M113 55k AMG Belt wrap kits

[Dogbreath]

Just about to order 1 of these kits.
Wanted to know if there is a huge difference in who makes them ? Anyone used a non UPD kit? There is a good £200 difference in price. is it just a name thing. Has there been any known failures with the cheaper kits..?

Lee

 

[jimiE55]

I've got the 77mm upd S/C pulley. Msl fitted my pulley without belt wrap kit around a year ago no issues. I know the guys over the pond use them a fair bit, but my cars been pretty solid to date, also with kleemann headers.

 

[Dogbreath]

Hi Jim
Yeh I've no probs getting it fit without wrap kit, I just thought it was something I could fit without having to worry if I was gunna get any slippage along the way. I've not heard of any major issues with not using the kit on a uprated SC. I might wait and see how the car goes before I buy..!

 

[Cyclone1]

I'd hold back and use the money elsewhere. Like Jim I've been running at 77mm but without a BWK with no issues. I get no slippage and no belt dust (correct size belt is important). It's also worth checking your existing pulleys and tensioners are healthy, this would be a better investment of your money and go for an ASP pulley set.

Didn't realise there were different brands of BWK, so if you do go this route then do your homework via the US Merc forums. A member over here has had lots of issues with his BWK with failing bearings. I still believe that if all components such as bearings, tensioners, belts and pulleys are healthy and the correct spec, then for an 84mm / 77mm set up a BWK is not necessary.

Jules

 

[Dogbreath]

Cheers Jules, yes I'm gunna take that advice and make sure everything is healthy and hold off on the wrap kit. will have a look for a pulley set instead.

Hope your well mate
Lee

 

[Cyclone1]

Cheers Jules, yes I'm gunna take that advice and make sure everything is healthy and hold off on the wrap kit. will have a look for a pulley set instead.

Hope your well mate
Lee

Good move as you can always add the BWK later if needed or have spare cash.

I am well thanks Lee and hope you are too. I think I'll be putting my CLS up for sale next month after my holiday, but need to test drive a CLS 63 first to convince myself that the newer 5.5 is the way to go! My 55k is almost perfect though so it's a tough choice to make.

Jules

 

[jimiE55]

Best of luck with it, let us no how the car develops.

 

[Alps]

defo go for the ASP pulley set, the dual pulley or the tensioner pulley will be the ones that go first!

 

[ricky s]

As the guys are saying, if your not tracking or Vmaxing, no point with the BWK, as jules mentions, my own BWK, is a a right pain, the most troublesome item I have on my car, still on the same belt, but on my third set of bearings, and another coming up, it really is a total waste of money. Probably OK if your a mechanic or in the trade, but if not and you need to pay to get it all sorted, it becomes an expensive on going expense. Acid has already pinned in on this item, he also is not a fan. don't bother mate.

 

[Dogbreath]

cheers lads
will deffo take your advice and leave alone. the yanks love em going by there sites... thought it must be a weak point as far as slippage goes so that was my thinking behind getting the kit..... seems a bit of a gimmick now after reading your inputs.

hard decision Jules, never been in a new 5.5 but it would have to blow my socks off to make me change, but when I get old..... like really old.. I do fancy a e63s haha
hope you make the right decision for you...
lee

 

[Lenny63]

defo go for the ASP pulley set, the dual pulley or the tensioner pulley will be the ones that go first!

Alps do you know approx how muc the twin idler costs ?

 

[Dogbreath]

Alps do you know approx how muc the twin idler costs ?

ive found a best price of $335 for the 3 piece ASP pulley kit so far

 

[jimiE55]

cheers lads
will deffo take your advice and leave alone. the yanks love em going by there sites... thought it must be a weak point as far as slippage goes so that was my thinking behind getting the kit..... seems a bit of a gimmick now after reading your inputs.

I think with the american boys it's the norm to fit them, & to be fair to them they probably have done most of the different mods way before us. Obviously as me and Jules have mentioned we have been ok without them to date, a year on.

Worth noting Ricky has a different set up to us with crank and S/C pulley upgrades, (before there were any 77mm S/C pulleys made). Not sure if that has any bearing on his issues with the belt wrap kit. If you do decide to fit a belt wrap kit at a later date, speak to someone like Shardul who originally made the 77mm pulleys, as he is obviously the one who's fitted them successfully in the states to a number of their guys. (maybe start a thread on mbworld, to see what guys with 77mm pulley say about it.)

 

[Alps]

Alps do you know approx how muc the twin idler costs ?

Acids prob the best person for these, unless you go direct to Shardul on mbworld.

Bought mine 4 years back, still on original bearings which I think will need changing soon as they are getting a bit noisy on startup

 

[nickjonesn4]

This is great info - thanks all