Questions and Discussion on Vortech Supercharging Systems

[448hpsti]

Originally Posted by nelsmar

Thanks! Good to know! I am tempting to give the 3.00 a whirl after I get these dyno's finished now that I seemed to have resolved all of my belt issues. Even though I am quite pleased with my 3.125. Honestly if a header gives me any up top & mid range increase I will probably step down to the 3.33 for my car as I just want a mid range increase if possible. I am quite pleased with how the car runs right now. You can hear my bypass valve open as i approach highway speeds and can just "hear" the fuel economy blowing out of the valve. lol

Have three inch if you need to borrow mine Nelsmar just ask...

[DJCarbine]

Looks like I've got a case of squeaky idler pulley. Very loud this morning and did not subside as the drive went on. Looks like time to swap out for the gates pulley everyone has been mentioning....

[DJCarbine]

Now I'm trying to see if I can get a higher quality bearing from McMaster and replace the bearing in the Gates 38006.... I don't want to have to deal with this ever again lol

ACDelco also has a 38006 pulley.... I wonder if they use the same bearing or a higher quality one.....

::edit

Ordered both the Gates and the AC Delco pulley. I will inspect both to see which one I want to install on the car, and keep the other as a spare. I am curious to see if they use the same bearings.
Also ordered a Gates K060975RB. Because race belt.

[Dezoris]

Originally Posted by DJCarbine

Now I'm trying to see if I can get a higher quality bearing from McMaster and replace the bearing in the Gates 38006.... I don't want to have to deal with this ever again lol

ACDelco also has a 38006 pulley.... I wonder if they use the same bearing or a higher quality one.....

::edit

Ordered both the Gates and the AC Delco pulley. I will inspect both to see which one I want to install on the car, and keep the other as a spare. I am curious to see if they use the same bearings.
Also ordered a Gates K060975RB. Because race belt.

This is the plastic pulley under the intake tube?

[DJCarbine]

Originally Posted by Dezoris

This is the plastic pulley under the intake tube?

Yeah.

I'm going to the garage to pull it and inspect it unless I get sidetracked

[Dezoris]

Originally Posted by DJCarbine

Yeah.

I'm going to the garage to pull it and inspect it unless I get sidetracked

Post up when done. How many miles you have on it now?

[DJCarbine]

Originally Posted by Dezoris

Post up when done. How many miles you have on it now?

Close to 9K on it, only noticed squeaking the past week... however it was LOUD today.

Not too happy with the results of my findings, as I am currently recovering from surgery and I probably have no business working on cars........

Bearing is SHOT. Rubber belt deposits on underside of charge pipe.
Grease is leaking out of the bearing, most likely due to the decent amount of radial play (wobble) which I'm sure does not help the bearing seals function properly.
Bearing is an NTN 6302LU, and apparently the grease inside is green because most of it has been vomited out onto the surrounding pulley

I do have some pointers for those changing their pulley (as I would recommend simply due to the track record of the stock plastic dayco pulley)

1. Remove the upper charge pipe that connects to the throttle body and covers the pulley in question
2. Remove dipstick
3. Put 14mm wrench on tensioner pulley and rotate clockwise, then ZIPTIE the wrench to the support bracket as shown in picture. This holds the tensioner open so you can remove/replace the pulley without worrying about the belt.



4. Remove the pulley bolt/pulley assembly



With the 14mm wrench ziptied the belt has no tension on the pulley and you can remove/install the pulley as fast as you can undo the bolt holding it on.



Picture of the bearing with grease leaking out.....
You really need to hold the bearing to see that it has failed, grabbing it while it was mounted resulted in a good amount of wobble/play... I'm sure it would have failed once the grease ran completely dry, snapping/destroying the drive belt.

[Dezoris]

Originally Posted by DJCarbine

Close to 9K on it, only noticed squeaking the past week... however it was LOUD today.

Not too happy with the results of my findings, as I am currently recovering from surgery and I probably have no business working on cars........

Bearing is SHOT. Rubber belt deposits on underside of charge pipe.
Grease is leaking out of the bearing, most likely due to the decent amount of radial play (wobble) which I'm sure does not help the bearing seals function properly.
Bearing is an NTN 6302LU, and apparently the grease inside is green because most of it has been vomited out onto the surrounding pulley

I do have some pointers for those changing their pulley (as I would recommend simply due to the track record of the stock plastic dayco pulley)

1. Remove the upper charge pipe that connects to the throttle body and covers the pulley in question
2. Remove dipstick
3. Put 14mm wrench on tensioner pulley and rotate clockwise, then ZIPTIE the wrench to the support bracket as shown in picture. This holds the tensioner open so you can remove/replace the pulley without worrying about the belt.



4. Remove the pulley bolt/pulley assembly



With the 14mm wrench ziptied the belt has no tension on the pulley and you can remove/install the pulley as fast as you can undo the bolt holding it on.



Picture of the bearing with grease leaking out.....
You really need to hold the bearing to see that it has failed, grabbing it while it was mounted resulted in a good amount of wobble/play... I'm sure it would have failed once the grease ran completely dry, snapping/destroying the drive belt.

Thanks for posting up, guess the question for Vortech is why is this happening? Shit pullies/bearings? Whats the long term solution?

Could this be heat related issue? This pulley is behind an oven of a blower, underneath 120F intake pipe and facing 200F motor.

[DJCarbine]

Originally Posted by Dezoris

Thanks for posting up, guess the question for Vortech is why is this happening? Shit pullies/bearings? Whats the long term solution?

Could this be heat related issue? This pulley is behind an oven of a blower, underneath 120F intake pipe and facing 200F motor.

I'm thinking a batch of bad bearings personally.....

I think I have a way to reuse the OEM pulley you remove from your engine during the kit install.... diameter is 2.4mm larger but lets see if it works OK just to get me to the parts store lol

[DJCarbine]

My suspicions were correct, the pulley you remove during the vortech kit install FITS in the spot of the plastic pulley that seems to have failure issues.

You simply turn the pulley around and use the spacer that came off the plastic pulley.

A nice steel housing, OEM pulley. I am still going to swap to the ACDelco/Gates pulley when I get them, this is just temporary "get the car running" rigging but I think it would work long term as well.. the pulley is slightly larger (3-4mm diameter) but there seem to be no issues. Just started it up and everything is good. Belt tension seems about the same even though the pulley is slightly bigger.

Very useful if your pulley dies and you still have your OEM one.

[cb7tuner]

Not a bad idea to hold the tensioner but I'd try something stronger than a zip tie. If that zip tie gives out, your fingers are toast

[DJCarbine]

Originally Posted by cb7tuner

Not a bad idea to hold the tensioner but I'd try something stronger than a zip tie. If that zip tie gives out, your fingers are toast

The ziptie is VERY thick, they are rated at 250 pounds tensile strength IIRC.
The tensioner doesn't require much torque to move it, its just an ever-present torque that makes it awkward to hold.... and a good thick ziptie can easily handle the pressure
Your fingers are also never in that area, as once you ziptie the wrench you move upwards to removing the pulley and never get close to the tensioner again until you are ready to release it

If in doubt.... wire!

[DJCarbine]

Ordered a tensioner at the dealership as well (~$105). Never hurts to have a spare

[Dezoris]

Originally Posted by DJCarbine

Ordered a tensioner at the dealership as well (~$105). Never hurts to have a spare

Going to do the same thing.