Throwing drive belt......which Tensioner ?
Youve gotta think of it like this...youve got 8 little midgets pulling on a rope in tug of war. on the other side is a big fat guy holding on and just standing there. they all keep pulling on it, but it wont move the fat guy, but each time they give a heave, he sways a little bit. sure the belt is tight, but its still moving. now you take the fat guy out of it and you connect the rope to a hook on a huge brick wall. as much as those 8 little midgets can pull, nothing is going to happen to that wall
Last edited by cjmatt; Apr 9, 2010 at 07:19 AM.
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
I don't care to think about it anymore 
My car is high hp, spin it to 7200 rpms, and it is a 6-speed........My belt stays on with stock tensioner and $14 pulley.
But I'm sure if you want to go spend $100 on aftermarket tensioner it will work also
My car is high hp, spin it to 7200 rpms, and it is a 6-speed........My belt stays on with stock tensioner and $14 pulley.
But I'm sure if you want to go spend $100 on aftermarket tensioner it will work also
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
Belt tension is specified in the instructions at 25 ft-lbs. Over-torquing can cause failure of the pulley bearings, but if you follow the instructions you'll have no problems. We recommend periodically checking belt tension, but my experience has been that even after over a year the tension is still perfect. As somebody already corrected, the price is now $119.99. If you're wondering what the difference is between the Comp cams tensioner and the Katech tensioner, it's the laser etched logo. Both are manufactured right here at Katech.
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
I think the guys talking about belt and bearing wear were blower cars (which the solid tensioners aren't recomended for)
I'm keen on a Katech tensioner but the shipping to New Zealand is a bit of a killer on your site.
Put a Katech on my car several years ago after I had to borrow a wrench from a friend with a FORD to fix my car when the belt jumped. 
I've put 3 different engines in the car, been nitrous and turbo, but never needed to replace a belt, or had a single issue. It's a quality piece, looks nice and does it's job. I wish everything I bought for my car was all that.
I've put 3 different engines in the car, been nitrous and turbo, but never needed to replace a belt, or had a single issue. It's a quality piece, looks nice and does it's job. I wish everything I bought for my car was all that.
The belt wraps inward and outward....if anything the centrigual force is canceled out.
.
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Verdad Gallardo [QUOTE=cjmatt;13161668]belts dont stretch. [/quoe]
WRONG.
A new belt lands the stock factory spring loaded tensioner in a certain spot on the indicator. After 6 months that indicator will read LOOSER as the belt STRETCHES.......FACT. Thats why there's an indicator on the factory tensioner.
GM doesn't design everything well, that completely suck at alot of things.
Not quite accurate. There's alot of things that require constant tension to function properly and to last longer. If you simply STOP the ridiculous bouncing of the tensioner, which pulls constantly on the belt, it won't stretch. IT WILL LAST A LONG TIME.
Mine has over 140,000 miles and it looks new and hasen't stetched 1 single millimeter.
.
WRONG.
A new belt lands the stock factory spring loaded tensioner in a certain spot on the indicator. After 6 months that indicator will read LOOSER as the belt STRETCHES.......FACT. Thats why there's an indicator on the factory tensioner.
GM doesn't design everything well, that completely suck at alot of things.
Youve gotta think of it like this...youve got 8 little midgets pulling on a rope in tug of war. on the other side is a big fat guy holding on and just standing there. they all keep pulling on it, but it wont move the fat guy, but each time they give a heave, he sways a little bit. sure the belt is tight, but its still moving. now you take the fat guy out of it and you connect the rope to a hook on a huge brick wall. as much as those 8 little midgets can pull, nothing is going to happen to that wall
Mine has over 140,000 miles and it looks new and hasen't stetched 1 single millimeter.
.
[QUOTE=LS6427;13177130] whats actually happening is that the belt is wearing on the inside, polishing itself in essense, and it removes material, making its inside diameter longer.
belts dont stretch. [/quoe]
WRONG.
A new belt lands the stock factory spring loaded tensioner in a certain spot on the indicator. After 6 months that indicator will read LOOSER as the belt STRETCHES.......FACT. Thats why there's an indicator on the factory tensioner.
GM doesn't design everything well, that completely suck at alot of things.
Not quite accurate. There's alot of things that require constant tension to function properly and to last longer. If you simply STOP the ridiculous bouncing of the tensioner, which pulls constantly on the belt, it won't stretch. IT WILL LAST A LONG TIME.
Mine has over 140,000 miles and it looks new and hasen't stetched 1 single millimeter.
.
WRONG.
A new belt lands the stock factory spring loaded tensioner in a certain spot on the indicator. After 6 months that indicator will read LOOSER as the belt STRETCHES.......FACT. Thats why there's an indicator on the factory tensioner.
GM doesn't design everything well, that completely suck at alot of things.
Not quite accurate. There's alot of things that require constant tension to function properly and to last longer. If you simply STOP the ridiculous bouncing of the tensioner, which pulls constantly on the belt, it won't stretch. IT WILL LAST A LONG TIME.
Mine has over 140,000 miles and it looks new and hasen't stetched 1 single millimeter.
.
[QUOTE=cjmatt;13182089] Yup, that too. A bouncing tensioner allows slippage, which is what causes that inside to also wear down from unnecessary friction from the slippage.
.
.
Belt tension is specified in the instructions at 25 ft-lbs. Over-torquing can cause failure of the pulley bearings, but if you follow the instructions you'll have no problems. We recommend periodically checking belt tension, but my experience has been that even after over a year the tension is still perfect. As somebody already corrected, the price is now $119.99. If you're wondering what the difference is between the Comp cams tensioner and the Katech tensioner, it's the laser etched logo. Both are manufactured right here at Katech.
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
I had problems throwing my belt after my turbo install 2 yrs ago. Raced a Cobra, beat him, but threw my belt. Called Jason up the next day and picked up the Katech tensioner. He's a great guy to deal with. And I've NEVER had a single problem since installing this. I DD & roadtrip the car with the current set-up. Over 2 yrs and 25k miles are on it so far.
Thanks for posting that. I gotta recheck my belt tension this spring and couldn't find my instruction sheet.
Belt tension is specified in the instructions at 25 ft-lbs. Over-torquing can cause failure of the pulley bearings, but if you follow the instructions you'll have no problems. We recommend periodically checking belt tension, but my experience has been that even after over a year the tension is still perfect. As somebody already corrected, the price is now $119.99. If you're wondering what the difference is between the Comp cams tensioner and the Katech tensioner, it's the laser etched logo. Both are manufactured right here at Katech.
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
http://store.katechengines.com/bille...sioner-p2.aspx
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
Okay,
Got my Kateck tensioner, easy install (easier to get the belt on than the factory unit) looks great in black bolted to my black Mezier water pump.
will be giving it a good run this weekend and will report back, but i'm confident all my belt usues are a thing of the past.
Big thanks to Jason @ Katech !!
Got my Kateck tensioner, easy install (easier to get the belt on than the factory unit) looks great in black bolted to my black Mezier water pump.
will be giving it a good run this weekend and will report back, but i'm confident all my belt usues are a thing of the past.
Big thanks to Jason @ Katech !!
The KATECH solid tensioner is actually $119 and it now comes with a pulley FWIW. Check out the site. Also have never heard of solid tensioners being hard on bearings as long as you adjust them correctly from the get go. The loss of HP would be minimal if any. Again if its adjusted right from the start there shouldnt be much difference besides not having to deal with thrown belts.
