idler pulley purposes?
 

Other than helping to route the belt, do idler pulleys do anything else? Im dumping my a/c and there are two idler pulleys on the pass. side that I was wondering if they had any purpose other than to help route the belt from the a/c to the alt. pulley...

They also help take up slack.

mach, can you use a breaker bar for your tensioner or is it a threaded round hole...cobras and machs have the same motor, just wondering if your belt is easy to remove or a headache like mine

should be a square in the front of the tensioner that will receive a 3/8'' ratchet, insert and turn clockwise if i remember correctly. belt will come off real easy

when i reroute my belt to avoid the a/c, would there be any harm in bypassing an idler if able so long as i still use the tensioner?

and for you GT guys, does your tensioner pulley have a groove for the belt to sit in, or is it completely smooth with the belt sitting on top?

for my cobra its smooth, and also my idler doesnt have anywhere for that 3/4 inch ratchet, instead it is a round threaded port, something you can screw a bolt in.

As long as you use a shorter belt and the belt still wraps around the pulleys the same amount and turns them in the correct direction, then go ahead and bypass them.

i have heard of machs bypassing both idlers after a/c removal, im gonna try it. i've ordered a grooved tensioner pulley to help keep to belt from slipping...