Serpentine tensioner question CRD

mr.jerryfluffy · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2021 12:26 pm

What’s up CRD gang?

About to start building a winch bumper very soon. Have plans for a couple subs in the future. Because if this I want to upgrade my alternator to a bigger one. eBay has a 250 amp for $200. Can’t find the mean green some folks talked about. along with that I should change the belts and pulleys. An eBay tensioner is $30 the crown one is $60. My money pit crd has spent too much for me to drop $150 for the oem litens. My question is how many people have ran a non oem tensioner and if they’re terrible or not. I’ve read a couple posts of people crapping on the crown one but $150 for tensioner seems steep. 2nd question is would you guys even recommend me replace the tensioner even if it’s fine? My motor supposedly has 85k before I got it swapped in…

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:01 pm

Whatever alternator you decide to go with if you are lucky enough to find one with a higher capacity that will even fit the 2.8 CRD engine mounting brackets.
Be sure it has an "override" (one way) clutch pulley. If you don't, no matter what belt tensioner pulley/assembly you install, a non-override alternator pulley will self destruct the tensioner pulley/spring in short order.

As to the winch: Some, including myself, simply went to a much higher capacity battery like the NorthStar AGM Group 65 and still run the stock alternator.
A Group 65 AGM battery will fit in place of the OEM size battery with a slight battery tray modification.
The NorthStar AGM 65 with it's high reserve capacity would have no trouble running a winch. I have a single NorthStar AGM in my Dodge 4x4 gaser and it runs a 10k winch flawlessly.
NorthStar----------------------NSB-AGM 65
Pulse cranking amps-----------------1750 A
CCA rating at -18°C (0°F)-----------930 A
CA/MCA rating at 0°C (32°F)-------1070 A
Reserve capacity---------------------135 min
Capacity-20 hour rate (1.75 vpc)---69 Ah

As to the tensioner pulley:
There are plenty of cheap chinanism knock offs available, like the Crown brand tensioners listed online at eBay, Amazon, and many other places.
I would not waste my time or money on them and chance one of them coming apart and destroying the front of my engine or worse yet, causing catastrophic damage due to the serpentine belt flying off at some high rate of RPM's...
You get what you pay for! :wink:

SasquatchParts.com has a Litens assembly that is supposed to be of better quality than anything else available and is made in Germany.
LINK:> OE Litens Serpentine Belt Tensioner for Jeep Liberty 2.8L CRD

IDParts.com also has the OEM tensioner pulley assembly
LINK:> Serpentine Belt Tensioner OEM (Liberty CRD)

mr.jerryfluffy · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:31 pm

Is it possible to put a group 65 with minimal modification without purchasing the Sasquatch parts tray? Looking to cut costs lol. Plus I got my red optima replaced a month ago. I really wish a under the hood dual set up was available/ feasible

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2021 5:36 pm

mr.jerryfluffy wrote:

Is it possible to put a group 65 with minimal modification without purchasing the Sasquatch parts tray? Looking to cut costs lol. Plus I got my red optima replaced a month ago. I really wish a under the hood dual set up was available/ feasible

Yes you can mount a GP 65 simply by modifying the factory battery tray on one end, some have done this and not purchased the Sasquatch tray. :rockon:

Serpentine tensioner question CRD

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