pulley problem

[charger400]

I'm having problems finding a serpentine pulley kit for my 72 400 big block.
march pulleys has the kit in billet aluminum, but I dont want to spend $608 on the setup. I'm wondering if there are any alternatives with steel serpentine pulleys that are more affordable. The motor has an alternator, water pump and a saginaw keyed style power steering pump. any leads would be greatly appriciated.

[dwc43]

Stick with the V belts. They hold better,cost less, and use less hp. And in some cases you can break one and keep going, and that wont work with a serp belt.

[LA360Dart]

If that is true then why did OEM's go to Serpentine belt systems ? The OEM's are looking to save energy and cost at everyturn so if "V" belts are the bomb then, why are they not used by the OEM's ?

Just wondering ? If you could answer that one...

Denny

[dwc43]

Yes, I can answer that. Over here at Nissan a 100 cars roll off the line every hour on six seperate lines. And most all major manf. run close to the same numbers. Check Wards Auto World and it's mentioned on a regular bassis. Serp belts are used for speed. Along with many other things. Like dash boards called modules that are ready to install with everything all prewired and such. JCI over here in the 'boro makes Nissans seats. There in order, by color and car style and loaded into a tractor trailer and reach the plant in less than an hour before they are intsalled as the car rolls down the line. It's a real interesting set up. But that's the answer to your question.

[LA360Dart]

So speed of instillation is the only reason. The way the OEM make modules, could they not make "V" belts work as easily... Their trying everthing to squeeze every bit of efficency out of engine packages. Unless they have gained enough from reductions in driven power needed to do the job that it pays off to have higher drag with ease of installation....

[DAHEMIKOTA]

Plain and simple the serp belt costs less to make. I could go into detail on how belts are made but it would take up much space. Serp belts are made on a long drum type of fixture. It looks like a big tube and is cut to the width that is needed. The diameter of the drum designates the length of the belt. "V" belts have to be made separate. Example= one belt-one die. Once again, quality is side stepped for cost. I have over 22 years in power plant development at Chrysler . They don't use whats best, they use whats cheap or what will cut production time. DWC is correct. Dan

[charger400]

thats all great info, but who has cheap steel serpentine setups for big block chryslers?

[dwc43]

Thanks Dan.

LA, no, you can't make it easier to install two or three or four belts when it takes seconds to install just one. Figure in the guys pay on that too. Figure in the cost of each belt for each engine. Figure in the cost of machining all those multi grooved pullies. Think serps don't waste hp, ever seen one on a real race car? You wont find them on Nextel,Bush, or Craftsman series race cars. Never seen then in NHRA or IHRA pro engines either. Drag is the reason why.

Charger, never seen a serp in steel pulleys for a 440. Your better off with the V belts.

[DAHEMIKOTA]

Originally Posted by charger400

thats all great info, but who has cheap steel serpentine setups for big block chryslers?

Jeg's has them....Page 231-D in the May/June 05 Book....BB-Chrysler 1970-up Part # 655-10315 $219.99 You also have to buy the power steering pully Part # 655-535 $89.99
They have one for an engine without P/S it is # 655-10310
Both are so called "performance ratio". Dan

[rumblefish360]

Cheap, easy to install, easy to mass manufacturer, and it can be compact in a bay. Not that they all are, but they can be. They take up less width.

[rellik eeb]

That be a good thing to have, but to my knowledge, Mach, are the only ones. If you have the means to some machine equipment, they cam be made to work, As far as finding one in a junk yard that will bolt on, impossiable, its hard enough to bet the old ones to line up, Id look into modifiying a set of early 318-360 pulleys. The will be "closer" than the others. Getting the spacing adapting diff pilot bore holes, etc, will take hours of work. Never know, check Ebag, probably some guy in his basement making them as we speak. You can always, buy a set from Mach measure them, using them as a templete, and send them back for a refund, thats kinda streching it.........

[charger400]

thanks i'll check jegs out

[71SATELITE]

Bro I love my underdrives at high speeds. They are e-bay specials. 135.00 for the whole sm block set up!!!! Can't beat it for top end proformance!! :jackbox:

[John Kunkel]

There are advantages to serpentine belts other than cost and ease of installation, the serpentine system allows all of the pullies to be on the same plain instead of stacked one-ahead-of-the-other to clear each other and the back side of the belt can also be used to drive components.

This is especially an advantage in sideways mounted FWD cars where engine overall length (width) is an issue.