Auto Tensioner for Hotside

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Well, took an hour to design and two hours to produce but Chuck now has an auto tensioner for his hotside. Belt maintains perfect tension, no slip (proper cut pulleys) and belt tracks perfectly centered on the tensioner pulley. If you want one of these kits, I will have them in a about 10 days and they will sell for $150 plus shipping. Here are a couple pictures of the install. Add $15 for the belt install/removal bar.

http://www.FastForwardSuperchargers.com/Hotside/HS-AT-1.jpg

http://www.FastForwardSuperchargers.com/Hotside/HS-AT-2.jpg

http://www.FastForwardSuperchargers.com/Hotside/Belt-Tool.jpg

[99mx5]

Nice! The belt is centered on the tensioner pulley.

Oh Chuck, being a guinea pig must make you suffer so... ;)

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

I had no choice. I was forced to do it. The other day I got this email from Chuck, and I quote:

"Tom,

I just finished installing the new Gates belt.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make a hotside auto-tensioner! Even with Joanne bumping the engine, it took me almost an hour in the hot garage. What a friggin pain in the ass!!!

Thanks

Chuck"

When you get an email where the guy "shouts" please three times, you just feel compelled. If I had realized how easy it would be to make it, I would have done it months ago. LOL

This version installs, turn key and drive in about 15 minutes. No hassle and no guessing which way the pulley should go. Belt tracks straight down the middle. Belt installs in seconds just like the coldside. When we were all done, Chuck swapped the 110mm pulley for the 115mm pulley. Then put the larger belt on in seconds all by himself.

Then he left with 2 each of some beer bottles marked "A", "GA" and "O". So he will be even happier at home with a cigar and those.

[chuckerants]

Nice! The belt is centered on the tensioner pulley.

Oh Chuck, being a guinea pig must make you suffer so... ;)

Life is suffering. Oh, and so is drinking home made beer (thanks Ari) and floating on my back in the pool staring at the stars. :lol:

Tom designed the auto tensioner so fast that we were able to break for lunch, and dinner AND drive to the machine shop a souple of times. What an engineer.

:!:

[99mx5]

For inquiring minds that want to know...

A - Amberbock
GA- German Altbier
O- Oktoberfest


*insert cheers and beer chugging emoticon here*

:)

[Dr Evol]

Nice tensioner Tom/Chuck!

Speaking of beer, I just finished off the last of my 4 C's. It's descripton is: 4 C’s PALE ALE - copper color, 60-65 IBU, 6.0 ABV. "Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and Columbus - hops, hops, hops!" (I like to dry hop this brew to add to the hops aroma.)

I started on my latest batch last night. It's decription: INDIA PALE ALE - copper color, 40-45 IBU, 4.5 ABV. "All hopped up with Pacific Northwest Cascade whole hops." (Of course I added more hops than the reciept called for!)

We have a group that brews a keg once every two months or so. Here is the website to our brew home: http://www.thebrewkettle.com/

Cheers!

[Serpico]

YUM!

http://www.dogfish.com/brewings/Year_Round_Beers/90_Minute_IPA/11/index.htm

[Dr Evol]

I love the 60 minute! I heard there was a 120 minute!!!

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Well, we didn't have 5 years to engineer it correctly so we did it in 60 minutes. ;) Exaggerations of 120 minutes are totally unfounded. LOL

I just don'y know whether to order enough parts to make 800 auto-tensioner kits or 1000. Economies of scale, doncha know. ;)

[spider94r]

Hey Tom, do you have these available for purchase yet?

Kevin

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

I had 2 in stock and shipped both this week. We are now making a production run and will have them in stock tomorrow. Let me know. $150 plus shipping. Check your SC and crank pulleys at the same time. The auto-tensioner will not correct belt slip if the pulleys are improperly cut. I now have in stock properly cut SC pulleys for the hotside as well as crank pulleys from 100mm to 120mm in 5mm steps. Crank pulleys are the same for the hotside and coldside applications.

[spider94r]

Thanks Tom. I bought a crank pulley from you a few weeks ago, but haven't installed it yet. I'll definitely be contacting you in the next week or two about the autotensioner.

Kevin

[socal pat]

...And what is the price on the pulleys?

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

I sell them at $60 each no matter which size or location. That is my average cost for them. If sales continue the way it has been, I may have to add profit to the price. ;)