Belt Tension on a Vortex with Gilmer Drive System
Belt Tension on a Vortex with Gilmer Drive System
Author
Discussion

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Sunday 22nd November 2009
quotequote all
Been adjusting it myself as i had a damaged belt, there is a massive difference between cold and hot, I've set it up hot with a little bit of tension. Anyone got a guide for this please.

Also the belt at the moment seems to be at the front of the crank pulley and I am sure it was in the middle before, any ideas? does it move or will it stay in the position where it was fitted?

TerryS

1,382 posts

279 months

Sunday 22nd November 2009
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Want to swap with my 8 rib? (Easier to maintain )

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Sunday 22nd November 2009
quotequote all
Nah, it used to slip.

V8HSV

2,457 posts

283 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
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Mark at Rapid used to tighten it very tight so that you could not depress the belt with your finger hardly when cold, when Monkfish adjusted it there was a lot less tension. Not sure which is the best but would get off the fence and say tighten it up quite taught to stop the belt fraying at the edges.

stevieturbo

18,103 posts

278 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
If the belt is walking there are alignment issues.

A cogged belt wont need to be anywhere near as tight as a ribbed belt. Although a lot depends on belt control available ( ie idlers and placement ).Often you may need to run tighter than ideal due to lack of control.

Either way, the edges should not fray, as they should never touch anything to get damaged. A car timing belt doesnt walk, nor do the edges fray.

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
I was wondering if it moves at all from where it is installed, if it's too tight then the SC bracket would flex (after it's hot as it all expands and the belt gets tighter) and the belt would move towards the front of the car. I just adjusted the spacers on the guide as it was too far forward, now it's central with both pullies. It was about 8mm out because the bolt was too long, I cut it down and removed a spacer between the bracket.

I adjusted it hot but now it's cold there's loads of play, an inch or more?

We adjust again and see what it's like.

Need to work out a way of checking the alignment without taking all the fans out again as that was a pain.

V8HSV

2,457 posts

283 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
stevieturbo said:
If the belt is walking there are alignment issues.

A cogged belt wont need to be anywhere near as tight as a ribbed belt. Although a lot depends on belt control available ( ie idlers and placement ).Often you may need to run tighter than ideal due to lack of control.

Either way, the edges should not fray, as they should never touch anything to get damaged. A car timing belt doesnt walk, nor do the edges fray.
Thanks for that clarification stevieturbo, mine is misaligned for sure

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
Mine sits at the front of the crank pulley, don't matter where it starts off it always ends up at the front. Never had a frayed belt though. It sits fine on the tensioner and sc pulley. I need to move it back some how as it's touching the fan mounting slightly or maybe it'll just wear to a point, will keep my eye on it. Still not 100% about the tension though, does anyone make an auto tensioner?. They look in line too, used a straight edge but not 100% sure. Could when the brackets flex but not worked out how I could shim the sc as the bolts are around a semi circle so would need 4 tiny shims of two different sizes. Anyone got any?

stevieturbo

18,103 posts

278 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
CAPA sell an automatic tensioner for them.

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
Got any photo's or a link to a photo, can't see any pictures on their site, who could supply one too?

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
Just found this in the web, on pages six it states 1" movement up and down on the belt when cold, will re-adjust I think.

http://www.vyssute.com/downloads/Capa%20blower%20k...

TerryS

1,382 posts

279 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
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I actually have one at Rapid I need to pick up Derek.

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
how much did that cost?

TerryS

1,382 posts

279 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
Circa 280-00

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
Is that for the gilmer setup or the 8 rib?

stevieturbo

18,103 posts

278 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
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It will fit any setup, only difference will be pulley width to suit various drives.

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Monday 23rd November 2009
quotequote all
I set it up with the 1" movement and it seems fine so far.

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Tuesday 24th November 2009
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Well some more news and questions, last night I looked at steve's photo's and something was different, looked at previous photo's of my engine and then it all clicked, not sure if it's an issue though. My tensioner pulley is installed underneath the belt and not on top, so it's pulling around the tensioner pulley before the super charger. It was on top looking at some photo's that had been sent to me but since the work was done 4 months ago it has moved position. I didn't make a mistake either as to put it on top the pulley position in the bracket has to be changed. When I took it off the bearings seemed knackered as there is (was) loads of play when twisting and some sideways play. It's only done 1000 miles tops but looks alot older than that, turns out the bearing seats are shot and scored to bits. Two hours in the garage, butchered some feeler gauges as shims and replaced the inner bearing spacer, apply some 243 threadlock and it's now solid and rotates correctly.

So should this be on top or on the bottom, generally tensioners are on the trailing edge of the main crank pulley (by that I mean after all the driven pulleys), should I try it that way around?

stevieturbo

18,103 posts

278 months

Tuesday 24th November 2009
quotequote all
Ive no idea what your setup is.

But normally, the tensioner is placed on the undriven side of the belt. Although if all idlers are fixed....ie no automatic tensioners, then it maybe isnt quite as important where the tensioner is placed.

Where idlers are placed however would be important.

delmeekc

Original Poster:

1,205 posts

241 months

Tuesday 24th November 2009
quotequote all
Ok cheers, I will try in and see how it goes, may have just been the pulley play, will report back when it's tested.

Setup is V2-S running 10psi, not like your baby.