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Sbc V-belt Help Needed

82K views 92 replies 13 participants last post by  ralphvlad 
#1 ·
I need help with my v-belts on sbc400ci. I know most of you will say convert to a serpentine system, but this is in an '89 chevy p/u and i kinda like the engine to have the old school look. Ok here's the problem, i have two v-belts on this engine. One is attached to the power steering/waterpump/crank..the other is attached from alt/waterpump/and crank. I have a horrible sqeal! I've taken the alt belt off and the sqeal stopped si thought maybe the alt bearings were bad.. replaced alt...Still sqealing! Took the power steering belt off stopped squealing..changed p/s pump and sqeal returned and i can't seem to pin point where it's comimg from.. THis is also my second set of belts with the same sqeal please help.. Thanks in advance!!!
 
#52 ·
V8&4spd said:
Who knows why some thing were made the way they were. The picture of the water pump pulley I posted came off a V6. It bolts right onto a V8. If you look at the pictures of the chrome water pump pulleys they sell, they are both the same size. The V6 water pump pulley throws everything out of wack when it's put on a V8. It causes vibration and belt squeeling.
So the pulley i have now is off of a V6? If so my buddy next door has a ton of junk 327's and 350's maybe i can find a new set of pulleys there!! Haven't looked at his yet , for what reasons i don't know lol! (would have been a good place to start huh)
 
#53 ·
When swapping around a bunch of pulleys, please be careful and make sure the spacers and pulleys fit the shaft and don't just trust the bolts to hold things in center. I did this a long, long time ago and the first time I revved the engine up the water pump shaft snapped and the fan and pulley went through the radiator. It was off balance because even though the bolts lined up, the hole in the center of the water pump pulley was bigger then the shaft. It could have gone through me or my hand because I was leaning right over the engine. Chevy water pumps come in a lot of different sizes - big shaft, small shaft, short shaft, long shaft. Another thing to check when running v-belts is that the newer small block water pumps run or rotate opposite of the engine rotation. I saw a fellow use a reverse rotation (newer pump) in an older application and it blew the bottom hose off and cooked the motor. As you are finding out pulleys are not as easy as bolt on and go. The squeal may be coming from using mixed v-belt groove in the pulleys. Check and make sure that all of your pulleys have the same angle in the pulley groove. If you could find a complete set up from an older engine that would be the route to go. Good luck!
 
#55 ·
pontiacjosh said:

this is mine without a power steering belt but just run the power steering belt to the crank to the power steering pump and you will be fine

Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings here but anytime I see people give information on belts and pulleys I like for it to be correct. As I stated earlier it is not something to take for granted! I know of a young fellow that was killed by a fan blade that came off. In the picture that you have shown here it would create two different speeds on the belts and the reason is because you have two different size groove diameters on your water pump pulley. The size of the alternator pulley and the size of the power steering pump pulley has no variation of speed in the two belts as long as the two groove diameters in the crank pulley and the two groove diameters in the water pump pulley have the same diameter. The water pump pulley you have shown has two different size diameters on it. This type of pulley would not use a belt that also went over the crank it would only use one of the two belts over the crank shaft and not both of them. A pulley such as you have shown could be used to drive another accessory but the belt that drives the second accessory could only be put around the water pump and not over the crank or they would fight each other and squeal and one of the two belts would wear out real quick.

I have drawn a picture that shows how it works with two belts over the crank and water pump. In this picture the two grooves of the pulley on the water pump are of the same diameter and the two grooves of the crank pulley are of the same diameter. The fact that the power steering pump has a different size pulley then the one that is on the alternator has no effect on belt speed.
 

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#56 ·
So Chris thanks for the diagram!! In this case w/the waterpump pulleys i have (of diff diameter) can i run the alt like you have it shown and the power steering off just the crank? I looked at my buddys 327 and 350"s and they have the same w/p pulleys that i have (one large one smaller)
 
#57 ·
gmc1990rodder said:
So Chris thanks for the diagram!! In this case w/the waterpump pulleys i have (of diff diameter) can i run the alt like you have it shown and the power steering off just the crank? I looked at my buddys 327 and 350"s and they have the same w/p pulleys that i have (one large one smaller)
You could make it work that way. It sounds like the only thing you have set up wrong is the water pump pulley. Once you have the water pump pulley that uses the same size pulleys on it you will be good to go. The fan belt you had driving the PS pump should be long enough to fit the correct water pump pulley once it's on there.
 
