I don't think my belts are supposed to be doing this . . .

[SetofAces]

Hey guys,

I just noticed the other day that the accessory belt is rubbing against itself ontop of the water pump pulley. FYI it's a non-HO, not that that seems to make any difference, and it's routed without the A/C. The belt looks rather new, so I don't think that it's just stretched out, and the tensioner doesn't feel overly tight on it. This isn't normal, is it??

 

[Mustang5L5]

Do you have the A/C delete brackets on? Sounds like you don't? I would need a pic to confirm but it sounds like someone just deleted the a/c without using the correct brackets from Ford Racing

 

[SetofAces]

Do you have the A/C delete brackets on? Sounds like you don't? I would need a pic to confirm but it sounds like someone just deleted the a/c without using the correct brackets from Ford Racing

Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me considering that half of the car is mickey-moused up. I'll try and get pics up later, but like I said the belt is rubbing itself right on top of the water pump pulley and the adjuster is a bit out of range, but the belt seems too new to be stretched much, makes me wonder if it's even the right belt. There's no delete bracket, in fact I removed the compressor because it wasn't hooked up to anything; I guess the original motor had an A/C delete because there isn't a condenser or any of the other stuff, just the compressor from the crown vic or whatever this motor came from. BTW, do you know if there's a serial number somewhere on the block that I can use to identify the origin of the motor? It would be nice to know what I actually have, after all, but it is an EFI non-HO 5.0 with mass air, so that in itself might narrow it down a bit; I really don't know.

 

[5spd GT]

A new belt will stretch fairly quickly as it first heats and wears.

I bought a Gates @ 76 5/8" and it was bottoming out after two weeks. I had to buy a 76" to compensate for the stretch.

I have also had the alignment dowel pin for the tensioner snap off, which threw the tensioner/belt out of adjustment.

 

[SetofAces]

A new belt will stretch fairly quickly as it first heats and wears.

I bought a Gates @ 76 5/8" and it was bottoming out after two weeks. I had to buy a 76" to compensate for the stretch.

I have also had the alignment dowel pin for the tensioner snap off, which threw the tensioner/belt out of adjustment.

Well that sucks, I was kind hoping not to have to replace anything; oh well. I guess I may as well disconnect the smog pump while I'm at it, do you know if I need anything else to do that? or can I just take it off the belt and plug some holes? I guess I'll try searching for this info. . .

 

[5spd GT]

Well that sucks, I was kind hoping not to have to replace anything; oh well. I guess I may as well disconnect the smog pump while I'm at it, do you know if I need anything else to do that? or can I just take it off the belt and plug some holes? I guess I'll try searching for this info. . .

It has been a long time but...

- plug all smog provisions (including at the H-pipe)
- get two thermactor plugs (Trickflow makes some off of SummitRacing)
- buy a shorter belt (mine was 76" with March UD pullies, but yours will vary)

You will see a few HP (not feel), clean up the engine bay, and lose some frontal weight.

 

[Darkwriter77]

I had to fight the same issue on my '84. Does the water pump look original, or has it ever been changed out? I ask because sometimes these aftermarket pumps, whether new or reman'ed, will have the pulley hub pressed on either too far or not far enough, and it doesn't always allow the water pump pulley to line up with the other accessories. Mine on my '84 was like 1/8" off from everything else, and I kept shredding belts over and over until I figured out what the problem was.

Mine was pressed on too far in towards the pump, so I wound up buying some studs to screw into the water pump hub (like on some GM water pumps), then stuck a flat washer on each of those studs before putting the water pump pulley on and bolting the fan clutch to it. It spaced it out just enough that everything is back in alignment and I'm no longer shredding belts. That crap was getting expensive at $30 a belt. Oh, and FWIW, those Goodyear Gatorback belts shred VERY easily if things aren't lined up just perfectly - with other solid-ribbed serpentine belts, you might just lose one or two rows if things are off-kilter, but those cogged serpentines like the Gatorback or Dayco Top Cog belts, they'll tear straight across and leave you stranded.

 

[SetofAces]

I had to fight the same issue on my '84. Does the water pump look original, or has it ever been changed out? I ask because sometimes these aftermarket pumps, whether new or reman'ed, will have the pulley hub pressed on either too far or not far enough, and it doesn't always allow the water pump pulley to line up with the other accessories. Mine on my '84 was like 1/8" off from everything else, and I kept shredding belts over and over until I figured out what the problem was.

Mine was pressed on too far in towards the pump, so I wound up buying some studs to screw into the water pump hub (like on some GM water pumps), then stuck a flat washer on each of those studs before putting the water pump pulley on and bolting the fan clutch to it. It spaced it out just enough that everything is back in alignment and I'm no longer shredding belts. That crap was getting expensive at $30 a belt. Oh, and FWIW, those Goodyear Gatorback belts shred VERY easily if things aren't lined up just perfectly - with other solid-ribbed serpentine belts, you might just lose one or two rows if things are off-kilter, but those cogged serpentines like the Gatorback or Dayco Top Cog belts, they'll tear straight across and leave you stranded.

Well the water pump has definitely been replaced; it seems only slightly off though, as the belt (solid-ribbed serpentine) rubs itself between the grooves. It must have been like this since before I bought the car 3k miles ago, but I'm sure it'll give eventually so I've got to address it. Thanks for taking the time to answer, everyone.

 

[capri debris]

This all you need to do....

Check to make sure you have the correct AC delete bracket for the PS pump.
Remove your smog pump.
Route your belt like in my pic below.

This WILL work, but depending on what size pulleys you have, you will have to make a few trips to the parts store and try a few different belt sizes until you find the size that fits best. Here is what mine looks like installed... LOTS of room between the tensioner and water pump pulleys. Good luck.

 

[Darkwriter77]

On the other hand, this is what yours should NOT look like...

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