I've been running a serpentine belt for my crank and alternator, and a standard v-belt pulley for my power steering. I have an electric water pump, so no water pump pulley needed. It works great, no problems even at 6500rm.


I bought a used Chevy press on power steering serpentine pulley at the Pomona swap meet this weekend. I took out my power steering pump, a PITA, took it to NAPA, and had them remove the v-belt pulley and install the serpentine pulley. I reinstalled the power steering pump, a major PITA, and look at what I have. The Power steering pulley is a good 3/4" too far forward.

I borrowed this picture from MarZ. I guess I need a press on power steering pulley that sits way back to work with my short water pump crank pulley and alternator pulley.

Can someone help me with a part number from March or summit please?
Thanks. MarZ, you out there? Where can I get that pulley and is it a press on? I guess I have to remove my power steering pump again, a major, major, pain in the a$$.

Bee Jay

 

I'll give March a call today, but I think I'll just go back to the serpentine/v-belt combo. It wasnt broken.
Bee Jay

 

I got my answer from March. The pulley MarZ is using is March #613. The same pulley, but press on, .750" diameter is March #614. It's not listed in the catalouge or online because it is a part of a kit. I got it singularly from Summit for $77.
Bee Jay

 

I finally got it all together. I tried five different belts. Too long and the belt will rub against the camber rod mounting plate. Too short and the alternator wants to share space with the valve cover and the belt will rub against the electric water pump. The power steering serpentine pulley is so freakin' big. I start the car and I have power steering and power brakes, and the belt isn't rubbing anywhere. The brand new CS 133 alternator is charging. It's all good. I go inside to clean up and take the Vette for a spin. It's been over a week. I come back outside and son of a biscuit eater, !@#$^%&*()+_ and a few words I haven't learned yet. The power steering pump is leaking big time, and it's not from the lines. Its from the body to reservoir seals. I gotta disassemble everything, pull the doggone pulley off, and install it on a new ps pump. Dang, dang, dang. The smallest two hour jobs can take a week. The week long jobs, like pulling the trailing arms or dropping the rear end, only took me a couple of hours. Maybe I can get it all done tomorow since I know how it all works and goes together now.
Bee Jay

 

I got a new power steering pump today, but I could not get the March pulley off of the old power steering pump. Tried everything. Destroyed a set of bolts on my wheel puller. The March pulley has three threaded screw holes in it instead of the raised lip. Not wanting to do without the car anylonger, I put the v-belt pulley on the ps pump, and put the pump back in. I'm back to where I started. At least the car is running with a new CS130 and my cold air intake.
I will try to get the $70 March pulley off of the old ps pump.
Bee Jay

 

Bee Jay,
So sorry for all the power steering woes. Man, I've been there. This may be obvious, but on my March system, there was a bolt in the rear of the body of the factory pump where the mounting bracket mounted to the body. I didn't realize it because the pump was empty, but I didn't tighten that bolt well enough and ps fluid was leaking out. Just a suggestion in hopes that it may help. Good luck and really nice vette.

 

Thanks Brando. The problem is I started with the wrong pulley. So pulling the original v-belt pulley, installing the wrong serpentine pulley, pulling that one, then installing the correct March serpentine pulley, put a lot of stress on the 30 year old reservoir to pump seal. I should have gone with a new ps pump in the first place, but it wasn't broke. I should have gone with a new, keyway bolt on pulley ps pump. The GM engineer that made the economical decision to go to press on pulleys should be shot in the knee cap, covered with Hershey's syrup, and tied down to a red ant hill. Maybe that is too harsh, pour Hershey's syrup just on the pubic hair.
Bee Jay

 

I drove the car in this morning, and wow, the steering is super sensitive. I guess the 30 year old power steering pump was a little worn. A flick of the wrist and the car will change lanes now. I'm not sure I like it. I guess I have to get used to it. The March pulley is much bigger than the stock pulley. I wonder if slowing the pump down will reduce the boost. There is no difference in my hydro boost brakes however.
Bee Jay

 

What a saga, but so it goes with custom work.

Pulling the stock power steering pump off of my '81 to get to the suspension bolts is what convinced me to go with a serpentine setup (off of a mid-90's truck) myself. The braket that held the factory PS pump to the block immediately tweaked itself like it had been a compressed spring for the last 30 years. The thought of fighting that thing got me thinking of the alternatives, and the serp setup seems to work.


The PS pulley was a bit larger than the stock v-belt job, but not much.

I also have a CS130 alternator and no A/C. I guess you manage the serp belt tension with the adjustable strut rod on the alternator. Do you know where you could get one of those with the heim joints? I am looking at ways to brace up my serp brackets since all of the factory bolt holes are not drilled on my old-school heads, and that might help.

 

Bee Jay, how did you get the March pulley removed (that has three threaded screw holes in it instead of the raised lip)? Is there a tool for it or do you just stick 3 bolts in it and drive the pulley out by turning each screw?

 

I finally got the March pulley off of the original power steering pump this morning. What a PITA. I stripped the three holes in the pulley, so I had to helicoil each hole, and atack it again with my wheel puller and impact wrench. I hit it good with the impact wrench last night before bed. Then I let is sit overnight under stress. Then I hit it again with the impact wrench again this morning. It finally came off. The car is running fine now with the Serpentine/V-belt combo, and I'm not too keen on trying this again. At least not until after the Autocross this weekend.
Bee Jay