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Old 08-08-2010, 01:16 PM   #57 (permalink)
Dr. Jerryrigger
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: mass
Posts: 181

The Sh*t-Box - '99 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
90 day: 27.81 mpg (US)
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Nice progress! I think you'll be able to get away with option 1, due to the direction of rotation. It may be beneficial to put a tensioner on the idler pulley (like the ones for a timing belt). This will take up slack when load change, but it's hard to find a cheap one, and would be much more difficult to rig up.
Or the way I'd do it (this should be seen as a caution sign):
On the alternator's tensioner bolt I'd slip on a small, but stiff spring, like a valve spring between two washers. If I'm remembering it right the spring would go just under the bolt head (the bolt you turn for 6 minutes to loosen the belt). With this set up you would have to leave the pivot point bolt and the tensioner lock bolt loose so it could still move. This could be done safely (not really) if you add some washers, grease it up, and use a lots of Lock tight (as you can't put "proper" torque on the bolts). Finding the right spring could be difficult, as you would want one that would be only partly compressed when the belt was at proper tension.

So with option 1 you could just bolt an idler on the red bracket and be done, if you using the same belt that goes over the alternator you'll be able to get in on and off. For placement of the idler pulley, look into available sizes of belts first, and place it where it will fit an available size. A common one would be good, as you might kill a few when you first start to play with this and if you can find out a car that has a compatible belt, they're really cheap at the junk yard.
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