serpentine question
 

I'm upgrading my K/5 350 to a serpentine belt drive system...
Piecing together some used brackets and pulleys I found for $50

So far I bought a new reverse rotation water pump, and an alternator
Also bought a new tensioner assembly...

When I put the tensioner onto the bracket..the belt-wear indicator seems to be too far down in the bracket
and the pulley looks to be about 1/16" to 3/32" further back than the adjacent idler...

There is a tang on the back of the tensioner that fits into a corresponding hole in the bracket to prevent it from rotating...

Is there a thin spacer or shim that should be behind the tensioner?
Attachment 1822749

Attachment 1822750

Re: serpentine question
 

You may run into problems if all the pieces are from different vehicles or different years. I was piecing together the same thing with pieces from 1989 and 1995, and found that the pulleys didn't line up. About the engine you're putting this on; did it originally have a short or long water pump? If it originally had a short pump, and your CCW pump will be a long pump (if it is a stock pump for a serpentine equipped engine) then things will definitely not line up.

Also, don't forget that you will need a CCW fan as well.

Re: serpentine question
 

If a small block originally had a SWP and you change to a LWP, that does not automatically mean none of the pulleys will line up. If you try and use SWP pulleys with a LWP, then yes, but not of you change all of the pulleys and brackets to the correct components as the OP seems to be doing.

Re: serpentine question
 

Yes, you are correct. What I was getting at, was what A1971Blazer said to begin with: "I'm upgrading my K/5 350 to a serpentine belt drive system...
Piecing together some used brackets and pulleys I found for $50".

When you buy a box of parts, you have no idea if they all came off the same engine and will work together. Or he could be lucky and everything will work OK.

Re: serpentine question
 

I'm reasonably sure that most all the parts came together from the same engine as most of it was still assembled (alt, compressor, idler)

I also got the correct fan and all the pulleys as well...

I also just bought a new reverse rotation water pump.....

from several images that I've found online...everything appears to be matched with what I have.

it's just that the tensioner doesn't look exactly right.....
once I get it on the motor I will be able to get a better perception of it...

It looks exactly like this picture I found online
Attachment 1823119

Re: serpentine question
 

Good, then you should be OK. Remember that the harmonic balancer on the serp belt system may be 1/2 inch thicker than one from an older V-belt system. Also, I would replace both the idler and tensioner pulleys. They're not expensive and to have one seize up is not good.

Re: serpentine question
 

Went in the garage and looked at my set up off a 93 GMC. Looks about the same as your set up.

Re: serpentine question
 

Thanks for the pics...!
I may hit you up for a few more if you don't mind...
I can figure most of it out....but
there's a couple of round braces and a sheet metal brace that I'm not sure about
They may or may not belong to this set up...?
Attachment 1823134
Attachment 1823131

Re: serpentine question
 

The sheet metal brace is for the rear of the P/S pump.
One round brace goes from the rear of the A/C bracket back to the intake manifold. On some versions a round brace goes between the two? (I think?)

If running a vortec intake I leave the manifold brace off. I think it puts undue strain on already weak gaskets

Pic of mine that I modded for Vortec:

Re: serpentine question
 

If you are running Rams horns you have to mod the P/S bracket

Re: serpentine question
 

I do have the ram's horn manifolds
So you just cut it and welded a piece in...?
Looks easy enough

Thanks for all the help/replies
that make it so much easier...than just jigsaw puzzling...!

Re: serpentine question
 

Yes, I had to heat & bend the two pieces to give more clearance on the manifold. I welded a bolt between the two pieces as filler then added material above & below & ground down to make a nice radius. I wanted it to look stock even though it isn't.

My manifolds are 2.5", the bracket may fit on stock rams horns or at least be a closer fit.

I was looking for pics of how I modified the bracket (got them somewhere?) came across a different engine with the round bar brace.

Re: serpentine question
 

I second this idea, I got a Gates kit at the auto parts store with tensioner, pulley and belt.
Also, be careful on the balancer. Myself always trying to think ahead replaced the timing chain since I was at it. When doing so I used the timing cover off the doner engine to clear the balancer. The doner engine timing indicator (305) was not correct for my engine leving me 10 degree behind actual TDC. Easy fix, but don't get caught up in the game.

Re: serpentine question
 

I like to make sure that the timing cover and the harmonic balancer come from the same engine. Then the timing tab and the mark on the balancer match.

Re: serpentine question
 

They both came from the same engine, but not all engines time the same.
The 305 timing mark and balancer are 10 degrees different than my 283