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This is the first time replacing a cracked belt on an ECS supercharged C5. It looks like the belt tensioner gets relocated to below the supercharger with the kit, which makes it hard to work with.
I am struggling to figure out how to take tension off the belt tensioner, it looks like the end of the tensioner has a circle instead of a normal hex or square end to insert a tool.
I tried getting the claw foot at the base of the tensioner, but im not sure thats right, and I cant get the lever arm in there when I try anyway..
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C5 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
looks like someone has already replaced the tensioner, the ones they supply with their kits are made by dayco and have a slot in them for a 3/8 ratchet... if you can find the thread pitch of the bolt holding the idler in place you can thread a bolt in there until it bottoms out against the bolt on the other end and you should be able to remove the tension at that point... more than likely the bolt will thread in counterclockwise... another option is to just cut the belt since you are replacing it anyway... take as much tension off as you can from the tensioner under the blower and cut the belt... the tensioner should not come in contact with the balancer but it will be very close and from there you can remove the tensioner and either put a bolt in the backside of the idler so you can remove it next time or have a piece of 1" hex welded onto the end and that will make removing the tension super easy
Last edited by StingrayRebel; Aug 26, 2017 at 08:43 PM.