Installing Vintage air system on my 68 cutlass 350. My car was non air so using the Vintage Air 141009 non air bracket (mounts on driver side) for compressor.
This bracket interferes with the power steering pump fill tube about half way through the adjustment slot.
There is adjustment for belt on VA bracket for compressor so I can tighten belt but since the power steering pump is moved in towards the center of engine there is very little belt contact (Wrap) on the PS pulley. Maybe that is ok??
Pictures attached just wondering if anyone else has this setup and if there are any issues with belt slip or tossing belt?
Not sure how hard the PS pump is to turn under pressure.
VA shows this bracket works with 64-77 cutlass 260 - 455 engines.






Thanks for any feedback.

 

Wow. I’m not sure I like the look of that. The one belt wrapping around both accessories? Only touching the power steering pump on a few inches of the poly?
I guess it’s worth a shot. It seems like they did take this into account via their diagram, but I don’t know.
I would make that belt as tight as you can get it.

 

Yes now that I have on car the belt seems to have so little belt wrap. Could increase a little if the pump could swing more away from the engine center line but the compressor bracket interferes with the full outward adjustment of PS pump so this is as much as I can get.
Hoping someone here has this setup and can chime in. Thnanks

 

The A/C alternator brackets are a dime a dozen. If you’re going thru that much work to put A/C on, do yourself a favor and use the A/C water pump and pulleys.

Im betting you will have trouble with belt squeal when making low speed tight turns. Not much belt contact.

 

Yeah, that's 7 different kinds of dumb. There's a reason the power steering pump gets its own belt, and the alternator belt just kind of goes by the power steering pulley. If the alternator belt was enough, the power steering would not have its own belt.

Recommend you move alternator, put vintage air unit where the compressor is supposed to go, and source correct brackets and pulleys.

Seems like you're already invested since you want a response from someone who has made this work, so, good luck.

 

Update, car is back on road and so far no issues with belt noise or slippage that I can see or hear.
This is Vintage Air bracket set up for cutlass that did not have air from factory (Alternator on passenger side, compressor on driver side). So I guess the power steering pump doesn't put much load on the belt.
This saves some $ in that you dont have to source the pulleys and brackets to move the alternator to driver side in order to mount compressor on passenger side.
I will give Vintage air credit.
Just FYI

 

Did you ever contact Vintage to ask them if this was correct?

 

Yes I talked with Vintage Air. When I bough car it had air added by previous owner. Not sure what brand it was but not VA. It had compressor mounted on driver side but the bracket it used would not allow room for a power steering pump (I added power steering).
I researched and saw VA sold the bracket for their system with comp on driver side so I ordered. It worked but the adjustment for PS pump is limited to about 1/2 the normal range. I called them and they said this is normal and the belt tension would be provided by the compressor adjustment range.
I installed and it seemed like not much belt contact on the PS however it seems to work fine, so far I have not had any slippage, noise etc. and the PS works good.
This is the bracket that is supplied if you were to buy the kit from VA for non factory air car with alternator on pass side.