Guys, I've had problems on this car for a year now, but one or the other, I've solved them somehow. I think I'm down to the last problem, and I'm stubborn enough to try and fix it, even though everyone else is stumped.

Ok, I recently found out -- after replacing the 6-rib belt that connects alternator, power steering, crank, and SC pulley assembly -- that this belt is worn very badly indeed (after 1000 miles!). I don't yet have the pictures, but will soon. It is worn unevenly, and I've lost 2lbs of boost as a result, since it is slipping. One thing that'll throw you off is that, when we placed the blue (stage 2) pulley on, I was making full boost and power. Now, same assembly is slipping. Another thing is, replacing the new belt in did not solve the problem, still slipping (but no more noise, so I can only rely on lack of boost).

I cannot, for the life of me, solve this problem. No one who has looked at the car can. All the pro shops in the Houston area (some even sponsor this website) go quiet when it comes to solving my problem, since they themselves were stumped when dealing with it.

Bottom line: not making proper boost, and belts slipping. Not due to worn belt (replaced) and not due to lack of tightening (properly tightened). Furthermore, at idle, belt does not seem to be slipping. Seems it is happening only at boost, since, at idle, the belt isn't warming up (a sign of slippage).

I need any thoughts from all of you experts out there. If any of you can confirm the type of belt used in your application (is it Gates belt with 37 degree grooves, or 45 degree groove belt, like the stock Z's?), some pictures would be nice, etc...

Please help! TIA

 

u might be able to see the belt from a few pictures i have. ill go ahead and post em....




www.jdj27x.com/Stillen

 

Hey, that is a different top tensioner to the one that I have ..... is that the new type?



What type of tensioner do you have bascelik??

 

http://www.jdj27x.com/Stillen/DSC02397_1024x768.jpg

hmm. i guess it is. i bought it almost 3 months ago.

 

yes, he has the new tensioner. It will run you about $100. I had to replace my old one. Just looked at my belt, but all the markings are worn off, and I can't tell what kind of ribs there are. Sorry I cant be of help.

 

Yes, I have the new type of tensioner and NO slipping AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!! I get full Boost from my stage III!

 

Me too! Me too!

 

The belt in question is the one connecting the alternator, PS, crank, and connecting TO SC assembly. It's a 6-rib. I'll post some pics tomorrow... I'll also post pics of the tensioner.

 

1st pic: belt location (look at the upper belt)
2nd pic: old belt, wear
3rd pic: old belt, wear (diff angle)

 

Have you installed the shim kit on the idler?

 

I have not yet. I've requested the part from Stillen. Hope that's the solution, but I'm not optimistic.

 

When my engine was in my car a few weeks ago I had the same problem. My belt has chunks out of it. The shim kit should fix it.

 

Stillen guy mentioned that shim kit is mainly for G drivers out there, only handful of Zs needed it. So, we'll see if it fixes the issues once and for all. Personally, I'm skeptical till I see results. Shim is in the mail...

 

Update:

So, I got the new shim... just a thin piece of metal, so thin it is difficult putting one on (has to be done underneath). So, we managed to put one on. Turn the car on, and the squealing is worse (?!). Belt gets hot within few seconds (slipping)... Hm...

Ok, so I sit there for a while, looking at this thing discussing it with Tom (owner of the pro shop I went to) and, at one point, I ask him whether it'd be ok to tighten the belt, to which he says it is plenty tight, tighter would possibly cause damage / snap the belt and he tells me to compare by hand with other belts. So, I'm doing this and I notice something strange... the belt is tighter towards the engine and slightly looser towards the front of the car. Weird! So, in order to tighten that end, we take the shim and put it on top of the small pulley (in my posted pics, 1st pic, it is the small smooth pulley towards center left). This effectively tightens the front of the belt, rather than the back. Turn on the car... voila! Squeal is gone!

Now, being skeptical and all, I decide to test the car for few days and, yes, there is still some squeal... but, I'm getting ahead of myself, let me back track...

So, this makes me think, which pulley could be mis-aligned to cause the belt to grip with only 1/2 width and get eaten the way it is getting eaten. So, I'm staring at the pulleys from various angles, when I see it -- the power steering pulley is ever-so-slightly tilted inwards (towards middle of car, width-wise). Once I spotted it, it became more clear. And, not just the pulley (it would wobble if it was bent). The whole Power Steering assembly is crooked! WTF?! I never had this replaced or moved to my knowledge, the only thing worked on was: some suspension changes, wheel changes, SC install, alternator replaced.

So, it could be:
* Manufacturer defect that was not showing due to better-fitting Z belt (SC has Gates belt, different groove angles) and less load (no SC). SC was installed at 8K miles, so perhaps the defect would've shown itself at around 15K or so naturally, but it never had the chance.
* Original SC installer removed this assembly for easier access, and re-installed it crooked (SGP? Did you remove the assembly?).
* Apollo Body & Shop messed with my PS assembly. Not sure why they would, since they were fixing suspension and wheels.

I'm throwing out any possibility that PS assembly is moved when alternator is replaced. I know Tom@LightSpeed, he'd tell me if that was done. So, the three above are possibilities. And, yes, I'm looking to point finger now, I've spent a good deal of $$$ troubleshooting this and for a year had to deal with crappy performance and belt slipping.

I'll be getting a laser leveler in next few days and will post a pic, if it shows clearly how the pulley is not aligned.

 

i feel bad that you have so many problems with this. When you talk to that guy in the r&d department at stillen what does he tell you to do. I know this doesnt help you at all, but because of you i decided to let stillen do my install and it has made things sooo much easyer. I havent had 1 bit of noise.

If there is anything i can do please let me know. I would be willing to take pictures of my sc so it can help you out.

Thanks,
Jordan

 

All mult-ribbed automotive drive belts are K-sectioned belts. K-section drive belts all have a 45 deg. angled cross section. If you look at the stock belt off of the Z, one of the part numbers is 6PK1175.
6 = Number of ribs
P = Polyester re-enforced
K = K-sectioned belt
1175 = av. length in mm

Gates belt=6PK1274
6 ribs
Poly re-enforced
K-section
1274 mm long

37 deg. belts are J-section and are used in industrial drives.

 

I went on a business trip, came back, forgot to post the pictures that show alignment issues. They aren't the easiest to take, so I'll thank ahead to anyone who goes through the trouble of snapshotting theirs.

 

I think this shows that power steering pulley assembly is not aligned properly. The belt gets heated up pretty fast. One of the pics shows the belt residue all over the place.