LEAVINU

Necessary mod? I read in the stickie this was recommended for the early LS motors when tracking. Is this still the case for LS2 motors?

My car is a h/c setup if that helps drive the conversation.

dvandentop

yeah interested also

96CollectorSport

The Katech tensioner is a nice piece but it requires a lot of maintenance, checking tension requires a torque wrench. The LS2 tensioner has higher "walls" and more tension than the LS1/6 tensioners do. Raftracer uses a LS2 tensioner on his 8000 rpm monster and has never thrown a belt and if he doesn't toss belts with it I doubt you will.

I put LS2's on everything, (actually I've taken some Katech tensioners off in favor of the LS2).

If you start with a fresh belt it's going to strech the LS2 will go with it, the Katech you would have to check after every session.

Maynor29

If you're running stock RPM levels, probably not. My track only LS2 is a heads/cams/427 that can rev to 7200+ (usually shift at 6700 - 6900.)

With the stock tensioner, the belt wouldn't hold. With the Katech, no more problems.

John
E36 LS2

Maynor29

In my experience, not so much. I've run 16 tracks days now with this tensioner. Haven't need to check it. No belt dust at all.

I already have a torque wrench for the lug nuts at the track handy so resetting it if needed, is about a 10 second job. I've needed to do that a couple of times to replace the alternator but the tensioner has been set it and forget it so far.. knock on wood.

I was very skeptical that not have a spring tensioner would be a good idea... especially coming from a supercharged track car to a non-supercharged (but higher revving) track car. Its reset my thinking on a fixed tensioner for track purposes.

John

dfinke23

What does the tq need to be with the Katech unit?

0Randy@DRM

I rock the katech part on my car. It works very well but needs to be watched. We do enough supercharger installs, so I get pre-junk NA belts. I use 41 foot pounds, I'm pretty sure they suggest 35ish.

Randy

trackboss

On my katech tensioner I simply draw a line with a paint marker after setting so it's a quick and easy visual check. So far I've never seen it move.

davidfarmer

I never needed on until I went to an underdrive pulley and 5.5" clutch. The reduced damping on the engine caused it to immediately throw belts.

I disagree about maintenance. You pull it tight, and lock it down. No special tool required once you get the "feel" of how tight it should be.

I would not but one unless you run an underdrive pulley, or have to replace your tensioner anyway (they do wear out over time), but it is a nice piece. I've run several over the past 10 years.

Maynor29

I can never remember and don't feel like looking it up in the instructions so I marked the tensioner itself.



John

LEAVINU

Interesting feedback guys, please keep'em coming. I run 7k rpm on my car and generally shift right around 6900.

davidfarmer

I think it was the reduction in MOI not the rpms. With a light clutch etc , not only do you accelerate faster, but the engine decelerates instantaneously when you lift/shift

96CollectorSport

We lost one belt with the Katech tensioner because it was a new belt and we didn't check the tension after every session, the new belt lasted 1/2 day before it threw.
If you have a belt that is used I'm sure it will be o.k. once you set the tension it will stay, you just have to be careful with a new belt.

You also have to be consience about the length of the belt you put on the car. There are 3 marks on the stock tensioner and you need to be at or after (more loose) than the second mark. Some belts (Goodyear comes to mind) are slightly smaller than the Gates or GM belts, then you will have a problem. The tensioner will bounce off the stop and that is how you loose the belt. So if when you change belts make sure that you have it a little longer than shorter. This seems to effect people who tend to stab the throttle, which is amazing that Raftracer uses a stock tensioner with his high reving, throttle stabbing style. If you have the correct size belt you should be fine with either, just make sure you have the pulley with the higher sides.

davidfarmer

I went to NAPA and got an assortment of belts, then returned the ones I didn't need. I have notes somewhere........

Katech_Zach

I don't think "a lot of maintenance" is the right choice of words. I have left my belt tension unchecked for a year and it was fine. Torque on the belt is 25 ft-lbs and the proper way to do it is with a torque wrench. 25 ft-lbs is not that much so it is easy to over-tension if you don't use a torque wrench. Over-tensioning can be hard on bearings.

96CollectorSport

I was checking torque with a Snap-On digital torque wrench which shows you the torque you applying real time, vs the click type that will just let you know you hit that torque once.
The Katech piece is nice, just be careful with a new belt, and make sure you check it after every session if you are running a new belt.
If you have a seasoned belt I would say you'd be fine with once per event.

Zenak

be careful that you have the belt on FIRST before you finish attaching the unit to yoru car. THen you tension up the 40lb bolt. I found if you mounts up the unit, THEN tried to put on the belt it didnt work. I chipped a pulley doing this one time. I then tighten it up because you dont get a lot of slack on several belts, including OEM delco. Once you get the unit torqued down to 40 LBS then it has the nice cut out for a 1/2" drive to pull tight and tight down. the pulley wheel you can check to 25 lbs before you even mount it.

redtopz

I agree that sudden decrease in engine speed can throw belts. That's why you will see it happen on dyno's when a tuner does a full throttle pull and then suddenly lifts off the gas. I threw a belt with my stock tensioner and it caused me to go off track (belt went off right before a high speed turn and I was expecting to have power steering ). I installed a katech tensioner about 6 months ago and I've not had to re-tighten it yet. I occasionally squeeze the belt to make sure it still feels snug. I would recommend it for a LS6.

davidfarmer

redtopz is dead on, once you know how tight it should be, a "good squeeze" is all you need to do on a regular basis.

Gray Ghost GS

I use the Katech belt tensioner on my LS6 383 for years - works great, outstanding quality and 'low' maintenance!