[IridiumRS400]

Just checked mine. Indicator at left edge of band when looking straight at it.

Just eye-balling the my idler vs the TSB picture, it is closer to the 3.5 mm amount than the other picture. When I get a moment this weekend, I will measure.

My Gates belt has just over 5k miles on it.

 

[IridiumRS400]

I measured my idler face-to-belt edge at just over 4 mm with the Gates belt.

Here's my quick and dirty method of measuring. I had an old tape measure laying around with a broken-off clip on the end of the tape, so push the edge of the tape rule against the idler, and determined the idler face-to-belt edge distance was the length of one of the eighth divisions on the tape (as best as my 52 y/o eyes with peepers could make-out). I broke out the Vernier calipers and measured the division on the tape.

 

[IridiumRS400]

The question is, should I do the alignment or is being right at the minimum clearance adequate?

I would let "sleeping dogs lie". Your current belt tension is sitting on high side of normal, and the concern with that measurement to the nose of the idler pulley is likely aimed at belt that is on the opposite side of the marker (lesser tension).

One of the reason I chose the Gates belt is their construction reduces the tendency of their belts to flutter under load, which combined with less tension, a competing belt without that 3.5 mm buffer could potentially walk-off the edge of the pulley. Recall the Gates video where they address this:

Hope this helps.

 

[IridiumRS400]

<snip>

Let's visually compare:

Tin Man's

Belt TSB shown above.

I'm still in the camp of leave it alone...

 

[IridiumRS400]

I'm sure I've been told that I am a disappointment.

Nah, you're being too harsh on yourself. Maybe you're just a parts hoarder

 

[IridiumRS400]

The pulleys on the A/C compressor, alternator, water pump, auto-tensioner, crankshaft, and the other idler pulley all have lips. That one idler pulley does not. Makes no sense to me.

So I had to think back to when I removed OEM belt and installed the Gates belt, I recall sliding the belt on-and-off the tensioner pulley.

I confirmed by looking at this pic, which shows the tensioner does not have a lip, either:

Which makes sense, as the tensioner pulley and the idler pulley both contact the non-grooved side of the serpentine belt, based on the accessory drive layout on the VR30 engine.

For belt drive and alignment, the driven side of the belt contacts the grooved-and-shoulder pulleys. If the smooth pulleys had a shouldered edge, and without the grooves, you could potentially damage the edge of the belt with the shoulder, perhaps? Maybe the belt would have the potential to ride up the shoulder and work itself off the engine?

 

[IridiumRS400]

Whatever. As long as my belt doesn't thrash my engine compartment to death, I don't care.

Kudos to ya, Tin Man - you pay more attention to drive belt alignment than the typical consumer pays attention to the maintenance minder for an oil change...

 

[IridiumRS400]

Oh crap...do we have to change the oil?

Yes, because otherwise your 2-3 y/o car shows up on a Ytuber's channel:

They Never Changed the Engine Oil Once Since Car Was New

I thought my Canuck friends were on top of these things...

 

[IridiumRS400]

Not too many people use the word minder.

If you've ever owned a Honda or Acura, you do.