Okay, so the UPR A/C delete idler pulley I wasted $60 or $70 on a year ago has decided to start falling apart - the bearing has become loose inside of the pulley, thus giving the pulley just enough wobble to make an obnoxious rattle sound and make me worry it's either going to throw the belt and/or fly apart while I'm going down the highway. So, it's time to look into bracket-style A/C delete kits, instead.
I know that the FRPP kit seems to be the main choice, and the March kit is a close second. I just noticed that Trick Flow has a kit that looks absolutely identical to the March kit, except it's painted black instead of plain aluminum, and only costs $30 instead of $43 through Summit. If it really IS the exact same thing, I'd naturally be more inclined to go for the cheap-o ... because the FRPP kit is also $39 and ... well, I'm cheap. And relatively broke until I pay off my school loans.
Also, according to the example pic of the March kit, this is one of those weird ones that flips the belt tensioner upside-down and backwards, instead of just moving the power steering pump up to where the A/C pump once sat. Is there any disadvantage to either one?
I've read that, at least with the FRPP kit, you sometimes need to add washers to shim the thing out enough to line things up so it doesn't throw or shred belts - is it the same issue with the March-style kit? I can't tell from the pic, but it looks like the P/S pump pretty much just sits where it always does, and only the tensioner gets moved.
Anyone got any horror stories of any of these three kits that should steer me towards one or another type? Or should I go back to the old Über-ghetto route of just running the short weird-sized Goodyear Gatorback belt that uses the factory A/C bracket and barely rubs the belt against itself at the top of the water pump pulley...?
Oh, and I'm running stock pullies, aside from the 3g swap (with a pulley swapped onto it to pretty much match the stock 2g's diameter exactly).
I know that the FRPP kit seems to be the main choice, and the March kit is a close second. I just noticed that Trick Flow has a kit that looks absolutely identical to the March kit, except it's painted black instead of plain aluminum, and only costs $30 instead of $43 through Summit. If it really IS the exact same thing, I'd naturally be more inclined to go for the cheap-o ... because the FRPP kit is also $39 and ... well, I'm cheap. And relatively broke until I pay off my school loans.
Also, according to the example pic of the March kit, this is one of those weird ones that flips the belt tensioner upside-down and backwards, instead of just moving the power steering pump up to where the A/C pump once sat. Is there any disadvantage to either one?
I've read that, at least with the FRPP kit, you sometimes need to add washers to shim the thing out enough to line things up so it doesn't throw or shred belts - is it the same issue with the March-style kit? I can't tell from the pic, but it looks like the P/S pump pretty much just sits where it always does, and only the tensioner gets moved.
Anyone got any horror stories of any of these three kits that should steer me towards one or another type? Or should I go back to the old Über-ghetto route of just running the short weird-sized Goodyear Gatorback belt that uses the factory A/C bracket and barely rubs the belt against itself at the top of the water pump pulley...?
Oh, and I'm running stock pullies, aside from the 3g swap (with a pulley swapped onto it to pretty much match the stock 2g's diameter exactly).