I have a 76, couldnt get the cap off with the belt it came with. Got a new belt from Napa, can't get the cap off.... Somebody on this formum last year suggested making a tool/gauge to use to check the fluid without removing the cap all the way. Your gonna have to take the belt off to take the cap off, then while you have it off take a piece of metal rod or stiff flat steel and bend it so you have a leg that will drop into the opening, mark the high and low marks from the cap onto the rod. Then the next time you want to check the fluid all you have to do is loosen the cap and slip your new tool into the little opening you get and check the level. If you have to add fluid get a small funnel. Hope that helps...

 

G'day,
My '74 L82 has the same problem, so all I do is loosen the pump attachment bolts and slide the whole pump inwards and then the cap comes off easily. It is also easy to fill like this. Then I move the pump back till the belt is tight and tighten the bolts. Of course, what should be a thirty second job you could do in a dinner suit becomes a ten minute job that needs overalls and a handwash.

Part of the fun of owning a Corvette.

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn

 

I had the same problem on my 79, I used a belt a 1/2" longer and that took care of my problem, in addition to put fluid in I cut a piece off my garden hose and that's how I get my fluid in. I never considered going a 1/2 shorter, I like that idea for when I went longer now my alternator is basically at the end of its stroke on the adjusting bracket.

 

Gates 7365 is a 36.5 inch belt hope that helps

 

I had the same problem.
I thought it was Bubba.
In my case; the smaller and skinnier "V" belt was so short, the only way to get it on and off was to un-bolt the pump completely.
Once the belt was installed (with pump unbolted), re-installing the pump would almost put the belt at perfect tension (less than 1/4" of tension travel to corretly tighten the belt).

The PS fill cap was at the 12 0'clock position and the cap did NOT come off.

I didnt like the skinny belt as it would squeal at high RPM's.

I bought a fatter "V", and longer belt...cap was still under ALT. bracket...exchanged that belt for longer, then again.

I now have a belt that is a fatter "V", and only about 1/4" of slotted adjustment left... I can barely get the cap off...and the cap is at the 2 0-clock position...which now the pump housing is actually at an angle that filling to the neck still has the fluid slightly low.
If you add slightly too much fluid (to correct fluid level); it will "burp" it out.

My remedy is to put the short, fat belt back on, buy another ALT. bracket and take a torch and grinder to that ALT. bracket....its very close to removing the cap at the 12 0-clock position and I would rather have my fluid full, and pump level...
I would rather "trim" an extra ALT. bracket, and remove the cap, and have all good all the time.



Jim

 

BTW, Saginaw just supplied the power steering pump, reservoir, and cap. Chevrolet engineering designed the brackets to hold the pump to the engine.
Jim