Pulley belt alignment bb
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Pulley belt alignment bb
Installed a 502 crate with th400 in my 1978. Seems to fit fine. Have a Elelbrock short water pump with a three groove pully I got from a vette parts house. The power steering pump has a two groove cast iron pulley. The harmonic balancer has a two groove pully.
Problem is the belts do not align up. The 1969 shop manual shows a water pump belt from crank pully to the wp (fits ok). Then a belt from crank pully to the power steering pump (does not align). Then a belt from the powe steering pump to the alternator (does not align).
Don't know what I have missed, all the pulleys seemed to match the range of corvette years......am trying to duplicate the 1969 BB with AC and PS.
Any help is appreciated.
Frustrated in Texas.
Problem is the belts do not align up. The 1969 shop manual shows a water pump belt from crank pully to the wp (fits ok). Then a belt from crank pully to the power steering pump (does not align). Then a belt from the powe steering pump to the alternator (does not align).
Don't know what I have missed, all the pulleys seemed to match the range of corvette years......am trying to duplicate the 1969 BB with AC and PS.
Any help is appreciated.
Frustrated in Texas.
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,336
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
Just went through this (on the stand)
If the P/S pulley needs to come forward, try backing off the exhaust stud and see if that helps. If it does, see how much of a gap it made and add that in washers (just easier than removing everything and trying one washer, then again to try another / thicker.
Also, J. Shea answered a question I had recently concerning play on the P/S shaft, there should be some (mine is about 1/16+) to help alignment.
For the alt. I can't really say, but see where you are after the P/S is correct. I went to a CS144 so it's a different set of problems, ended up machining the back of the pulley to bring it aligned.
HIH
M
If the P/S pulley needs to come forward, try backing off the exhaust stud and see if that helps. If it does, see how much of a gap it made and add that in washers (just easier than removing everything and trying one washer, then again to try another / thicker.
Also, J. Shea answered a question I had recently concerning play on the P/S shaft, there should be some (mine is about 1/16+) to help alignment.
For the alt. I can't really say, but see where you are after the P/S is correct. I went to a CS144 so it's a different set of problems, ended up machining the back of the pulley to bring it aligned.
HIH
M
Last edited by Mooser; Jul 18, 2014 at 06:20 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,336
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 308
Likes: 43
From: Suffield CT
On my '71 big block, the middle belt goes from the crank to the ps pump to the water pump. The alternator has spacers on the back side that allow it to be lined up. Mine were all messed up when I got it but enough realigning and putting the spacers in right and I was able to get it to line up. Here's what my alternator looks like...not 100% sure that's original since bubba had his hands on it before me, but it's straight as an arrow.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 267
From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
use shims under the water pump pulley to move it out for better alignment, as needed.
A trick, I use when assembling unknown pulley config. -- use a yard stick, lay it across the face of the pulleys, skinny edge against pulley dia. almost as good as a laser sight !
A trick, I use when assembling unknown pulley config. -- use a yard stick, lay it across the face of the pulleys, skinny edge against pulley dia. almost as good as a laser sight !
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
On my '71 big block, the middle belt goes from the crank to the ps pump to the water pump. The alternator has spacers on the back side that allow it to be lined up. Mine were all messed up when I got it but enough realigning and putting the spacers in right and I was able to get it to line up. Here's what my alternator looks like...not 100% sure that's original since bubba had his hands on it before me, but it's straight as an arrow.
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