Whoops. Sorry about the confusion.

 

It's cool.

So if I do remove the idler pulley, how am I going to know if I am getting belt slippage? I looked today and it doesn't look like the idler pulley changes the contact of the crank pulley all that much. Here is a pic for reference:

 

After looking at that picture, I saw that I might run into some problems with the oil line above the idler pulley. I went and checked it out and it looks like that it will be in the way if the belt is going straight from the tensioner to the crank. I guess this mod can't be done then unless someone has a solution for that problem.

 

Why do you want to do this? You are worried about the smallest mod that you could possibly do, and even wanting to get into re-fabbing coolant lines just to have a straight belt with no idler pulley... for what? Like someone already said, take a dump before you drive, and it'll help you more than this "mod" would.

This mod would likely just cause you more problems and trouble rather than doing anything useful for you.

Need less weight or rotating mass? Get rid of the a/c... go to an electric water pump, ditch the tensioner setup, and get a smaller alternator with a custom bracket that allows you to use the alt to adjust tension like a B-series motor.

But doing just that mod to get rid of that pulley? silliness...

 

It was just an idea that I had one day and I wanted to see if it would work or not. I am not going to re-route any lines if that is what needs to be done. Nor am I going to remove my AC (Hotlanta summers), get an electric water pump ($$ and custom work), or custom alternator just to remove the tensioner ($$ and custom work).

Feel free to disagree, but it seems to me like all your ideas are even sillier and more costly/harder work than mine.

I thought it would be a simple job, but since it isn't I'm letting it go.

 

that is a coolant line, not an oil line. You should be able to clear it...

 

Hahahaha

 

I'd be very hesitant to do this...wrap angle of belts has a huge influence on friction provided by the pulley around which the belt is wrapped... It's something that mechanical engineers learn in their second (or maybe third? - I forget, because it was so long ago...) - but looking at that pic, I'd guess that that idler is there to increase wrap angle around crank pulley, and was specified by the engine designers for that very purpose... Not only is the benefit microscopic (if any at all), but it comes at a risk... of course, others may have a different perspective...

 

where did you get your pulleys?

 

Ya, you're right... they are more costly and time consuming... but not silly at all, because you'd feel the difference from them. I was offering up suggestions based on what would improve performance, not what would be cheap or easy necessarily.

But man, if you want to do it, go for it! the only way you'll learn more about your car and what you can and can't do is by going out and doing it. Its innovative atr the least, and maybe in the process you'll discover more about why Honda put that pulley in that particular spot. I'm sure it wasn't a hasty decision on their part.