need Alternator belt tensioner pully. Offset or center mount?

[miatawnt2b]

I have a 97 328ic, and for the past year have had the alternator tensioner whining at startup. I want to order a replacement, but I see that Pelican lists both a center mounted tensioner pully and an offset mounted. Is there a way to know which I have without ripping into it?

-J

[krautcars]

check out realoem.com or....call Pelican.

[Malcolm]

Just look at the one you have on the car. If you have the hydraulic tensioner, you'll have an the offset pulley on top of the belt (looking down from above). If you have the mechanical tensioner, there is no pulley on top of the belt. However, in either case, the tensioner itself will have the same centered pulley.

[miatawnt2b]

Wow... old thread, but I went to realoem and looked at the belt diagrams. If I remember correctly, the AC is always a center pulley. The belt routing for the alternator is completely different for center/offset, so I was able to peer in between the hoses and fan to see how the alt belt was routed. Turned out to be a center pulley also.
-J