IHADAV8.com - Turbo Buick Tech, and Nonsense
Tech Area => General Buick Tech => Topic started by: dyermullet on August 10 2013, 03:57:56 PM
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The ear is broke off mine. Is their any options to get one new? I searched all the auto parts stores and have came up empty.
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Have you tried Kirbans or highway stars yet?
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Checked their websites, and nothing listed. Some intelligent use of google search gave me a highway stars webpage for the tensioner, but when I opened it, it said part not available. I found references on turbobuick.com that the highway star tensioner is over $300. :O
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In theory, this is the gates repro
http://www.discountautoparts.com/item.wws?sku=38374&itempk=460338&mfr=GATES&weight=3 (http://www.discountautoparts.com/item.wws?sku=38374&itempk=460338&mfr=GATES&weight=3)
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Thanks Steve. I wonder if they actually have one. No one else even lists it anymore. I am going to place the order online and just call them monday to find out if it actually available.
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given my experiences at trying to buy a Tuff Wheel for my Challenger, I would say that is a legitimate concern. I did see it listed in stock at a couple of places.
I also found a goodyear version but I did not see it any stock anywhere. Amazon showed temporarily out on the Gates but I am not sure that is meaningful either.
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this is the goodyear version goodyear 49369
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Thanks.
I will report back of they had any or not. I was finding forum posts from 2011 and it seems like the supply ran out then. Guys were able to find the last one and were ordering for each other. After that time everyone was being referred to highway stars who was charging 300. Currently they are not listing the tensioner.
Their is someone in tb.com right now who is asking $200 for a new gates.
I have some ideas for an alternative I will have to work on it.
Steve I also have some alternator info I am going to post later for everyone. You could add it to your website.
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http://www.amazon.com/Gates-38374-Belt-Tensioner/dp/B001C97VU0 (http://www.amazon.com/Gates-38374-Belt-Tensioner/dp/B001C97VU0)
I backordered 2 - can't hurt.
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if it comes thru, the price is right
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Making an adapter for some other common belt tensioner is left as an exercise for the student.
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I'm still surprise that no one has made a tensioner that replaces the stock one and uses bolt tension rather than a spring. All you'd need to do then is to replace the pulley when it went bad, and the belt wouldn't get thrown as often.
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No luck purchasing from the link Steve provided. I placed an order sat. called them monday and they do not have the part. From other forums I found this part has been unavailable since 2011. Gates has no plans to produce them again.
I am going to work on making an adapter, maybe I can give back to the TB community.
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I think that is a great idea.
Perhaps our day-job-mechanics might be able to point out ones that might be easiest
to adapt?
googling images of belt tensioners shows a vast array...
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I think that is a great idea.
Perhaps our day-job-mechanics might be able to point out ones that might be easiest
to adapt?
googling images of belt tensioners shows a vast array...
This. Where to start?
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I was getting ready to sell one of my spares. think I'll hold off.
so is the basic theme here so far is that there is currently no belt tensioners available in stock that we know of?
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I don't know if one of the places that showed it in stock actually had it, or not.
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They have been out of stock everywhere since 2011 most parts stores have removed the part number from their systems. I am willing to bet money any online place advertising doesn't actually have any. Last time highway stars had any they were charging over $300.
I have some ideas for what to use and how to adapt it. I don't have access to any 3d cad sofrware anymore. I also recently moved to Houston so I don't have any relationships with any fab shops here. But I so know a guy in Indiana who could do the work for me. I would like to keep the rights to the design so that way someone doesn't start charging 300 for the part.
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http://www.amazon.com/Gates-38374-Belt-Tensioner/dp/B001C97VU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376490995&sr=8-1&keywords=%3A+GATES++38374 (http://www.amazon.com/Gates-38374-Belt-Tensioner/dp/B001C97VU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376490995&sr=8-1&keywords=%3A+GATES++38374)
ten in stock
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Make that Nine :D
and the shipping is free :cheers:
You would have lost money on that bet!
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Make that Nine :D
and the shipping is free :cheers:
You would have lost money on that bet!
Make that 4.
