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serpentine alignment issue

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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 08:46 AM
  #1  
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serpentine alignment issue

Noticing that my serpentine system is out of wack.

Not sure how long it really has been. The system as a whole is fine, but the main crank that the fan rides on is out about 1/8 to a 1/4 too far.
Its shreading up my belts.

Any idea's?
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 09:16 AM
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Ive got the same problem. Havent had time or drive to fix it though
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 09:23 AM
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William
You have the org tension arm or super dooty?

Also the Vac pump mounts have been known to get a little warped over time and the VP should have only about 1/8 inch play in and out on the pully shaft. Remove the tension and check it. My problem is the stationary pully keeps going bad.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 09:52 AM
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My tensioner went bad, but you'd never know it to just look at it.
AT a glance it looked fine, but it worked itself out of wack and really was running crooked.
Also had an idler pulley go south on me, but that rascal shredded the bearings right out of itself and fell off.
Didn't know the super duty tensioner would fit our engine, but I guess that makes sense. I am assuming it is beefed up a bit more after engineers noticed the original didn't last?
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 11:02 AM
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Originally Posted by ckal704
My tensioner went bad, but you'd never know it to just look at it.
AT a glance it looked fine, but it worked itself out of wack and really was running crooked.
Also had an idler pulley go south on me, but that rascal shredded the bearings right out of itself and fell off.
I had the same problems to the T not long ago. Get a motorcraft idler when you replace them. Spacing is not addressed properly by the aftermarket ones I tried.
Originally Posted by ckal704
Didn't know the super duty tensioner would fit our engine, but I guess that makes sense. I am assuming it is beefed up a bit more after engineers noticed the original didn't last?
You have to do some cutting on the alternator bracket to make it fit. Gates makes an OE replacement that has a longer bracket arm that works quite well.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 11:27 AM
  #6  
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Question

Anther vote for the belt tensioner. Mine was the same and was the BT. I bought the one with longer arm (upgraded?)

And as mentioned the SD BT is possible, but is it worth? IDK you have to buy a longer belt and your work time

 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 11:32 AM
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The SD tensioner has two pulleys. It replaces the OBS tensioner AND the ribbed idler next to it (that's why the bracket has to be modded). When you rotate the pivot, both pulleys move around the pivot point, like binary stars orbiting each other. Makes the load on the spring more "balanced", I guess, and thus less likely to go out of alignment.

I just put a long-arm Gates on one truck, to replace an OEM that had gone all cockeyed. (Didn't have time to cut the bracket for the SD tensioner.) Been working fine ever since, although it's only been about 7000 miles.

Fan rides on the water pump, not the crank. Might want to see if the water pump shaft has any "in-out" play.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 09:27 PM
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The rest of the system is perfect, it seems out of alignment with the one on the fan.

The VC one is fine too, i adjusted that one when I replaced the VC.

I just dont get why the pully on the main fan is sticking out further than the rest.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 09:52 PM
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From: Texas Coast
Originally Posted by Talyn
The rest of the system is perfect, it seems out of alignment with the one on the fan.

The VC one is fine too, i adjusted that one when I replaced the VC.

I just dont get why the pully on the main fan is sticking out further than the rest.
Must be time to go with the electric fan option. William I also hear where the PS pump pully can walk on you. You sure you have the oe fan and pully?
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 10:04 PM
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it might be idi fan and pulley. not sure.

truck was wrecked at one time.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 10:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Talyn
it might be idi fan and pulley. not sure.

truck was wrecked at one time.
Maybe you can find a replacement. I think I would look for a replacement and have recess measurements from the ring to the block at 3 and 6 and 9 o clock from yours and the width and radius too and try and find one in a junk yard and compare measurements.
 
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Old Dec 28, 2011 | 10:37 PM
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Originally Posted by DRRXR
Must be time to go with the electric fan option.
Wouldn't make any difference. That pulley is the water pump pulley. Seems odd that it would be the cause, since it runs on the smooth side of the belt.
 
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Old Dec 29, 2011 | 07:08 AM
  #13  
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From: Ashland City, TN
Originally Posted by madpogue
Wouldn't make any difference. That pulley is the water pump pulley. Seems odd that it would be the cause, since it runs on the smooth side of the belt.
It didn't do it this bad to my knowledge when I first got the truck, but the alternator pulley was tearing the belts up then. It had an IDI pully on it.


What happens is the belt rolls up the side of the pulley and folds it, so the belt eventually shreads itself.

It's really annoying.
I bet it is an IDI Pully.

Guess I'll swap that when I do the radiator also.
 
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Old Dec 29, 2011 | 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Talyn
What happens is the belt rolls up the side of the pulley and folds it, so the belt eventually shreads itself.

It's really annoying.
I bet it is an IDI Pully.
Yeah, probably a narrower flat space between the ridges for a narrower belt. On ours, that flat is noticeably wider than the belt itself, providing some leeway for alignment of the other pulleys I suppose. I can imagine how a too-narrow pulley would do what it's doing here.
 
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Old Dec 29, 2011 | 11:29 AM
  #15  
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Hey Talyn,I'm about a foot deeper than you at this,this very minute,I put new belt on the other day and noticed same issue,new belt riding on inside of wp pulley,shredding edge so pulled it off,found three idlers all bad,or goin south,replaced all three bearings and STILL riding off wp pulley so checked tensioner(stock single pulley) and it was coming apart and hanging up so order new goodyear gator type bigger belt and double pulley both on the way,have alt brackett off and when new dual setup gets here am gonna post pics of modifing alt brackett,fords TSB diagram(found here somewhere) is what i am following looks easy enuf,hope this works,100 $ total in it so far!!
 
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