So my power steer pulley seized up..I said screw it and am just running a belt from the water belt to the crank. I had a 36" on there, it ran..but it had a lot of slack and started slipping after a few days. I bought the next size down, which is a 35" and 3/8 and its ALMOST on there..I just can't pry it on there.

Any tips on getting this belt on the pulley? I don't know if a flat head will have enough leverage..it's a tight squeeze but it'll sure as hell be on there tight once its on, just in time for the car show this weekend

I don't know if anyone on here has done this, I'm sure of it though, just looking for some help, thanks!

 

You can get it on as far as possible, then "bump" the starter to get it on the rest of the way

That said, the car is not going to be very safe to drive without the P/S.

 

By the time you're done burning up belts, you could have bought a 30 dollar used pump on ebay.

 

OK, help me understand...

First, I assume (since you didn't specify) that we're talking about your 88 Cutlass with the 69 350. Which accessory brackets did you use, the 307 brackets or the 1969 brackets?

Second, do you have A/C or not?

Third, don't you already have a separate belt for the alternator (and A/C if equipped)? Why can't you simply remove the PS belt?

 

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the idea of putting a belt around two fixed pulleys, without a moving adjustable pulley.
If it's big enough to force on, it's too big to run tightly, and will eventually be thrown.

As mentioned before, just get another pump - It should be a $5-$10 item in a junkyard - cheaper than the belts you keep buying, really.

- Eric

 

I don't have a/c, the ps belt goes to the water pump and crank, the alternator belt goes to the water pump. I really don't know which brackets I have, all the work was done by the p/o.

 

I know I need to get a new pump, I do miss the power steering. But for the mean time this has to do until I have a free day coming up to either find one or order one. But basically I loosen the bolts on the pulley attatched to the water pump, slide it off, put the belt on, and either I don't have enough muscle or it won't pull up enough to get back on the threads. Its almost there, and I'm sure with a beer and a pulled muscle in my back ill get it on.

 

Okay, there's something wrong here.

No belt avoids going to the crank pulley (except in some late models where the AIR pump comes off of the alternator with a tiny belt, I think).

The alternator belt should go to the water pump and the crank.

We are at the stage where pictures would help.

- Eric

 

Hmm that's interesting..ill rig it up tomorrow morning and take a picture of how the p/o had it set up

 

I can't remember which models, but there were some that had the alt driven off the water pump. If the crank-wp-ps belt was loose the alt would not charge good, no matter how tight the alt-wp belt was since it was driven by the other belt. There were some cadillacs that had this problem also but I think on them it was an air pump belt driving the alt belt.

 

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-car-belts.jpg

Eric, you posted in this form I believe where I found this picture, but this is how it's set up, and I believe is supposed to be set up. The alternator goes to the water pump, power steering goes to the water pump and crank. I no longer have A/C so I no longer have to worry about that.

 

In the photo you posted,
the rearmost sheaves hold the belt for the crank, P/S, alternator, and water pump,
the middle sheaves hold the belt for the crank, P/S, and water pump, and
the frontmost sheaves hold the belt for the crank, water pump, and A/C compressor.

All belts go to the crank.

- Eric