Yep - I bought them to resell a few - tough shit. :P
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oh, well...I guess they filled Mark's order before mine because they now say they were out of stock-good start for a new amazon vendor :D
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If they show up on a vendor's site, we will know there was monkey business involved
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I will keep three, sell two to recoup.
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:x
Hello Mark A Samaniego,
We're writing to inform you that your order from IPS Motorsports has been canceled because the item you purchased is out of stock. Please return and place your order again at a later time. We're sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. In most cases, you pay for items when we ship them to you, so you won't be charged for items that are canceled.*
Dammit
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Any vendors signed into the board this morning?
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Hehe..
Methinks it was a listing error...
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probably...it was a new vendor to Azon but it looks like a legit place from their site
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That link takes me to an amazon direct listing, looks like the one we ordered from yesterday?
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Not the same vendor as was showing temporarily out the other day....this was a new vendor when I looked it up...the other one is still saying temporarily out
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I've got two nice clean ones with brand new bearings installed.
I'll take $999.99 each
:rofl:
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be worth $1199 if you had installed a new spring
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That link takes me to an amazon direct listing, looks like the one we ordered from yesterday?
I have some ordered from Amazon, I doubt I will get them. no cancellation email from them yet, though.
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I'll sell one for $200 plus shipping if anyone is interested.
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Amazon:
We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on August 12, 2013
(Order# 111-xxx): "Gates 38374 Belt Tensioner"
Estimated arrival date: September 05, 2013 - September 07, 2013
Wonder what I'll receive?
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Yep - I got the same email - we will see! I only ordered 2..
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What did you guys get?
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nothing yet-waiting to see if they come into stock
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these are still available from highway stars, and are in stock. they are pricey.
I just talked to a nice lady that works for highway stars. She said that unfortuneatly these are very expensive to have made, and being made in such short runs.
and that is why the high cost.
http://www.nos4gn.com/servlet/the-271/buick-grand-national-25526387/Detail (http://www.nos4gn.com/servlet/the-271/buick-grand-national-25526387/Detail)
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I prefer $59
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from Amazon
My estimated date is 9-28 to 10-2-2013
wish us all luck
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Can the tensioner be disassembled to expose the spring?
Can the belt handle a fixed tesnsioner?
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Can the belt handle a fixed tesnsioner?
I really don't see why not - it may be a bit rougher on the A/C clutch.
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Not really, flat belts more or less stay fixed in length so it would need constant tension. I guess if you had a alt or ac that had sliding adjustments you could make it work checking very often. Old V belts were like rubber bands and kept it's own tension once tighten.
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Not really, flat belts more or less stay fixed in length so it would need constant tension. I guess if you had a alt or ac that had sliding adjustments you could make it work checking very often. Old V belts were like rubber bands and kept it's own tension once tighten.
good explanation
I really don't see why not - it may be a bit rougher on the A/C clutch.
Any newer cars with out a spring tensioner?
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There were quite a few cars with flat belts that had a tensioner that used a bolt. Most of them were imports and the belts aren't as wide but it's very possible to make one. It would be perfect for racing since it wouldn't throw the belt as easily. :cheers:
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There were quite a few cars with flat belts that had a tensioner that used a bolt. Most of them were imports and the belts aren't as wide but it's very possible to make one. It would be perfect for racing since it wouldn't throw the belt as easily. :cheers:
What about for DDs?
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Should be fine David, since the imports were DD's. I suggested to several vendors that this could be easily done but no one yet has listened to me. If I still had the mill and lathe I'd do a prototype myself and copywrite it so I could sell it to someone to make. :cheers:
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It would be perfect for racing since it wouldn't throw the belt as easily. :cheers:
NEVER had one throw a belt ...wellll 86/87's :player:
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It would be perfect for racing since it wouldn't throw the belt as easily. :cheers:
NEVER had one throw a belt ...wellll 86/87's :player:
First I had heard there was a problem with belt throwing on these cars....guess I ain't too old to learn...but I am letting Dan go first
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I ASSume if the spring is weak, and the RPM gets really wound up? I dunno.
