I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for my accessory mounts on my BBC swap. The setup it has doesn't work for a couple of reasons. One it looks like craptastic mid 80s in all its V groove loveliness. Don't mind the V groove that much but the factory brackets look like crap. The other issue with them is my power steering pump is different. Like it's a 78 SBC pump with custom made hoses to work with the 88 steering box. I think the 78 was standard and the 88 is metric. Anyway I don't want to use the factory brackets.
First up is eBay special ICT billet brackets.
Pros:
Cheap at $70. Uses my existing power steering and alternator.
Cons:
Billet and no AC bracket if I want that in the future.
Next up we have Kwik Performance bracket kit.
This is basically some plates that lets you use SBC serpentine brackets.
Pros:
Serpentine, has AC and factory look.
Cons:
$200 for the kit plus $40 for new power steering then I'll drop another $100 or so at the junkyard.
That's a lot more money than I'd normally spend but it does give me what I want. I've searched for the factory BBC serpentine. One yard didn't have it. The other yard has a 2500 Suburban with a 454 but it's not out yet and no idea when it will be.
So what do y'all think? Cheap or bite the bullet and eat ramen noodles for the next six months?
$200 seems pretty reasonable for an accessory drive considering a nice one is going to cost you $1000+.
My vote would be be for a factory serpentine setup for availability of replacement parts. In my experience even the really expensive billet kits don't fit as well as factory and often squeak.
ShawnG
UltimaDork
1/10/20 4:27 p.m.
I would buy the Kwik performance kit.
The other one looks like ass and you'll get what you pay for. Sloppy mounting that lets things shake around giving you nothing but squealing belts.
I'm biased though, I think billet stuff looks terrible most of the time.
ShawnG said:
I'm biased though, I think billet stuff looks terrible most of the time.
#truthbomb
I like billet if there is a weight/strength benefit but just for looks I HATE it.
I'd use the factory stuff, since it fits and will work properly. The power steering hose can easily be custom made, if you have both the required factory hose ends available. Or, you can dig out the o ring seat from the newer box and install the brass tapered seat from the older one and use the older hose, or get the oring fitting out of the newer pump and screw it in the older pump.
Stampie said:
Don't mind the V groove that much but the factory brackets look like crap.
So what do y'all think? Cheap or bite the bullet and eat ramen noodles for the next six months?
What don't you like about them? Are there other (earlier or later) factory brackets that are . . . pretty to you?
In reply to Stampie :
I came in expecting a Dr. Who confession:
now, I'm leaving dissappointed.
In reply to L5wolvesf :
They're bulky and I really don't like the look of multiple belts. Mine also look every bit of the 35 years they are. I could clean them up but that's time I'd rather spend getting this going.
In reply to Indy-Guy :
I was afraid it might be the other BBC...
My buddies Camaro has a V belt setup that's partially ICT and partially cobbled stock bits. We haven't figured out which is causing the belts to squeal. Of course squealing belts are the least of that pile's problems at the moment.
There are adapters for the standard hose to metric box issue. They're cheap, I usually get them from Speedway but Summit & Jegs probably have them as well.
Serpentine.
Aluminum V-belt pulleys are Satan-spawn. They will always be noisy, and/or eat belts.
AnthonyGS said:
Always go serpentine.
My 2016 Silverado has three belts. My mechanic said no - it should only be two belts so I showed him a picture I had one day.
It's 2020 - WHY?
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
A/C gets its own belt to make it easy to do non-A/C operation. And then, GM put a vacuum pump on the other side of the engine as the sole source of vacuum for the brakes, and so for redundancy that also gets its own belt.
In reply to Knurled. :
Oh, I know that I just thought the future was one belt and not three.
Not the BBC I'm used to seeing everyday. I am disappointed!
Datsun310Guy said:
In reply to Knurled. :
Oh, I know that I just thought the future was one belt and not three.
The future is zero belts, but you didn't buy a hybrid.
I'd keep the current setup to get it going, and continue to watch for a factory serpentine setup.
if you really hate the current setup that bad, go with the $70 to get it going until you can get a factory serpentine.
Spend the money. Don't be me fighting v belt issues for three berkeleying years.
yupididit said:
Not the BBC I'm used to seeing everyday. I am disappointed!
TMI
(says the guy who has posted maybe 20% comments about farting/extreme toilet events recently)
Factory serpentine belts are the way to go I think. They can be blasted/cleaned and painted to not look awful.
I have plans to do a similar thing on an LS, but all of the factory brackets are either incorrectly placed for my A-body, or they're just hideously ugly. I have some plate aluminum and I'm going to learn to TIG (already getting somewhat satisfactory at it) and I'll just build brackets. I've already cobbled together all of my accessories; Sanden 709 AC compressor from an Aerostar van, PS pump from a corvette, alternator is a CSI from an 80s Pontiac which will get a serpentine pulley put on it. That way I can tuck things where I want them and hopefully it won't look like E36 M3.
I'm also trying to do everything in my power to make it not look like an LS.
Seems that the yard that had one but hadn't put it out yet actually had put it out. I'm in the middle of pulling it.
Knurled. said:
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
A/C gets its own belt to make it easy to do non-A/C operation. And then, GM put a vacuum pump on the other side of the engine as the sole source of vacuum for the brakes, and so for redundancy that also gets its own belt.
They dumped the hydroboost?