#58 ·
V8&4spd said:
You could make it work that way. It sounds like the only thing you have set up wrong is the water pump pulley. Once you have the water pump pulley that uses the same size pulleys on it you will be good to go. The fan belt you had driving the PS pump should be long enough to fit the correct water pump pulley once it's on there.
Thanks Guys! I really appreciate all the responces and ya'lls help!!!
 
#59 ·
gmc1990rodder said:
So Chris thanks for the diagram!! In this case w/the waterpump pulleys i have (of diff diameter) can i run the alt like you have it shown and the power steering off just the crank? I looked at my buddys 327 and 350"s and they have the same w/p pulleys that i have (one large one smaller)
You could do it that way (but) I like equal load on each side of the water pump when ever I can get it that way. You really need a double groove water pump pully where both pulleys are the same size diameter. Be sure and read my earlier post I have included it in this post. Make sure that you do not have a reverse rotation water pump and make sure that all pulleys have the correct size to shaft size on the center holes.

When swapping around a bunch of pulleys, please be careful and make sure the spacers and pulleys fit the shaft and don't just trust the bolts to hold things in center. I did this a long, long time ago and the first time I revved the engine up the water pump shaft snapped and the fan and pulley went through the radiator. It was off balance because even though the bolts lined up, the hole in the center of the water pump pulley was bigger then the shaft. It could have gone through me or my hand because I was leaning right over the engine. Chevy water pumps come in a lot of different sizes - big shaft, small shaft, short shaft, long shaft. Another thing to check when running v-belts is that the newer small block water pumps run or rotate opposite of the engine rotation. I saw a fellow use a reverse rotation (newer pump) in an older application and it blew the bottom hose off and cooked the motor. As you are finding out pulleys are not as easy as bolt on and go. The squeal may be coming from using mixed v-belt groove in the pulleys. Check and make sure that all of your pulleys have the same angle in the pulley groove. If you could find a complete set up from an older engine that would be the route to go. Good luck!
 
#61 ·
This one has the right set up on it
V8&4spd said:
If you are only running a alternator and PS pump both the pulleys have to be the same size. The crank pulley drives both of them first. If you use the smaller pulley in back the water pump pulley wants to run at 2 different speeds. It's a fact there is a night and day difference when you have the right size pulley on the water pump.
 
#63 ·
Chris Kemp said:
Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings here but anytime I see people give information on belts and pulleys I like for it to be correct. As I stated earlier it is not something to take for granted! I know of a young fellow that was killed by a fan blade that came off. In the picture that you have shown here it would create two different speeds on the belts and the reason is because you have two different size groove diameters on your water pump pulley. The size of the alternator pulley and the size of the power steering pump pulley has no variation of speed in the two belts as long as the two groove diameters in the crank pulley and the two groove diameters in the water pump pulley have the same diameter. The water pump pulley you have shown has two different size diameters on it. This type of pulley would not use a belt that also went over the crank it would only use one of the two belts over the crank shaft and not both of them. A pulley such as you have shown could be used to drive another accessory but the belt that drives the second accessory could only be put around the water pump and not over the crank or they would fight each other and squeal and one of the two belts would wear out real quick.

I have drawn a picture that shows how it works with two belts over the crank and water pump. In this picture the two grooves of the pulley on the water pump are of the same diameter and the two grooves of the crank pulley are of the same diameter. The fact that the power steering pump has a different size pulley then the one that is on the alternator has no effect on belt speed.
it wouldnt run 2 speeds because it wouldnt go 2 the water and crank so you may wana read all of the post before you say its not correct and by the way stock 2 belts dont even go to crank and water pump
 
