Generator belt line

[Richard G.]

I've tried a couple times to get the generator pulley to line up square with the water pump and ballancer pulley, but I still throw the belt when I get into it. The water pump and ballancer pulleys are in perfect line but the generator sits back maybe 1/4 inch or so. I've studied the assembly manual but I don't see how it can go any futher forward. I've had the generator clear off a couple times and pulled it forward with the block mount loose- still no joy.It's a 270 hp if that matters. I can't see what difference it makes, tell me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that the brace that holds tension on the belt originally did not have a bend in it. The original owner had that brace chromed and I got another bracket that does have the offset bend in it and have since miss placed the original bracket. Any tips on what should be a simple matter but has me stuffed? Thanks in advance.

[Gary C.]

Re: Generator belt line

Richard, 1/4" is alot to shim. Is the exhaust manifold bracket on backwards? Simple tool to check belt alignment is a 1/4 or 5/16" rod about 2 ft long with about a 6" 90 degree bend in one end to form a handle. Lay the rod with the handle into the gen pulley slot and the other end of the rod into the crank or water pump pulley and it gives you a good line of sight alignment view better than an eye ball. Gary....

[Dan H.]

Re: Generator belt line

Richard, does the generator pulley sit flush against its fan or is it offset forward with a gap? There were two pulley types, one with a 1/4" offset forward.
Dan

[Jack H.]

Re: Generator belt line

Dan's onto something here... The very early C1 generators with tach drive used a pulley with integral fan where the pulley portion of the stamping was flush to the fan. Later cars (including yours) used a pulley/fan stamping where the pulley was spaced out from the fan by 1/4".

Also, there were several variations of the generator to exhaust manifold mounting bracket and these changed the physical position of the generator (fore/aft) with respect to the engine...

[Richard G.]

Re: Generator belt line

I just had a look at the generator and there is a space between the pulley and the fan of about 1/4 inch. This is the original generator but it was reconditioned by a respected NCRS member in Salem Oregon. I think this weekend I'll remove the generator and block mount again and see if the block mount allows more forward adjustment if I turn it over. Thank you for your assistance.