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Old 08-28-2010, 10:25 PM   #61 (permalink)
saand
Wiki Writer
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 236

bugler - '91 Mazda 626
90 day: 35.89 mpg (US)
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That is one crazy belt setup, but on the up side it means if you go to a single belt for the alternator and get rid of the AC and PS you would remove losses from both of them which is considerable and the added loss of the 2 belt guiding bearings. Although I haven’t seen much actual info about efficiency improvement for this mod I think you might get a considerable improvement here.
A method I can think of is completely removing the existing belt and buying a belt that is big enough to just go around the main drive wheel and the alternator wheel. Then fashion a mechanical piece so that you can move the alternator up and down using a screw / leaver arrangement. This will give you tension on the belt and will mean you will be able to actually put the belt on. Look at how your power steering pump tensions the belt maybe you can use the same brackets for tensioning the alternator. Alternatively you might be able to find at a wrecker a tensioning wheel (just a wheel and bearing on a metal bracket) which you could fasten to location the power steering is currently at.
Also if you are going to make a metal bracket to tension your alternator looking at a wrecker for a while might find you some brackets/tensioners that are almost what your after and a little modification like drilling holes will make it perfect for you

So I think it is workable but may take some time to do. Maybe someone can give an indication on the improvement they have gotten from removing the PS and alternator. it’s not currently on the wiki but this info will give you an idea if it’s worth doing. At a guess I am thinking probably 5 %, I have done this mod myself but I don’t have the data sorry I made a whole bunch of mods at the same time but I can tell you it’s less than 10% because that is what I got between tank fill ups with all my mods

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