Serpentine belts stretch, dude. I'd really like to know how you are going to account for this aspect without a tensioner. If these belts didn't stretch, then it would have been a simple matter for GM to retain the adjustable alternator mount (like on a V-belt system), for you to adjust the tension on the belt once, and then forget about it.

Fact is, you can't do it that way. You can try, but it won't make your day when your serpentine belt comes flying off on the freeway as you stomp on the gas when passing that truck in the slow lane.

 

Yep I know all about that one - I musta thrown 6 or 7 alternator V belts while gettin my Z running last year, it just didnt like 6500rpm Which is why this time round I'd like to get the serpentine setup, 7200rpm redline and warped V belt brackets = say byebye to your belts.

 

I was just thinking - if you were to use an electric water pump, such as the CSI billet water pump, and fabricate some sorta bracket that mounts an aftermarket OEM replacement belt tensioner to the water pump, u may be able to get it to work without having to worry about flow direction or anything like that. If you can weld, then such a bracket shouldnt be difficult to fabricate.

 

Interesting idea.....I'm tempted to try it but I don't much like the idea of running an electric water pump on a daily driven car. They just burn up too fast.

For that matter, you could get a tensioner thats made to ride on the INSIDE of the belt and fab a bracket for it to mount above the water pump. You'd get plenty of contact area on the water pump pulley and it would really clean up the engine bay.....

My idea is this: I want to get one of those Weiand 144cid roots blowers (interesting how they run on a 6-rib serpentine just like our stock belt system) and fab an idler pulley mount on the pass. head to pull the belt out to the right and keep it off the WP pulley....running the blower on the same belt as the accessories and utilizing the blower's own tensioner. The belt would run (clockwise from the front) crank, idler, blower, tensioner, alt, PS, WP, crank. It may be necessary to put an idler pulley between the tensioner and alt...I'd have to try it to see if there's enough contact area on the alt pulley to keep it from slipping. It would be a very clean looking setup (since you rarely see blower systems with less than 2 belts, and those only with centrifugal blowers.) The major problem is that I don't have 2 grand to pay for the blower.

 

so guys if i got the delete pulley, it would basically replace the ac pulley right? and would i really be looking at 30 extra hp? that sounds a little much...

 

The A/C really DOES drain 20 or more horse, but only when the compressor is running. AS compared to a compressor that's turned off you'll gain probably 4-5hp. You'll also lose a large chunk of dead weight which will make the gain more noticeable.

 

When you turn on you ac, notice your engine lug down 100-200rpm? How much horsepower do u think it takes to run the ac that'll cause a 100-200rpm stress on the motor? About 20-25hp, so yes, removing the a/c does give you a decent amount of power gain, not to mention, that #8 header bolt is a snap to get to without the AC in the way

As for Electric Water Pump - both CSI, Mezierre and Proform have streetable water pumps, I'd like to run an electric pump on mine, imagine all the drag you're removing from your belts, but I just don't feel the need to spend $250 on a pump now ($150 for the Proform, 35gpm, looks like the CSI one but $100 less).

 

Yeah that's a bit pricey.....