So I put rebuilt used my engine all back together. I swaped in a 87 MPFI engine into an '83 Firebird. The newer engine had A/C on it, my car doesn't have that so I took off the compressor and got a belt for a no a/c no smog pump car (Canadian car, never had one from factory).

It was very hard to get on. I never dealt with this kind of belt system, but do you normally have to unhook the alternator and pry the belt over the tensioner, then pry the alt over to put the bolt on? I'm thinking not.

Anyhow after the engine ran for awhile the the ps pump starts screamin(low fluid i hope) and I see it pull forward and the tensioner was pulling front to back, so I stopped the engine. I also seen the belt was half off.

So I go to take the belt off, but the breaker and socket on the tensioner go to twist and WTF, the breaker keeps turning and the tensioner didn't bottom out. A 1/4 turn later the tensioner pully takes flight and visits my rafters for a few seconds.

So whats wrong here? The brackets only go on one way. The only other optional accesorie is maybe the p/s pump and If I had the belt for that I'm sure I never would have got this far.

I may have weakend the tensioner with my 3 foot breaker bar while prying the belt under it in the install struggle.

If anyone took off the their a/c compressor permanently (v6 or v8, smog or no smog), please tell me how it went. I would like to know what you did about the belt and if you had to change up the brackets.

 

On v-belt engines (non-serpentine, non-tensioner) you have to loosen the accessory, put the belt on, pull it tight, and then tighten the accessory down again.

On serpentine setups with the tensioner, there should be a bulge on the tensioner that has a square hole in it. That's where the 1/2" drive breaker bar goes.

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89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

Not sure about your setup but many vehicles use totally different bracketry with and without a/c. You cant just take the compressor off and put a shorter belt on. There are places that make idler pulleys that will replace your compressor though. They usually only do this for popular setups but might be worth a try. Otherwise you need to bolt the compressor back on and leave unplugged, or find a non a/c belt system.

 

schite! Thats not what I wanted to hear

Bank account getting low.....

an idler pully eh? So far three calls to parts stores and one to the dealer and all of them thought I was crazy (i'm not insane everone else is, just cause I bought a car with no engine...) Now I have two last parts I can't find: an idler pully and a torque arm bushing (often illustrated but never a part number).

I not sure about needing that pully still, I'm sure I've seen a V6 camaro recently (was there earlier to grab the tensioner, but someone took the engine!) it had an ac box, no compressor and the belt was on.


I think I'll try an inch or two longer belt and see what happens. I'm still conserned a little about the p/s pump bracket pulling forward. theres only two bolts holding it on, one on the waterpump and one on the head.

anyone try this? the getting a longer belt thing. I'm still unsure what to do. Bottom line i need a looser belt, I just don't want to buy three belts trying to find the right one only to have my p/s rip off cause it's still too tight.

Enkil, my tensioner is/was a bit diffrent it takes a 15mm socket. I think its a 86.5 engine cause it has three timing marks on the balancer, I'm told 87's arn't supposed to be like that. The balancer still good after 200k km's so it just may be a replacement

[This message has been edited by Blade3001 (edited October 17, 2001).]