I removed my AC and smog pump, but I am now curious how I am to route my belt in order to allow the tensioner to do it's job? Duhh, Im dumbfounded here - any help is appreciated!!!! Thanks in advance!

 

Like this maybe?

 

That pic has removal of the P-Steering pump and Smog pump.

I thought about this the other day and after seeing that pic, it can be done without an idler pulley where the AC goes, right? It looks like the tensioner would still work correctly if the belt came off the crank and went right up to the tensioner, then over to the Alternator, down and under the P/S pump, up and over the water pump and down under the crank again.

I'll try it soon I think. if the A/C isn't cold this summer it's getting tossed. haha Minus 40 some pounds.

 

Will the tensioner still perform properly using this method?

 

Not if you don't change the belt length.

 

I have the exact same problem. I removed the A/C and the Smog from my serp, and i spent hours trying to figure out what to do. I knew it couldn't stay in the same arrangement without adding an idler pulley, (which seems frivilous to me to remove clutter just to add some more)

so what i am in the process of doing is modifing the A/C braket to hold the Alt. This keeps the Alt spinning in the same direction it was, and then the serp belt can go under the tensionor as normal, around the water pump to the PS pump and then down to the crank, and it will *JUST* clear again to make it back up to the ALt again.

This requires a shorter belt, i'm afriad, and i have NOT got it all back together yet, but it is my solution for the problem.

 

...Or get rid of the idler pulley too like I did
http://www.team3rdgen.com/images/upload/engine4a.JPG

 

two questions about that setup:

1) does that tiny bit of belt on the water pump ever slip?

2) how do you mount it and keep it TIGHT with no tensioner?

With no tensioner, it would seem like after 50 miles, the belt would slip all over the place...