Can I remove that whole bracket on the passenger side and use a set up like this? What are you guys running?

 

It would be nice to lose the whole passenger side bracket but you would need more contact on the water pump drum (no grooves) and keeping the belt tensioned without a spring would require constant attention. Serpentine belts don't have any "give" to them like V belts.
Maybe you could try something like this:

 

Somebody did this around here not too long ago, without using the A/C delete pulley. It worked and looked pretty trick, but I think he had to use a different tensioner pulley (ribbed to work on the other side of the belt than it normally does).

It's certainly no big deal just to get the A/C delete pulley, ditch the air pump and put on a 96.8" belt with the altered routing diagram shown in the tech article section of this board (how to delete your smog pump).

 

That first picture is exactly how I have my setup. No waterpump slipping, I'm using serp belts, but I did have to make a slider bracket on the alt to tension everything.
Looks very trick but next I'm moving the alt low on the pass side (to hide behind the CAI) and getting a new bracket for my PS pump.

 

im in the mix of doing this on my s-10 with serpentine
im drilling a new hole for the tensioner so it pulls UP instead of down my a.c./a.i.r. bracket is modded to allow the alternator to be in place of the a.c. compressor i have a pic of it here:

 

theres also this picture he has his alt mounted where the a.i.r. pump was

 

that is how i had mine for years with no problems. All you have to do is make a bracket for the top altenator hole so you can adjust your belt. its real simple, and i actually used one of my engine hoist brackets that are bolted to the intake for the top altenator adjustment, i know its a little ghetto but poor people got poor ways, and it worked like a champ

 

i'm trying this setup on my car. no ac, no smog, no tensioner. i rolled a 51&1/8" belt on the pulleys by turning the crank bolt. i'll let you know how (or if) it works. it's as tight as a belt should be so i'm not too worried, and the engine compartment looks pretty clean.

 

Can you post a bigger pic?

 

don't know how to. there's a better one at my vbgarage

 

Quoting Darth Vader: "All too easy"

 

 

so far so good.no tensioner, no slipping yet. we'll see how long belts last.

 

Sorry to bring this back but how did you guys make your alternators adjustable and still be rigid?

 

any one got a part number on that 51 1\8" in belt that
1989formula355 used