Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

[Bob H.]

My current repro belt is too loose. I am trying to get the replacement on. What is the best way to do this?

[Mark E.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

For 454, I remove the water pump pulley, reinstall it with the belt on it, then adjust the idler pulley.

[Jim L.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

For 454, I remove the water pump pulley, reinstall it with the belt on it, then adjust the idler pulley.

This is what I did when I added a redundant belt to my '63 327/300. I don't know any other way.

[Bob H.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

I should have mentioned this is 70 LT-1. I think it should have the third belt and no idler pulley

[Leonard M.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

Use Mark Edmondsons instructions for a 454 with the exception of the idler.
"I remove the water pump pulley, reinstall it with the belt on it" ....(unless you have P/S)

[Joe L.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

I should have mentioned this is 70 LT-1. I think it should have the third belt and no idler pulley

Bob-----

The only 1953-82 Corvettes that were ever originally equipped with a belt idler pulley were 1963-65 with L-76/L-84 and 1968-74 big block with C-60.

[Owen L.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

I take the opposite approach: leave the water pump pulley on the w/p shaft and remove the crank pulley. There's a small registration depression in the balancer that mates with the pulley and that's much easier to get the belt in a vertical position than at the top side. The problem I ran into with working the top pulley is that once it's on the shaft, you can't align the bolt holes because you can't hold the w/p stationary. No such problem with the bottom pulley.

I've done this with both my 427 non-A/C and my 454 w/AC.

[Bob H.]

Re: Captive Belt Water Pump to Crank Install

That's what I will do.