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I ASSume if the spring is weak, and the RPM gets really wound up? I dunno.
I am not buyin that.. Melissa's heap and my Mazda both have a little power :player: Our cars are DRIVERS !!!! And like I said been into these cars since 86 and as a job from 1988 ish to 2000+.. 10/11 sec cars that were beat on for YEARS .. I did replace belts that were dried up an crackin but they never came off. Maybe we were just luckey :rofl:
hmmmmm thinking here .. maybe the HA cars have to rev to the moon to get power an then throw a reg belt ???? :chin:
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Agreed Charlie is the only one that looses his belt (don't get excited Super)
can we get back to a replacement tensioner or a fix that doesn't involve $300.00 or more?
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I just ordered one as well it didn't say anywhere how many where in stock but it says its on the way and money was taken from my bank! will see what happens.
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Just had a Gates belt squealing like a whore on mine. Swapped to another brand...all quiet.
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I've seen more than 1 spring loaded belt get thrown because of a tensioner going bad over the years and I'm sure more than 1 of you have seen the same. Using common off the shelf parts and getting rid of the spring would save a lot of time not to mention money in some cases. A cheap pulley for a regular GM car could be used and would cost less than $20 dollars to replace, not to mention that a bolt on style has less parts so it's more positive and could even be made lighter. :tongue
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Amazon:
We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on August 12, 2013
(Order# 111-xxx): "Gates 38374 Belt Tensioner"
Estimated arrival date: September 05, 2013 - September 07, 2013
We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on August 12, 2013
"Gates 38374 Belt Tensioner"
Estimated arrival date: October 07, 2013 - October 12, 2013
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Yep, I got that too. Whoo!
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I already canceled my order. They pushed the ship date back once. These are no longer made
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Maybe Amazon will pressure them to make more based on our dozen ordered? LOL
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amazon thinks they can get them because they don't hesitate to cancel your order when they know they are not coming...guess we shall see
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This may be a worthwhile tactic, I'm sure Amazon gets more attention than our piddly vendors
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Yep - if you want anyone pressuring Gates, it's Amazon.
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I have one on order as well. I'm sure we could get 50 orders together if they would eventually deliver?
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Just placed mine on order as well......... :rolleyes;
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Just placed mine on order as well......... :rolleyes;
hey guys...
are you buying from amazon.com?
where are you guys getting the tensioner sent? CBI? or Home
dave
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Hey Dave (Channer)......Yup, Amazon.com
I'm having mine sent to CBI (if it ever shows up). LOL
dave
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Amazon just cancelled my order:
"Gates 38374 Belt Tensioner"
We've canceled the item(s) and apologize for the inconvenience. We must also apologize for the length of time it has taken us to reach this conclusion.
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Yep
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got my notice a couple days ago too
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another project for Earl....
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The guys that were happy to spend over $500 for a billet part recently certainly live in a different socio-economic environment than I do. A small billet adapter to fit one from a common current car sounds like the way to go.
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I agree totally...boun d to be a way to make one equivalent to the factory's for a lot less than that.
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another project for Earl....
I had a feeling someone would say that....
....I need to get off my ass and announce my forged pistons I finished almost a year ago! lol
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Yep
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I still have the idea for an adapter and I recently found a shop perfect to make me some prototypes.
Does anyone had an idea for an application to check for a tensioner that is close in size? I already looked at a 98 vortec Chevy v8. The length of the arm from fulcrum to pulley is too long.
And I agree the guys who can afford the $300 tensioner is crazy. I will part out the car and move on before I spent that kind of coin on a tensioner.
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You spend that on a maf and translator.
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I'm running the stock maf.
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Or you can toss the maf and use a SD chip
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That is what I plan to do if it ever dies
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I'm running the stock maf.
Me too.
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But you just can't use an SD chip?- a list all the things you need as well?....
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But you just can't use an SD chip?- a list all the things you need as well?....
Hence me still using the stock maf and probably looking for a good used when it fails.
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isnt the only thing you'd really need for our cars with a speed density chip woud be a map sensor?
yes a wide band would help you tune, but might or not be completely nessecery?