sits at about 2:30 or so with the belt on. i put the pin hole in a place so that if it were up against the stop the belt would be close to the point of rubbing on the hub of the tensioner. if you have it too verticle with no belt when the belt stretches it will rub

With the belt on, my tensioner sits ~2:00. The pin locator hole in the bracket is ~5:30. However, my setup has an idler at ~1:00 very close to the tensioner. I believe the Procharger keeps the stock belt routing in this area going from the crank>tensioner>idler under alt, so your final positioning may be indexed differently depending on belt length. You want the tensioner to be in the top half of the tension range with the belt on.
There is some good discussion on tensioner force representation in schino's tensioner thread... https://www.performancetrucks.net/fo...sioner-486308/

If anyone is interested in one of these brackets, just let me know.
I'll talk to the guy that made it for me about possibly offering them here in the member made section as suggested.

Ill probably need one once I get the Procharger.

Some of you may not have noticed, but the tensioner mounted in the pic is not the Gates 38518 from the original post. It's a Dayco 89415. We were able to find it a little bit cheaper than the Gates.

It's installed, but... How is it working out?

Tuner couldn't make it last week and shop was swamped due to a track day this past Saturday....hopefully I'll have an update on it this week.

You have a PM

Post results once it's done.

I would be interested as well :)

Should have the new tensioner bracket tomorrow...the fully CNC'd one. :pimp:
Anyone ever experience or heard of someone having an alternator bracket breaking a mounting ear?
I assume it happened when we threw the belt on the dyno a few weeks ago.
Having to fix that today.:bang:

One delay after another has postponed results, but...
belt and tensioner are now on and tensioner should now be indexed where it needs to be...pulley sits at 75%+ of full travel w/ belt on...w/ about 2" of available travel, stretchwise...using K061099...full belt routing laser aligned.
Now that the LSXRT is installed, we're finishing up the fuel supply, fpr and return lines this week as well as steam vent lines and we should be able to fire her up and see how well she does :D

Attachment 136109

Bad ass man lookin for some good results :D

so whats the point? is it stronger then the stock tensioner? also if your going to sell then whats your price?

The HD tensioner is much stronger then the stock one, it also allows the use of a 8 rib belt with a steel pulley. They do look like a nice piece.

When the belt stretches under load, the action of this tensioner w/ a much stronger spring doesn't seem near as violent...which should help with belt slip, throwing of the belt and breaking of the belt.
Keep in mind that I'm attempting to continue using a 6-rib belt. :eyes:
Kinda like when I thought I'd be the one to NOT have to changeover from a 4L60e to a 4L80e. :twak:

They don't toss belts as easy as a stock one. I have had a HD tensioner on both my blower setups.

so are these brackets available yet?

bracket has held up fine during numerous test runs :D

haha, looking forward to when I have to get mine.

You and me both bye bye belt slip..i'm also still runnin a 6 rib setup.

hey hows the bracket holding up? whats the price and are they for sale yet?