Serpentine Conversion PLZ HELP
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Kearns UT
Serpentine Conversion PLZ HELP
I searched the other forums and just didn't find what I was looking for, so I thought I would ask.
I have a 78 Vette with a zz502 BB, alternator, power steering pump, short water pump and the crank. All of these are running on a V-belt system, which I can't seem to get lined up properly, so it's constantly squeeling. These are new March pulleys and a new belt, but it's just not lining up properly, I think my alternator is bending a little causing the noise, but then again I believe it's my power steering pump... anyway I would like to convert to a serpentine belt, but am not about to pay the $ for March's kit. I found a lot of webpages about this and most of them mention converting to electric fans, which it already has, so that part is done. If anyone knows of a cheap way to do this, PLEASE TELL ME. I found the page where a guy did this for $300, but I'm not sure if this will work for me. Any ideas? Is ther any advantage of serpentine over v-belt? I would stay with my v-belt if I could fix the squeel, but that just seems to be a common problem with these.
I have a 78 Vette with a zz502 BB, alternator, power steering pump, short water pump and the crank. All of these are running on a V-belt system, which I can't seem to get lined up properly, so it's constantly squeeling. These are new March pulleys and a new belt, but it's just not lining up properly, I think my alternator is bending a little causing the noise, but then again I believe it's my power steering pump... anyway I would like to convert to a serpentine belt, but am not about to pay the $ for March's kit. I found a lot of webpages about this and most of them mention converting to electric fans, which it already has, so that part is done. If anyone knows of a cheap way to do this, PLEASE TELL ME. I found the page where a guy did this for $300, but I'm not sure if this will work for me. Any ideas? Is ther any advantage of serpentine over v-belt? I would stay with my v-belt if I could fix the squeel, but that just seems to be a common problem with these.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 303
Likes: 2
From: southeast Idaho
Did you buy the march kit new? If so I would complain to them and see if they can solve the problem. I would think the noise is from slippage caused by the belts not being tight enough rather than alignment. Do the belts jump off sometimes? I have a street and performance serp setup on my big block and it works fine but it wasnt cheap either.
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
From: Tracy Ca
[QUOTE=MEGALADON]
The alternator sits about an inch too high, i might have to modify the mount somehow, but seeing as im not worried about fitting the stock hood, im not worried about it
Originally Posted by PolishMike
Serpentine is great.
Mike, thats awesome
I always thought those kits would not fit in a C-3
Mike, thats awesome
I always thought those kits would not fit in a C-3
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Kearns UT
I have never had a belt jump off and I've put it through some pretty stressfull tests. I did talk to March and they told me that it's not their pulleys, it has got to be allignment, which I do believe since I pretty much had to rebuild the whole pulley system and my alternator bracket bends a little when the motor is reved up. The guy that did my headers had to fabricate a special bolt to fit through one of the holes on the alt bracket, because it didn't line up properly. So I do believe it's an allignment issue, but it only squeels for the first minute or two, or if I sit on a steep hill???
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