Heavy duty belt tensioner

[Orpedcrow]

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression - that smooth idler pulley from the hydraulic kit is off a 2010 6.0 gas engine. It's an extra idler that is included when they install accessory bracketry to add a big hydraulic pump to the belt drive setup, and of course also a longer belt.

Back to your setup, I'd be concerned about getting the right parts. A smooth pulley where a grooved one belongs, or vice-versa, would probably not be good. You're working on a 2000 W3500 with the 5.7.. that's the tilt cab chassis right? All four of the tensioners that Rock shows for that application have the smooth pulley. Gates, Dayco, AC Delco, and Continental.

The Gates and AC Delco have notes that say "Fan, Alternator, Power Steering and Air Conditioning" - does your engine have any other belt-driven accessory besides those? Or is it possible you saw a grooved idler pulley and mis-remembered?

What makes it more confusing is if you look up the pulley separate from the tensioner - both smooth and ribbed are offered. Same goes for the idler pulley.

Richard

I gave the wrong impression also… it’s a 97 1/2 ton with the 5.7, I was checking Gates’ catalog for a heavy duty cross reference and found the 2000 w3500 to have a 5.7 but with a smooth pulley.

They claim their fleet tensioners have pulleys that are machined instead of molded plastic and better bearings.

I haven’t throughly studied them side by side but, If the tensioner part is the same but a “heavy duty” version I could use that and the plastic pulley but then I still have a plastic pulley.

This got me too thinking about billet pulley kits or maybe an under drive kit like l31express has mentioned in a couple posts, but haven’t found much in that direction besides the shiny chrome “serpentine retrofit” kits for $1500

I have ZERO “need” for anything heavy duty on this truck other than to say I have heavy duty things on my truck, but would like the possible benefit of a longer service life and reliability from said “heavy duty” things.

Lowered half ton 2wd daily driver.

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[L31MaxExpress]

I gave the wrong impression also… it’s a 97 1/2 ton with the 5.7, I was checking Gates’ catalog for a heavy duty cross reference and found the 2000 w3500 to have a 5.7 but with a smooth pulley.

They claim their fleet tensioners have pulleys that are machined instead of molded plastic and better bearings.

I haven’t throughly studied them side by side but, If the tensioner part is the same but a “heavy duty” version I could use that and the plastic pulley but then I still have a plastic pulley.

This got me too thinking about billet pulley kits or maybe an under drive kit like l31express has mentioned in a couple posts, but haven’t found much in that direction besides the shiny chrome “serpentine retrofit” kits for $1500

I have ZERO “need” for anything heavy duty on this truck other than to say I have heavy duty things on my truck, but would like the possible benefit of a longer service life and reliability from said “heavy duty” things.

Lowered half ton 2wd daily driver.

You must be registered for see images attach

The underdrive setup is from March Performance. They have 2 different part numbers. One for an alternator with an internal cooling fan and a second for an alternator with an external fan.

My AD244 has an internal cooling fan, thus this set is what is on it. This is the setup on my Express van and has been for years. I have not noticed any ill effects or issues with the accessories turning more slowly. Then again my engine has always idled higher than the factory setup because it has been cammed for years. Even with a dual evaporator ac system the compressor cycles frequently at highway speeds. Some people who have never run underdrives want to claim that it causes charging system issues, warmer ac temps, etc and it simply has not been something that I have noticed or experienced.

March Performance 4490 March Performance Late GM Power and Amp Series Pulley Kits | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - March Performance Late GM Power and Amp Series Pulley Kits with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Pulley Kits at Summit Racing.

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[Orpedcrow]

The underdrive setup is from March Performance. They have 2 different part numbers. One for an alternator with an internal cooling fan and a second for an alternator with an external fan.

My AD244 has an internal cooling fan, thus this set is what is on it. This is the setup on my Express van and has been for years. I have not noticed any ill effects or issues with the accessories turning more slowly. Then again my engine has always idled higher than the factory setup because it has been cammed for years. Even with a dual evaporator ac system the compressor cycles frequently at highway speeds. Some people who have never run underdrives want to claim that it causes charging system issues, warmer ac temps, etc and it simply has not been something that I have noticed or experienced.

March Performance 4490 March Performance Late GM Power and Amp Series Pulley Kits | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - March Performance Late GM Power and Amp Series Pulley Kits with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Pulley Kits at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

Thanks I was looking for those. I’ll still keep looking for a complete billet pulley set.

I mean, SOMEBODYS got to make a metal, grooved tensioner pulley

 

[someotherguy]

Thanks I was looking for those. I’ll still keep looking for a complete billet pulley set.

I mean, SOMEBODYS got to make a metal, grooved tensioner pulley

Swear I can recall a day when they were this way from OEM. They had a weird diagonal split across the grooves though, not sure what process they were using to make these pulleys, like maybe it was a grooved flat piece that was cut and bent round. Definitely not machined out of a steel billet. Am I remembering this incorrectly?

Richard

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Swear I can recall a day when they were this way from OEM. They had a weird diagonal split across the grooves though, not sure what process they were using to make these pulleys, like maybe it was a grooved flat piece that was cut and bent round. Definitely not machined out of a steel billet. Am I remembering this incorrectly?

Richard

No, I remember seeing those too, and wondered about how that was made. I guess an angled seam would be smoother than a straight one....

 

[someotherguy]

No, I remember seeing those too, and wondered about how that was made. I guess an angled seam would be smoother than a straight one....

When someone gets as old as I am you begin to doubt your memory. I remember a LOT.. I mean an unbelievable amount of details about a lot of different things. I'm an encyclopedia of mostly useless knowledge, and every once in a while when I find a little bit of it could be useful, I start to question whether or not I remembered it correctly after all those years, LOL

Richard

 

[Orpedcrow]

Swear I can recall a day when they were this way from OEM. They had a weird diagonal split across the grooves though, not sure what process they were using to make these pulleys, like maybe it was a grooved flat piece that was cut and bent round. Definitely not machined out of a steel billet. Am I remembering this incorrectly?

Richard

Kinda like those “Gatorback” belts?

 

[Erik the Awful]

Some people who have never run underdrives want to claim that it causes charging system issues, warmer ac temps, etc and it simply has not been something that I have noticed or experienced.

+1. If you're going to be idling for an hour on a 110 degree day with the AC on with a marginal cooling system, underdrive might be an issue. If you keep your stuff in shape, it's not a problem.

 

[Orpedcrow]

I’ve always been under the impression that an underdrive system spun the alternator faster for better charging stability at idle.

Of course it’s possible that I’m confusing that information with aftermarket alternators I’ve seen designed to have better idle performance.

 

[Erik the Awful]

An underdrive slows down everything in relation to the crankshaft. It "frees up horsepower". If you have an extremely high-revving engine it also keeps the water pump from cavitating.