Well this should settle the debate about replacing your stock idler pulleys... Luckily I was only a few miles from the house when it happened.
Exploded Idler Pulley
- Thread starter SnakeBoostE85
- Start date
^^^^ Glad the belt didn't break and leave you stranded.
My question is how many miles is on your car and when was the last time you replaced the bearing in that idler?
My question is how many miles is on your car and when was the last time you replaced the bearing in that idler?
This. It happens more than you think.
57K - I have never replaced the bearings.
So from an engineering stand point, what's actually happening here? I just don't see the physics causing this to happen. The bearing on the pulley that blew is fine, spins nicely no resistance.
Stock blower and pulley?
Oh hell no... Its a 2.9L Whipple with a 3.0 pulley. I only installed the snub idler to increase the belt wrap.
There’s the issue.
Right but what's actually happening here from an physics/engineering stand point?
More boost, more tension/pressure on the idlers.
heat crack..they are thin..
Being stamped steel probably doesn’t help. And how do you have such a heavily modded high hp car and still rock the stock idlers?? One let go on me with under or around 20k miles and I was only a 2.80” upper only, not even the 2.76..
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I can't tell you how many people I've told to replace their stamped steel idlers when they mod to this extent. It's not so much IF an idler will explode, it's WHEN an idler will explode. OP was very fortunate the belt didn't snap as well, and that it didn't happen late night in the boonies.
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