Belt Tensioner

[dyermullet]

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. 

[Charlief1]

Have you tried Kirbans or highway stars yet?

[dyermullet]

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.   

[Steve Wood]

In theory, this is the gates repro

http://www.discountautoparts.com/item.wws?sku=38374&itempk=460338&mfr=GATES&weight=3

[dyermullet]

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.

[Steve Wood]

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.

[Steve Wood]

this is the goodyear version  goodyear 49369

[dyermullet]

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.

[SuperSix]

http://www.amazon.com/Gates-38374-Belt-Tensioner/dp/B001C97VU0

I backordered 2 - can't hurt.

[Steve Wood]

if it comes thru, the price is right

[daveismissing]

Making an adapter for some other common belt tensioner is left as an exercise for the student.

[Charlief1]

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.

[dyermullet]

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.

[daveismissing]

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...

[SuperSix]

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?