#64 ·
experts

So now another expert that doesn't have a clue. If you look at the picture that you say is correct do you and others see that it has belts on it that don't fit the pulleys. Look at the edges of the belts. Also you are telling the op all the pulleys need to be the same on the water pump so you can now explain how this pulley is correct when it has smaller pulley on front. Come on guys the op has a small belt or alignment problem and now you are wanting him to change everything. :confused:
 
#66 ·
CHEVYRODS said:
So now another expert that doesn't have a clue. If you look at the picture that you say is correct do you and others see that it has belts on it that don't fit the pulleys. Look at the edges of the belts. Also you are telling the op all the pulleys need to be the same on the water pump so you can now explain how this pulley is correct when it has smaller pulley on front. Come on guys the op has a small belt or alignment problem and now you are wanting him to change everything. :confused:
Where is yours :confused: :rolleyes:
 
#67 ·
CHEVYRODS said:
So now another expert that doesn't have a clue. If you look at the picture that you say is correct do you and others see that it has belts on it that don't fit the pulleys. Look at the edges of the belts. Also you are telling the op all the pulleys need to be the same on the water pump so you can now explain how this pulley is correct when it has smaller pulley on front. Come on guys the op has a small belt or alignment problem and now you are wanting him to change everything. :confused:
I didn't say all the pulleys on the water pump have to be the same size I said if you run two belts from the crank to the water pump then the two pulleys that are being used and that are on the water pump need to be of the same diameter. Also the two grooves of the pulley that are on the crank and are being used for the purpose of the belts that go up to the water pump need to be of the same diameter. The crank pulley and the water pump pulleys do not need to be of the same size diameter and they are usually a little different in size.

In the case of the pulley set up in the picture I posted (the picture that V8&4spd originaly posted) it is correct. He is using a factory pulley that has a smaller pulley on the front of it for another accessory. But you would not put a belt on that pulley and run it down to a pulley on the crank shaft. Because then you would have this belt running at a different speed.
 
#69 ·
Chris is correct about different water pumps, pulleys and what happens when they are not right. I probably have all the different pulleys and water pumps. Some people on here are just stirring the pot. They talk the talk but don't walk the walk. You can change a $15.00 or less pulley or you can spend the same amount on a new fan belt. :thumbup:
 
#72 ·
gmc1990rodder said:
I'm so confussed now I don't even know whats right or wrong LOL!! It's just belts guys! Thanks for everyones help sorry for any confusions.... :sweat:
You will get it sorted out. It's a Chevy parts fall out of the air. You can buy brand new crank and water pump pulley for $25. The belts run about $15 a pop now.
 
#76 ·
I sure am glad that V-belts are a thing of the past. The serpentine belts are much better. I'm fifty four years old and I have been turning wrenches all of my life. I'm not the best but I'm good at what I do. I don't advise this to everyone but at the young age of seventeen I quit school and took a full time job as a line mechanic at a local Chevrolet dealership. At that time I was the youngest mechanic in Jacksonville, that worked on commission.

I remember when some of the big luxury cars had as many as seven belts on the front of them. If one of the inside belts broke it was a half a day job replacing it because all of the other belts had to come off. Like I said in an earlier post, "V-belts are not to be taken lightly".

I was about nineteen when I used the wrong pulley on a chevy water pump and it caused the pump shaft to snap and the fan went into the radiator. I had to buy a new pump, pulleys, fan and fan clutch and new radiator. It turned out I had a small shaft pump and a big shaft pulley. Even though the bolts lined up it wasn't enough to keep the pulley centered. It threw everything off just enough to put it out of balance - causing the water pump to snap.

I also know of a young fellow that died because a fan blade came off and stuck him in the chest and into his heart and I also work with a fellow that has a real bad scar on the side of his face where a fan blade came off and cut through his cheek and into his mouth. Pulley arangement and mix matching pulleys is nothing to take lightly. We share a common love, we are all Hotrodders and because of this I love each and everyone of you that are on this post. I would hate it if anyone was to get injured or killed, it is so easy in this trade and I have seen enough of that in my life. Listen to the old man and if you get your feelings hurt then so be it but at least the next time you pick a couple of old pulleys that have been lying around the shop and throw them on the front of an engine you'll give it a little more thought. :spank:
 
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