Does anyone know if any such kit exist, or if anyone ever successfully attempted to convert their 215 to a serpentine belt?

 

Kits????

HAHAHAHAHAHA

This has been done by adapting the later model Buick V6 serpentine system. You may need to cut and weld the lower part of your front cover with the upper part of the V6 front cover. You can also use a Rover system but it requires changing to the crank-driven gearotor oil pump, which is not a trivial swap.

 

ehhh Ill wait for a kit.

 

On a side note why doesnt someone on here with all their Oldsmobile knowledge fabricate a kit with modified, plates/brackets etc?? Seems like there are enough 215 lovers to make it a profitable venture.

 

There aren't even enough 215 owners to cover the cost of packaging the kit let alone the development and manufacture of the kit.

215 owners are few and far between. Even fewer would want to modify their motor with a serpentine system. If they are brave and serious enough to run a 215 they are usually very serious about keeping it original.

 

In my experience most people are only interested in keeping their engines, or anything for that matter original until something better and more improved comes out for it.
And, you wouldnt have to mass produce and package any such kit, as a large retailer would have to in order to market and sell them. If a large retailer were to be interested in buying your design then the money would be there to mass produce and package the kits.

 

Really then explain why most GM V8 engine in restored cars are still using the factory V-belts and not one of the DOZENS of serp belt kits available for them? They have had serp belt kits for SBC and other V8's for decades but 99.9% of cars seen at shows still sport the factory V-belts.

Seems your theory doesn't hold true in real life.

Any such kit would have to be mass produced in order to make it worth while and profitable to produce. If not then why aren't there hundreds of people making small manufacturing runs such as you suggest?

 

Now go to a different type of car show where people are actually interested in building a car to their personality, with performance in mind and not how the dealer sent it off the line and youll be hard pressed to find regular pulleys and V belts. If they can afford the serpentine conversion kits then thats what they have. I cant say that Ive ever seen a master builder like Chip Foose not use a serpentine conversion.

Is it what everyone would use, no. But its what most people would rather have. Also going by your theory and example of GM V8s. I think proves that there is a market for a 215 serpentine conversion kit as in any other engine.


Serpentine belt>V belt

 

LOL Do you understand Supply & demand??? The Olds 215 was used for what? 3 years in how many models??? The rest of the Olds and GM V8 block designs were used for DECADES in the majority of models!!!

Get real.

If you think its so easy and a worth while adventure why don't you finance the design and manufacture of such a low number kit? Put your money where your mouth is.

Also going by your logic I wonder why none of these HIGH dollar one of hot rods built by people like Chip Foose are using the 215?

 

Yes I do understand supply and demand, but do you understand the idea of volume profit.
Ok now think of this, how many different manufactures and different kits exist for these engines that you speak of. One kit competing with noone would control its own market. And should be lucrative enough to supply the few 215 owners that would be interested in the kit.

I dont have the interest to modify one for my own car let alone design a kit to market and sell. But if someone on here had a kit boxed and ready to ship for lets say $1000-$1500 Id have a serpentined 215 next week.

And, I have my money invested in other ventures.

 

Serpents scare me

 

 

Hey, someone had to lighten the mood...you guys were getting intense

 

I'll be happy to perform the engineering if you bankroll the project.

Yeah, didn't think so...

 

Make a prototype for my car and we'll take it from there.