Water pump bearing stress

[DonFrost]

If I remove my AC and AIR from the passenger side of my engine Will the stress on my water pump from the ALT and PS belts be no good or will it be ok. Stock config is AC and AIR on Pass side and PS and ALT on Drivers side.
My guess is that it is not good. If this is the case, Any suggestions would be great.

[texasred]

I've read a lot of discussion on another Olds board about the 307 and removing A/C. What I've read is that the belt will squeal, no matter how tight it is. The problem is there is too much load to the one side. Search the junkyards or ebay for a passenger side alternator mount bracket.

Again, just what I've read. But it makes sense.

C.J.

[Oldsmaniac]

My opinion is that it should not matter as to have what things on what side. My 67 442 is a 1 belter and has the alternator on one side. Pulleys after time get so polished and it is hard to get a belt from squeeling. The solution is to rough up all of the pulleys with some coarse emory cloth or the like and the trouble will go away. If the belt is glazed shiney too replace that as well.

[texasred]

You can go to the threads at oldspower.com and read it for yourself. My 71 currently doesn't have the compressor installed and I have never heard a squeal. But the 307's use different brackets for the A/C, PS and alternator which probably puts them at a different angle and different stress.350

Again, that's from reading a LOT of posts over there on this exact problem.

C.J.

[DonFrost]

Not worried about squeeling. I am worried about water pump stress. I was a little drunk when I posted last night. I thought about it more today and had the same conclusion that OLds stated being that there are cars that have only one belt for the alt. But I was also thinking that if the stress on the water pump is left right and down to the crank, nothing is pulling up on it so really why should it matter. I had a 79 regency with the 350 and when I took out the AC I seemed to be replacing a water pump per summer. Thinking about that now I am wondering if that was the cause (didn't think things through much back then)

Yes I will dig and read some other threads on this subject. Thank you very much for the responses.

[Oldsguy]

Seems to me that there should be some stress on any bearing/bushing surface with only one driven accessory on it, however, what about when the only accessory was the generator? I bet there was a greater failure rate of water pump bushings back then. If a person can put one accessory on each side then why not? But I wouldn't worry about it if my car only had one accessory, when the pump goes bad, replace it, no problem. I have driven my '69 Delta with only the alternator for many years now and haven't had a water pump failure though.

[mitsudave]

The compressor (pass. side) on my Cutlass hasn't had a belt on the pulley in over twenty years, and the PS and ALT are on the drivers side. V E R Y occasional belt squeal, and I just replaced a 15 year old water pump last year.

But then, I also get an occasional squeal from the serpentine belt on my F-150 work truck...

[texasred]

Not to press a point, but the 307 brackets are different from the earlier 350 brackets. Maybe different angles give different loads? A belt squeal is indicative of stress somewhere. You can only have the water pump, alternator or PS pump. The weakest link is the water pump.

Anyway...the universal fix (on OP at least) seems to be a left sided alternator bracket.

C.J.

[DonFrost]

I have looked everywhere (or so it seems) and can not find one ( a pass side bracket). With the welder and the old alt brackets I should be able to fab up somthing. I am still tempted to not move it at all though, mitsudave. I have been doing alot of reading on this subject now and it goes both ways I see. I do think the single belt with just the alt setup does not put too much stress on a water pump like the PS and alt on the same side may. Anyone else have some input on this please post.