Drache

Got a 71 LS-5 454 with power steering and air conditioning. The first belt (going outside-in) is the water pump pulley to compressor. The second belt is the alternator to PS pump. The third is PS pump to crank pulley and water pump pulley. I've got all those off. The forth belt is from the crank pulley just to water pump, which uses an idler wheel. I loosened the idler wheel and pulled it back, but the belt is just as tight as it was before. I'm puzzled: Does the water pump pulley or crank pulley have to come off in order to get this belt off? I don't see anything else to loosen. None of the manuals I have address this.

I never realized how much I love serpentine belts until today.

Tom73

Loosen the water pump pulley, should then tilt enough to get the belt off. If not then will neet to take the pulley off.

tom...

RatRacer

What Tom said. I love serpentine belts after changing that belt on my LS-5.

71DropTop

Or drive it into the back of a minivan like the previous owner of mine did :smash: :smash: :smash:

Tom454

I eliminated the idler on my 70 LS5 by using a belt that just fit the two pulleys. This was a very common trick back when we still used horseshoes. In order to install or remove this belt, the pulley actually does have to be removed. If your belt has been switched out by a previous owner, and the idler left there for appearance, then you will have to remove the pulley to change the belt. Just one possibility. To install mine, I have special short studs to allow me enough clearance to force the pulley back on with the belt already installed on both pulleys. It takes a little muscle. My idler is oiled and tucked away in a ziplock freezer bag. If you need a belt number.... I have it written down someplace.


[Modified by Tom454, 12:05 PM 9/10/2001]

Drache

Thanks for the replies! I guess I forgot to mention... there's a big ol' engine-driven fan and clutch assembly on the end of the water pump pulley, and the water pump pulley won't tilt down until the fan (which means the fan shroud too) is removed. So I guess my question now is, is it better to remove the fan and shroud and then try to tilt the water pump pulley out of the way, or leave the fan installed and try to loosen the crank pulley and tilt the crank pulley instead of the water pump pulley, to allow removal of the belt?

Wow, I thought taking the belts off would be easy!

Tom73

Just remove the fan, 4 bolts, and let it gently slide down inside the shroud to get it out of the way. You should then have the access you need.

tom...

RatRacer

Not on an LS-5 it's not. It's about a 1 hour job to do that last belt. That's if you are prepared. It can take all day if you don't get the right belts. Hence my reference to serpentine belts. My late model GMC truck takes five minutes.

Just remeber to write down the belt numbers once you find something that works or save your old belts.

71vettman

Mine is a 71 bb with air and ps also. The belts are a major pain. It took multiple tries on getting the right belts. My fan comes completely out of the car with out touching the shroud you just have to angle it right. The tensioner is long gone on my car and i found a belt that dosent require the tensioner the pulley does have to come off though to get the belt on.
Kevin

Drache

I know what you mean, my late-model takes about 60 seconds, including opening the hood and finding the right socket!

Ok thanks, I'll remove the fan and slide it down out of the way first.

BTW, the belts are all good, they look new... I was just going to remove the belts to eliminate or identify the water pump as a source of a noise. I had no idea it was a three-hour job! And that's just to get it off. The belts I mean.

Thanks again!

BobbyT454

I attempted to change my belts yesterday on a '70 bb with p/s and a/c. Taking off the fan seemed logical, and the pulleys came right off, so I figured I having the pulley off work make the job even easier. After a lot of cursing, grunting and prying I had all new belts on, and started to reassemble but the pulley assembly kept getting cocked and making contact with the drivers side portion of the water pump. I hoped that as I tightened down the fan it would straighten out but alas one of the fan nuts stripped instead. I was thinking of taking everything apart and starting over again, and after installing the crankshaft-waterpump belt reinstalling the fan, or at least the nuts/bolt to hold the pulley assembly down flush and straight.. Also, there is a slight gap between the two innermost pulleys. Is this supposed to be there? Any thoughts? Have you guys ever ran into a similar problem?
Thanks for the help!
Bob

Mooser

That's an old thread to pull from
Yes, I normally install just the crank/WP belt, then tighten the fan, then worry about the other belts. There are a few threads on installing that belt, but I think you'll find that's the general consensus.

My car doesn't have AC but does run the 3 groove WP pulley and yes there is a slight gap between the last groove and the front 2
You can kind of see it here



The pulley is actually made up of 2 pieces

HIH
M

Mooser

Check here
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...ank-pully.html

M

71 Green 454

I'm glad to see this thread about LS5 belts. I've been flamed before for not using the correct belts that are listed on supplier's sites.

I would get 4 new fan studs and nuts and start over. The pulley assembly should straighten up when you tighten the fan bolts. I went through all of these problems in 1975 when I bought my '71 LS5 with P/S and A/C. I went to Chevrolet and bought the correct belts and they sucked!!!

To resolve my belt issues, here's what I did with the fan removed. I started with the crank to water pump belt first. I bought one that fits nice and snug when I slide the pulley back onto the water pump. The idler pulley is just barely pushed in, but I could eliminate it if I wanted to.

Next, I bought a P/S belt that fits so that I don't have to slide the pump very far to tighten it, but I can still remove the cap to check the fluid.

Now that the P/S belt is like I want it, I can do the same with the alternator belt. Bought one that fits where the adjustment bolt is centered on the bracket.

Finally, I did the same thing with the A/C compressor belt. I can slip it over the pulley, and not have to pull the compressor back very far to tighten it.

I made a list of the 4 Gates belts part numbers that I prefer to use along with the dimensions and cross reference numbers.

Good luck.

BobbyT454

Thank you very much for the help! I'll give this a try next weekend!

BobbyT454

Thank you very much for the help!
Once question. I'm not clear on if you're suggesting I should change the 3 nuts and the 1 stud that hold the fan onto motor, or if I should change those and the three studs that the nuts thread onto to hold the fan/pulley in place. If it's the latter, what method/how should I use to remove the 3 old mounting studs and replace them?
Thank you again!
Bob

71 Green 454

We're talking about the four studs and nuts that hold the fan clutch and pulley onto the water pump right? All four of my studs can be removed my hand....I just checked. I pulled my radiator out today. If I had one stud that was stripped, I would probably replace all four . If your studs are not loose, it shouldn't take too much effort to unscrew them. Maybe use a rag and a pair of vice grips.

Good luck.

C3 Stroker

Having a small block, I never really gave it much thought, but looking at the big block belt set-up I notice that the alternator is run off the PS pump pulley......not the crank (directly). Which means if you lose PS, you also lose the ALT..........not good if that happens!