Belt alignment is KILLING me!!

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Feb 13, 2010 | 01:37 PM

mydejavooo

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 782

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From: Magic Valley ID

Belt alignment is KILLING me!!

Ok....when I bought my 80, the previous owner had not installed the power steering pump for some reason, so I ordered parts from eBay to put the pump back on there (my arms were killing me with the Arm-Strong steering!!). So I got a set of aluminum pulleys for the water pump and crankshaft...bolted everything up today....and the frickin' p/s pulley is too far forward by approximately 1/4"!

I laid a straightedge across the p/s pulley, and sure enough. So now I have no idea on how to rectify this situation. I can't leave it, because I'm sure it will either EAT the belt, or throw it. The pulley is pressed on, and there is no way to move the bracket closer to the block. I'm at an complete loss. Any ideas?

Deja

Feb 13, 2010 | 01:48 PM

mrvette

Team Owner

Joined: Jul 1999

Posts: 65,492

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From: Orange Park Florida

I suspect the crank pulley is the rong one, assuming it's a shark V belt setup....I THINK the offsets are different for some odd reason or other, make sure that P/S pump pulley clears the frame....

Feb 13, 2010 | 01:50 PM

Grumpy 427

Melting Slicks

Joined: Oct 2008

Posts: 2,154

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From: Regina Sk Canada

Well i would get a set of stock pulleys, may be the only option here unless there is a way or enough material to machine off of one pulley to line them all up?

Feb 13, 2010 | 02:23 PM

mydejavooo

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 782

Likes: 1

From: Magic Valley ID

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrvette

I suspect the crank pulley is the rong one, assuming it's a shark V belt setup....I THINK the offsets are different for some odd reason or other, make sure that P/S pump pulley clears the frame....

Well Gene, the crank and water pump pulley are not specifically meant for a Vette, but a SBC, and they are a matched set. The problem is stemming from that stinking p/s pulley. There is no clearance issue with that, since the pump is mounted in the stock location. I'm wondering though....is the factory water pump short or long? The water pump on there now is a Weiand short pump, and the aluminum pulleys are for the short pump.....but I'm wondering if the power steering pump and pulley are designed for a LONG water pump. Is that perhaps the issue here??

I looked at the other power steering pumps and pulleys, and just a stock pump/pulley setup doesn't have a long enough of the shaft in order to utilize the very front groove on the crank pulley. I could actually use the middle groove since I do not have an AC compressor, but that's making the assumption that a new pump and pulley would place that pulley in that exact spot. It just stinks that there is no way to shim it BACK towards the block. If it was too close, I could use washer to push it out....but then I wouldn't be posting this if that was the case! LOL!!!

Last edited by mydejavooo; Feb 13, 2010 at 02:33 PM.

Feb 13, 2010 | 02:44 PM

mrvette

Team Owner

Joined: Jul 1999

Posts: 65,492

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From: Orange Park Florida

The factory pump for a vette is different than other short pumps, I think the center point on the snout is larger diameter....like from 1/2 to 5/8 inch or some such nonsense.....so the pulleys all have vette specs, and the offsets are different.....

I became aware of all that mess from my old vette club members years ago, and went '88 vette serp drive almost right away, ditching all that stock V belt crap....

I dunno a whole lot more than that, wonder if some washers behind the crany pulley would work....the p/steering pulley is a separate piece from the two groove pulley used for other drives....that much I remember...

I know you in trouble if you try mixing other SBC parts in with shark specific parts.....

Feb 13, 2010 | 03:37 PM

OMF

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 2,291

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From: Salmon Arm, BC

Just thinking out loud here.... is there any way you can press the P/S pully on further to align with what you have on there now?

Feb 13, 2010 | 03:48 PM

mydejavooo

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 782

Likes: 1

From: Magic Valley ID

Quote:

Originally Posted by sstocker31

Just thinking out loud here.... is there any way you can press the P/S pully on further to align with what you have on there now?

Well I think the pulley gremlins are hard at work, because I went BACK out there and placed the t-square along the p/s pulley, and it's lined up! Like, wtf??? I sat out there and measure it like 10 times...but the difference was....when I measured it, the pump was adjusted all the way out. If I measure from THAT point, the pulley is off, so I will have to keep a smaller belt on it, with the pump closer to the crankshaft. I guess when you are dealing with USED potmetal parts made 30 years ago, there are bound to be some things that will be "off" slightly. As long as it works and doesn't throw the belt, I don't really care.

I'm going in to town to get a belt, and I will let you know how it works. Time will tell.

Deja

Feb 14, 2010 | 02:06 AM

aussiejohn

Drifting

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 1,944

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From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria

Bent bracket.

dejavoo,

Sounds like the ps pump mounting bracket is bent. You say that fully extended it lines up, but pulled into the engine it doesn't. I would have to say that the mounting bracket is bent or not square and I'd rectify that before chasing different offset pulleys.

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn

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Feb 14, 2010 | 08:38 AM

7T1vette

Team Owner

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 37,637

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From: Crossville TN

Is there any piece of the P/S bracket set-up that could be reversed or repositioned? Maybe something is installed backward or in wrong stack sequence and causing the alignment problem.

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