Cheap mod... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

97camryman · 05-24-2005, 06:34 PM

I was bored today so I bypassed my AC, thought I would share what I learned. The principal idea is that every accessory driven off the crank eats up power, power steering, AC, alternator, etc. By removing an accessory, power is freed up and gas milage increases. I never use my AC so I decided to leave the components intact but leave the compressor out of the loop. The procedure is as follows:
1. Buy a new shorter belt to go between alternator and crank pulley. I used a 380K6 belt but thats a bit long if you have an unorthodox racing underdrive pulley like me. A 370K6 would be perfect though. If you have a stock crank pulley, you could use 380K6 or even 390K6.
2. Use a socket and ratchet to loosen the alternator to engine block pivot bolt. (bigger bolt at back of alternator.)
3. Loosen locknut on the adjuster and use same socket to loosen long adjuster bolt. You might need to tap the alternator with a block of wood to get it to swing down and relieve tension on the belt.
4. Slip old belt off and save.
5. Slip new belt on making sure all the grooves line up.
6. Tighten adjuster bolt until proper tension is reached.
7. Tighten lock bolt
8. Tighten altenator pivot bolt.
9. Start engine and make sure belt doesnt slip or flop around to much or touch anything like the AC compressor pulley that is now just chillin by itself.
I noticed that after doing this my engine idles a bit higher and reves up quicker from 3k rpms to 5k. I used to hear a lot of squeaking from my underdrive pulley but now it is quiet and the belt slips less because the belt has more area in contact with the pulleys. The belt was 9$ so this is a very cheap mod and takes all of 15 minutes to do. Its fully reversable as well. I cant say I noticed a huge jump in power but after my intake, underdrive pulley, home made grounding kit, and bypassed AC it does show noticable improvement over stock. Before anyone says anything I really downt give a crap if the underdrive pulley does shorten my motors life cause at the end of the summer I am swapping in a 3SGTE and E153 tranny but that will have to wait for another post.

Peacemaker · 05-24-2005, 08:07 PM

Just curious... is engine rev higher in idle is better? I have mine rev .8k idle when AC off and 1K when it is on. Is by turning off AC save gas mileage?

acs72727 · 05-24-2005, 08:09 PM

turning off ur AC saves miles.

Toysrme · 05-24-2005, 08:13 PM

Even better, you can cut off your powersteering. This can save 50hp in certian conditions. You just better change out the steering to something live.

***Eye8Pussies*** · 05-24-2005, 11:14 PM

good idea, but I can never see when it would be worth not have a/c or power steering tho....

but just to satisfy everyone's curiosity, somebody should do a baseline dyno, and then run WITH the a/c on, and then run with the a/c belt off, and then w/ the steering off, and then with both belts off....

I wonder what the real numbers would be.....

jackfrost1031 · 05-24-2005, 11:23 PM

You won't miss power steering except in a parking lot, and you get used to it after a month or two.