Stopping serpentine belt squall with March A/C eliminator bracket

[Tubo(2-bo)]

I've had the March A/C eliminator bracket on for several years, and have had to use progressively smaller belts to stop the squall.
I fianally got around to a more premanent fix. The belt wrap on the alternator, wasnt much(where squall comes from), and I figured by dumping the stock tensioner, and relocating the pully from the tensioner, to the March bracket as an idler, there'd be a little more wrap, on the alternator. The tensioiner pully & mount pad were cut off the spring tensioner. The new idler was mounted on the March bracket, and washers were added to align the idler with the rest of the serpentine pullys.
It was about this time I realized rerouting the serpentine would be even better. Looking from the front Serpentine wraps around alternator from the left, travels from alt, to idler on right, then to bottom of crank pully wraping in a reverse "S", over top of WP Pully to bottom of alternator pully. The March alternator bracket has an adjustable dog bone arm, that sets belt tension.
The combination of changing the tensioner pully to an idler and rerouting the serpentine, has eliminated the extreme belt tension (used to stop the squall) and compleatly eliminated any squall. Belt length used is IIRC 58 3/4in.

 

[Rusty67]

Interesting approach. How do you know you have the correct tension on the belt now ?

 

[Tubo(2-bo)]

There's about one in. deflection with out forcing. The belt doesnt vibrate or flag under power. No slipping, no squall, and the only accessories driven, Alt. & Wp, function as advertised. Gotta be proper tension.

 

[Rusty67]

Sounds like you got it right. Good job man =-)

 

[shelbe67]

what is squall if you dont mind me asking?

 

[Tubo(2-bo)]

Belts making that loud obnoxious, embarrasing Skreeee, skreeee, skreeee noise, usually due to slipping.

 

[geostang351]

Do you have a better (lower) picture of this set up? I have the serpinetine set up too but with a PS pump. I have had belts shred due to misalignment and would like to do something different.
Thanks.

 

[Tubo(2-bo)]

Engine is appart , changing head gasket, I'll have a closer shot this weekend.

 

[Tubo(2-bo)]

Havent got the engine back to gether yet , but heres a closer belt shot. If I understand you right ; use the PS pump like my idler pully, and a alternator bracket like the March w/adjustable arm, for tensioning the belt. Route belt like this. Or hope this gives help to plans of your own.

 

[geostang351]

Havent got the engine back to gether yet , but heres a closer belt shot. If I understand you right ; use the PS pump like my idler pully, and a alternator bracket like the March w/adjustable arm, for tensioning the belt. Route belt like this. Or hope this gives help to plans of your own.

Not bad. I will include a photo of mine to show the comparison. I think I just need to take this winter and try and buy "the correct" set up. I fabbed aluminum spaces, used washers, ground down the water pump pulley. It looks a mess but works.

 

[Rusty67]

For the stock setup, Ford had brackets for PS with no AC and it moved the PS pump to the AC spot. They now sell it as a motorsport part. I think the kit is like 30 or 40 bux. You can bypass the smog pump by just running a shorter belt.