Idler Pulley Debate

[Black Gold 380R]

^^^ I here you CJ and I appreciate your advice. However, since I'm not spending money on new superchargers or boost a pumps and all that, I went ahead and ordered the new inner set just now. I want all my pulley's to match and I think they look awesome to boot. Besides, I said from the beginning that I was looking for a complete kit. I think I have found everything except the 8 rib pulley that goes on the tensioner on the supercharge side (The one where the belt contact surface has the ribs). It seems Metco has the 6 rib for the inner set up, but not the 8 rib for the outer set up. Oh well, being it's the outer one I'm having issues with it will be easy to replace down the road if I find one.

Thanks again for all your help and advice everyone. I know what I will be posting in the "what did you do to your terminator today" thread next..............

 

[GodStang]

I have seen many people replace both the inners and the outers. As said above the issue is the stress from the Twin Screw/Eaton sitting on top and us guys/gals running tighter belts not to get belt slip applying stress above and beyond what the factory designed the pulleys for. The inner belt does not get any of this stress and 99% of the time keeps the same stress as the factory designs.

 

[cj428mach]

^^^ I here you CJ and I appreciate your advice. However, since I'm not spending money on new superchargers or boost a pumps and all that, I went ahead and ordered the new inner set just now. I want all my pulley's to match and I think they look awesome to boot. Besides, I said from the beginning that I was looking for a complete kit. I think I have found everything except the 8 rib pulley that goes on the tensioner on the supercharge side (The one where the belt contact surface has the ribs). It seems Metco has the 6 rib for the inner set up, but not the 8 rib for the outer set up. Oh well, being it's the outer one I'm having issues with it will be easy to replace down the road if I find one.

Thanks again for all your help and advice everyone. I know what I will be posting in the "what did you do to your terminator today" thread next..............

I believe the 8 rib pulley for the tensioner is a 76mm, and last time I checked Metco sells an 8 rib 76mm idler pulley.

 

[GodStang]

I believe the 8 rib pulley for the tensioner is a 76mm, and last time I checked Metco sells an 8 rib 76mm idler pulley.

Accessory drive from Metco:

http://www.metcomotorsports.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MCI-AD

Just the 76mm

http://www.metcomotorsports.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MIP-76&cat=99

 

[Bdubbs]

Like others mentioned it's all about tension and the load being put on the blower idlers. Why do people break stock belt tensioners on the blower side, but not the accessory one? Hence why people upgrade that tensioner or put a metco brace on. This isn't rocket science.

 

[roy_1031]

Here is a pic of how my stock outer pulley looked like and where it failed and came undone. The bearing was not seized and still is in perfect working order. I can't recall exactly, but I had around 20k miles on the clock when it happened. Stock lower and 2.80 upper on a eaton at 13.8 psi on STOCK IDLERS. Now I'm rocking the dual bearing Metco idlers paired with 3.0 up pulley and a 4lb lower pulley cranking 22psi through a tvs.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Posi]

^This.

 

[SID297]

Gotta love the factory exploding idlers.

 

[04sleeper]

These guys are spot on. I have seen even bone stock cars have the idlers come apart. A MUST upgrade for 03-04 Cobra.

I was tuning a Whipple 2.3 car on the street and had one fly apart and sparks and pieces of belt flew out the hood vents! Good thing I had my old stock pulley to give him so he wasn't stranded.

 

[CobraBob]

^^^ Yeah, I have to agree. You rarely hear of folks here changing their inner idler pulleys. So the risk of inner idler pulley failure is very low. But I can understand an owner preferring to replace all of their idler pulleys with aftermarket billet pulleys, even if it were a bit overkill.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

I believe the 8 rib pulley for the tensioner is a 76mm, and last time I checked Metco sells an 8 rib 76mm idler pulley.

I looked at that one CJ. The belt contact surface on that pulley is smooth. I need the belt contact surface to have the grooves/ribs for the outer tensioner.

 

[03 Indy Cobra]

Black Gold 380R, Try Thump racing. They make a belt tensioner for our cars that uses the grooved pulley. They also make a 76mm pulley that could be used for the tensioner. Here's the link.

http://www.thumpracing.com/grooved_pulleys.htm

 

[modFTW]

Metco is definitely the way to go. Their customer service is top notch and the quality is 100. There is a distributor on the forum that can get you the double ball bearing idlers for $400 shipped. That's what I use and love the love and the quality.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

Okay, after listening to everyone and doing research on what was out there these came in the mail yesterday.

I will install them once I get my coupe back from the body shop.

Inner belt system from Metco (I even got a new decal for my tool box)

Outer belt system from LFP. They look exactly like the Metco ones. I'm assuming Metco makes these for LFP. LFP screwed up on shipping these out promptly, so they upgraded me to double roller bearings for free (SWEET!!)

 

[Black Gold 380R]

Okay everyone I just got off the phone with Metco. I sent an email asking if they had the 76mm tensioner pulley with 8 rib/grooves. I received a reply telling me they do have it, but it is "NOT" listed on their website. I was given a PN (MTP0003) and a price ($119.99) NOTE: This is the double-bearing pulley. Then I was told to call them to place my order if I wanted it.

So, I called and now I have the 76mm grooved tensioner pulley on the way!!! So, now ALL my pulley's will be Metco.

I highly recommend you give them a call for all your pulley needs. GREAT folks indeed and my quest to upgrade all my idler/tensioner pulley's is complete!!!

 

[roy_1031]

Have fun taking that lower cage off


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bdubbs]

Looks can be deceiving, I would have gone metco dual bearing out the outer belt drive.

 

[Wicked46]

Great choice on the Metco pulleys. They can't be beat and the folks at Metco are great people!

 

[Wicked46]

Also, Metco does NOT make the pulleys for LFP. Like others have mentioned, I would have spent a couple extra bucks and went with the METCO all around.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

Looks can be deceiving, I would have gone metco dual bearing out the outer belt drive.

Well I guess they fooled me Bdub as they look identical, which is why I assumed Metco made them for LFP. I think the LFP pulley's will work for me just the same because my engine set up is pretty much stock (stock blower and pulley).

Have fun taking that lower cage off.

I hear you Roy. Been there done that on my vert. I will use the same technique that worked for me the last time. Step son will hold the breaker bar with jack handle extension. While he uses his body weight to pull the handle I will use a brass punch and hammer to provide some shock to the pulley and hopefully it will break free as it did on my vert.