Hi all..........I spent the last 2 days reading previous posts about mounting a late model serpentine setup to the block. My engine is a 1973 350 SBC. It will be going into a 1986 TransAm. The engine that came with the car was a 1992 305, that is the setup Id like to swap over. I noticed on some of the posts here that many of you have said that its an easy swap over, yet my block on the drivers side, at the bottom doesn't have the holes for mounting the Alt/P. steering bracket at the bottom. ( pics below )
I don't know if drilling and tapping is feasible. ? There are bosses there to do that. ( pic )I also am only going to run Power steering and alt only.
I really want the ease of a one belt system, but if you all think it should be old school, and thoughts are truly appreciated.

Thanks, Rich

 

I've done this on older blocks/heads - using the brackets and a drill-bit that is the same diameter run it through the bracket using it to center the drill bit and drill a starting "dimple" so that you locate an exact center for the mounting hole. Next find the depth from the old block and wrap tape around the appropriate size drill for the tap diameter you need (some are marked right on the tap what drill size to use) and run it down to the same depth as "factory". Then tap the holes and that's it - the cast iron is actually pretty easy to drill and tap and the "hard" part is getting the alignment right but if you use the bracket and a tight fitting drill bit to 'self-align' and make the center hole you'll be fine.

 

You can also make a bushing the fits over the bit & snug in the bracket hole. This will help w/ keeping it straight.

 

I am a little confused with the posts here on this issue...........I did read about 20+, and none mentioned the older blocks having to be drilled .............. they all said simple swap over, unless Im just not connecting here.............. but, I really do appreciate the comebacks, im mainly old school builder, but this project is for my grand daughter, so I guess Im learning here..........thanks !!

 

My guess is that block came from a fairly low option car that did not need power steering or whatever was supposed to be mounted to that area of the block (power steering on third gens). I have a early 70s 010 block in my camaro and all the accessory mounting points were already drilled and tapped like everyone else in this thread said. One of my good friends also has a early 70s 010 in his camaro and he had the same thing as me. We are both running serpentine.

The advice you got is very good advice. You will have to locate the exact center of where you need to drill and the depth how he told you and just drill and tap those two holes. Once you do that your all set. Just make sure not to drill too deep! Taping around the drill bit to the right depth is perfect for making sure you are right where you need to be depthwise.

 

hi guys I'm Thomas and I'm trying to put 97 serpentine set up on 71 model block but water pump rotation is backwards; what do I do now

 

You have to get the reverse rotation water pump... the one I'm running is from a 1990 Camaro.

 

It's very strange that a block WOULDN'T have those holes drilled out... those AREN'T specific to serpentine bracket systems, after all. They were the ORIGINAL motor mount location, up through the 50s, before they added the pads on the side of the block that our cars use.



From Real Deal Steel...

Hard to imagine a block not having those. In later cars they were the mounts for power steering pump brackets, mostly. Butt hay... I'm not going to call anybody a liar, if they say they had to drill & tap their block, then they know better than I do what state their block was in. I've seen FAR WORSE machining mistakes made on those old crappy 70s blocks, which is why in 2020, I will NEVER build a motor out of one again.

In any case, the serpentine belt system ("the word means "snake like") runs the WP by the back of the belt, meaning that it needs to be set up to turn CCW instead of CW like the V-belt style. A pump from about 88-up will do the trick since all of them were switch over from V-belts by that time. That's all you need.