Has anyone installed the GM Performance parts serpentine accessory belt system GM part number 12497698 on a C3? If you are not familiar with this system, it can be found on gmgoodwrench.com.

My concern is the height of the alternator and belt pensioner. It looks like it would hit the hood.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I don't have that one, but I have a stock C4 TPI sepentine system and it works great. They can be bought for around $200-300. Then you might need an air-pump eliminator ($150), new water pump ($50), or a/c compressor ($150 rblt/$250 new). Parts are available anywhere. It does not hit the hood.

 

Try looking at the Vintage Air web site. They have a serpentine system we used for the first time on a 65 side pipe coupe with a new Ram Jet 350 we installed for the Power Tour. Parts fit and zero problems with the belt system for 4600+ miles of Power Tour 2004.

For other retro fits on sharks especially, we used the same set up as on a 1989 Corvette. For fans we used 90-96 Corvette dual fans and replaced the motors with new ones before installation.

Spike

 

I am in the works of useing a 91 camaro set up, Someone
here is doing the same, they are all over the junk yards
and cheap complete. Trans ams and camaros are the same

 

Using an F-body one too. Don't see why it would not work since the a/c and alt sit as low as the stock alt in my 73 (no a/c though so no worries there) do need to figure out a belt routing, might need an a/c delete pulley.

 

Thank you all for the options. I think I am going to look into the F-Car system. They should be dirt cheap at the junk yards.

 

I bought a wrecked '92 Chevy 1 ton truck for parts, which included the serpentine setup. I have not installed it yet, but from my measurements it should fit in the C3 with no problems.

Look for the F-Body first, but if you have no luck finding one, you could look into the truck's setup too.






www.bigdogvettes.com

 

A major issue with the F-body or Truck serpentine setups is that you are stuck with that junky alternator. If you use a Vette setup you can use an 84-85 air pump eliminator and an 84-85 alternator which is the same series as the C3 alternator. It may use a few more horsepower, but it is much more reliable.

 

Yes, I bought the serpentine kit that was advertised in the GM catalog. I'm planning upon putting a ZZ4 engine in my 1968 and I thought that would be a good technology upgrade. When I bought it I was afraid the engine damper pulley would hit the front crossmember - the pully is larger than stock in diameter.

I have a spare frame so I mounted my ZZ4 (with bellhousing and transmission) onto the frame and enstalled the Serpentine belt. No problem with the pulley. BUT.....the idler pully is only about an inch away from the passenger side coil tower. This means that the mounting shaft of the upper control arm will interfere with the pulley.

I think it would be possible to operate without the idler pulley, but I'm afraid the belt would vibrate. With a minor mod, the pulley can be mounted upside down and it will clear the coil tower and control shaft. (You'd have to see a picture to understand this.) I think I might just go back to the stock brackets and later get something like a March serpentine.

Yes, the GM Performance catalog serpentine kit is, as I understand it, the same serpentine assembly for a 1991 Camaro and Firebird. The GM Serpentine kit has a reverse rotation water pump. You'll have to use electric radiator fans with this kit. Also, the power steering pump has metric threads for the high pressure output hose. You'll have to change the pump housing or get a custom made hose. The kit comes with a nice 100+ amp alternator, which will need an adapter harness to mate to a 1968 Corvette's external voltage regulator. Installation instructions are skimpy and some of the bolts are metric (they don't tell you which ones are metric.) There are some metal tube brackets that you don't need, but the instructions don't tell you that!