Having a bit of trouble with my non a/c alt. swap

[Minion1186]

Just got the brackets today,i intalled the alternator to the non a/c alternator brackets for an olds v8.I put the brackets on my 307 olds engine which used to have a/c,air pump and p/s (usual).Anyway i looked at where the belt from the alternator pulley goes and the belt from it goes to the one water pump pulley used by the p/s pump belt.I want to run this non a/c alternator swap and i need some help finding out how to make this swap work,all i have gotton for it was the non a/c alt. brackets and i thought the swap would be painless.Is it possible to get a double pulleyed alternator from an older model cutlass,oldsmobile?or do i have to get a new water pump pulley or both?

 

[joe_padavano]

Just got the brackets today,i intalled the alternator to the non a/c alternator brackets for an olds v8.I put the brackets on my 307 olds engine which used to have a/c,air pump and p/s (usual).Anyway i looked at where the belt from the alternator pulley goes and the belt from it goes to the one water pump pulley used by the p/s pump belt.I want to run this non a/c alternator swap and i need some help finding out how to make this swap work,all i have gotton for it was the non a/c alt. brackets and i thought the swap would be painless.Is it possible to get a double pulleyed alternator from an older model cutlass,oldsmobile?or do i have to get a new water pump pulley or both?

Olds used different water pumps and pulleys for A/C and non-A/C cars. The A/C cars used a longer pump and different pulleys. As you have found out, the pump, pulleys, and accessory brackets must be used as a matched set. The only alternative is to find the pulleys from a non-A/C, HD cooling car like a W-30, which used the long water pump but special pulleys to align with the non-A/C accessory brackets. Good luck with that.

 

[Minion1186]

so if i get a non a/c water pump for a 307 and a non a/c water pump pulley i'll be ok?or will i have to invest in a different p/s pump?

 

[joe_padavano]

so if i get a non a/c water pump for a 307 and a non a/c water pump pulley i'll be ok?or will i have to invest in a different p/s pump?

The PS pump brackets are all the same for 1968-1990. You need a non-A/C water pump for the year that the alternator bracket came off of, not for a 307. All Olds water pumps have the same bolt pattern.

 

[Captain Calais]

I just dealt with this on one of my other engines (buick 231). Unless you get the proper alternator brackets from a non A/C Olds 307, then your belts will not line up properly. The water pumps on A/C and Non A/C 307's are the same, the pulleys are also the same. GM wouldn't bother changing more parts than they'd have to in order to same money.

An aftermarket or universal alternator bracket won't work properly for you. When you put on the stock bracket, the belts should line up (eitehr over the original alternator groove, or by moving the belt inward/outward to the A/C compressor groove).

I know that on my motor, putting on the non A/C bracket moved the position of the alternator to where the old A/C compressor used to be, making it so the belt properly turns the water pump. This might not be the case on your motor. Regardless, you need to be using a stock non A/C bracket from a 307.

 

[Captain Calais]

You also might have to experiement with some different length belts to make the system fit and work properly.

 

[joe_padavano]

I just dealt with this on one of my other engines (buick 231). Unless you get the proper alternator brackets from a non A/C Olds 307, then your belts will not line up properly. The water pumps on A/C and Non A/C 307's are the same, the pulleys are also the same. GM wouldn't bother changing more parts than they'd have to in order to same money.

An aftermarket or universal alternator bracket won't work properly for you. When you put on the stock bracket, the belts should line up (eitehr over the original alternator groove, or by moving the belt inward/outward to the A/C compressor groove).

I know that on my motor, putting on the non A/C bracket moved the position of the alternator to where the old A/C compressor used to be, making it so the belt properly turns the water pump. This might not be the case on your motor. Regardless, you need to be using a stock non A/C bracket from a 307.

OK, first, the 307 never came with the passenger side alternator. The older Olds engines did mount the alternator on the passenger side when there was no A/C. I'll say this again: THESE APPLICATIONS USED A SHORTER WATER PUMP AND DIFFERENT PULLEYS. Again, the exception to this is the HD cooling cars like the W-30 and W-31. These cars used the long A/C style water pump and a special water pump pulley that had more offset. Good luck finding one of those.

If you plan to use the pre-1980 alternator bracket, you need a pump for the engine that the brackets came from. You also need the pulleys to match. 307 pulleys are different from the pre-1980 pulleys.

 

[Minion1186]

right now,i'm experimenting with different length alternator belts,i think i need one thats below 15 inches (stock 307)i bought one for a 73 350 w/o a/c and the belt is 13 inches,too short to even fit correctly.I also tried spacing out the non a/c olds brackets and it worked for the bottom pulley,but i'd have to drill a longer hole on the bracket that goes to the manifold,so instead,i am installing a double grooved power steering pump and brackets from a 73 350 cutlass and using the outer groove on the p/s pulley and not spacing out the alternator brackets.Any problems with this setup?

 

[Oldsmoletick]

OK, first, the 307 never came with the passenger side alternator. The older Olds engines did mount the alternator on the passenger side when there was no A/C. I'll say this again: THESE APPLICATIONS USED A SHORTER WATER PUMP AND DIFFERENT PULLEYS. Again, the exception to this is the HD cooling cars like the W-30 and W-31. These cars used the long A/C style water pump and a special water pump pulley that had more offset. Good luck finding one of those.

If you plan to use the pre-1980 alternator bracket, you need a pump for the engine that the brackets came from. You also need the pulleys to match. 307 pulleys are different from the pre-1980 pulleys.

Good to know this info, I was thinking about going with the 307 alternator bracketry (the aluminum set up) on my 350.....So the crank pulley, water pump (or would that be the same as my 77 a/c equipted style?), and water pump pulley from the 307 is necessary as well. Power steering set up is the same? No balancer changes though?

 

[Minion1186]

Oldsmoletick-i've noticed on your engine pic of the olds,you're running the alternator and p/s pump on the same side,my question to you is,doesnt the water pump bearings squeal like hell?I've had both my cutlass supreme and cutlass salon squeal like a pig with that setup causing me to put the a/c compressor back on.