Most centrifugal superchargers rely on an engine’s crankshaft to operate through a belt system. The belt needs to have the correct amount of tension on it, or it will slip. In this video, Erik Radzins covers how to set belt tension and what belt options are out there for ProCharger customers.
You want to get as much pre-load as possible into your tensioner’s spring. There are various holes that you can use to add idler pulleys so you can add more tension to the belt. The idlers help to add tension to the belt, so you want to be strategic in how you use them. You can also adjust the tensioner itself to add more tension to the belt.
The majority of people who have a ProCharged vehicle that’s making less than 800 horsepower can use a standard Gates belt. These belts are OEM quality, so they’ll have plenty of stretch and will last for a while. If you’re trying to make 900 horsepower or more, you’ll want to step up to a Gates green belt. These belts do provide plenty of grip, but they are relatively soft, so that means you’ll need to change them often to prevent slippage or other problems. The Gates RPM belt is a hybrid of the standard and green belts. This belt was developed with input from companies like ProCharger so it would work for most applications.
You’ll want to watch the entire video, as it provides some great information about how to adjust the new and old style ProCharger belt tensioners. If you want to add some boost to your ride, make sure to check out the ProCharger website right here to see if they have a supercharger solution for your vehicle.