This is a problem I have been dealing with since the day I bought the Cutlass.

When I first got it, revving the engine at all would result in the belts squealing and one of them coming off. After playing with spacers for the PS pump, I managed to stop the belts from coming off but the alignment was still off, just not as much.

When the engine was out to be painted, I replaced the water pump, after making sure it was the same length as the one that came off.

I have been playing more to try and get things aligned properly, but things seem worse now than ever. Nothing lines up properly anymore.

This is a '72 Cutlass 350 w/AC (no AC compressor at the moment). As best I could measure with the pulley in the place the water pump is about 6" long.

Here is an attempt at a picture of the pulley alignment. From left to right: alt., ps pump, crank and water pump.

100_0530_md.jpg


The angle of the alt and ps pulleys does not seem to be parallel to the crank and water pump ones.

Any suggestions for a starting point (which pulley to use as a correct base)? Any suggestions for things to try and move or change?

Someone suggested that maybe the balancer had not seated properly when it was reinstalled. How far away from the block should the rear of the balancer be?

I am really lost at this point.

 

You probably have mismatched pulleys...'72 350 w/AC= crank-409806; P/S-399406; W/P-409807; The pulleys usually have PN or a two letter code stamped somewheres on the flat part, usually facing forward...try that I don't have the two letter codes available...Find them in the assembly manual...

 

First, it would be helpful to see what sort of brackets are holding the P/S pump and the alternator on.

Second, if the water pump didn't line up at first, why get the same size one when you replaced it ?

Third, my first impression is missing spacers, possibly all of them, as well as some mismatch of W/P length / W/P pulley / crank pulley. If your balancer wasn't on right, I think you'd have found out by now, but then maybe you don't drive it much?

You should review John's photos in this thread, and then post some appropriate photos of your setup for furthter assistance, possibly including a measuring scale from the timing cover plate to the crank pulley and to the W/P pulley.

- Eric

 

X2. I'm working on a 69 442 that had the pulleys out of alignment when I got it. Turned out the water pump pulley was not the correct one. Once the correct one was installed, everything was perfect. I also suspect you have spacers missing or out of place on the PS pump as the pulleys seem to be at a slight angle. Hard to really see. More photos would help.

 

MDchanic, the engine has not been run yet since it was put back in the car and thanks for the link to the other thread I will check for the spacers.

Now I am thinking about if originally the water pump pulley was aligned or not. At the time, the focus was on trying to align the ps pulley since it was the most out of alignment.

I will try to get some pictures of the brackets next time I go work on the car.

 

It turns out after all the car did have the wrong water pump when I bought it, and I replaced it with the same.

I bought a new long water pump today and will install it tomorrow. Then I will be working on spacing out the bracket for the ps pump to hopefully get the ps pump pulley parallel with the rest.

Today looking at the assembly manual, I noticed the car is missing a power steering pump bracket. The bottom one. Not the one that goes around the pump.

Any ideas where I could find one?

 

Any 1968-1990 Olds V8 with PS. The bottom bracket is the same on all.