belt routing without ac

[copernicusd]

Im asking this question because i removed the ac on my vehicle, possibly also need a new belt tensioner
so, I dont like the big bracket thats still there from the ac, but you need it because of the belt tensioner, do you really need a belt tensioner, on the old chevys you adjusted tension with a prybar on the alternator, shouldnt there be some way of doing that, and eliminating the whole bracket for the ac and belt tensioner, wether this means making some new bracket for the alternator or not
any thoughts, am i crazy for wanting to get rid of a belt tensioner, are they that great, even if i could still use it, but get rid of some of the bracket, but not need the extra pulley that i had to put on when i removed ac

 

[Swims350]

aint gonna happen, no slots for adjustment on these, gotta have the tensioner.

If yours is black steel brackets like mine, there's a special non a/c tensioner bracket, hard to find, and the black support rod is different. The non a/c setup at least on the 88-90's or so early trucks uses a 4 rib serp belt and the a/c uses a 6 rib. The a/c tensioner worked for me on mine, but I had to buy a new idler pulley for the tensioner, one with grooves in it, had to buy one for a mustang 4 cyl. to be the right outside dia. and such to work, to use 6 rib.

Now you can buy an a/c bypass pulley and use all your stock belt size and everything, and that's the way to go on the newer ones with alum. brackets.

my setup without a/c looks like this now, you can see the bracket and such..

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[copernicusd]

yeah, i have the aluminum brackets and bypass pulley, just feel its a waste of space thought
but i just found a 99 vortec engine thinking about checking out, and it looks like those everythings in a different place