Water Pump Belt Replacement Help

[dave1985]

Good afternoon.
On one of my Crusader 454's, I'm not getting the belt tension I want for the intake pump. Not terrible but not great. The pump is is as far from the main pulley as it will go in the little mounting slots that double as the belt adjusters. The original belt is about 33 inches in circumference. The belt might be slightly stretched. I could try a new one but I've found the same shape belt in lengths that are 1/2 inch and 1 inch shorter. I'm wondering if one of these may be a better solution. The adjustment slots in the base are about an inch long. I seem to remember a discussion here years ago about shorter belts and I was surprised, at the time, how much difference just a small amount made. Would a half inch shorter belt move that pump more than an inch closer to the main pulley? The overall distance between the two pulleys is a little more than a foot. Also, as I'm far from an engineer, would a shorter belt change the pump rotation speed which might cause a bigger headache than I need. Thanks for the help.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Does Crusader offer an exact belt spec? I do offer that is your target size.

There is more than just length.
Width and height (wear areas) are involved that make a belt looser over all.
These are the contact areas and like a race car tire, offers the traction.
Poor traction, low water flow, engine over heats (Boom).

Keep fresh belts on, Have fresh belts for spares.

Pulley size changes pump/speed ratios. Belts just make the power connection.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Have to agree with the previous post about keeping spares. I'm also including a link for a V-belt finder tool website that I found useful, and offering a suggestion. When we had our boat, I kept all my spare belts and impellers in vacuum-sealed bags. My wife had a food-saver vacuum sealer, and I sealed each belt and labeled it with a sharpie - Belt part #, date, what it was for in plain english in case someone else needed to install it. By leaving a wide margin on one end, I could punch a hole in the plastic and hang them up for easier storage.

 

[dave1985]

Thank you for the assistance. Gates has a look up function for their belts. It appears the v belt I have on there now is quite common and they are available, with exactly the same widths top and bottom, in inch and half inch length differences shorter and longer. They were only about $10 each so I got both the one that's a half inch shorter and one that's an inch shorter. I'll use the one that fits best. Thanks for your help.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Thank you for the assistance. Gates has a look up function for their belts. It appears the v belt I have on there now is quite common and they are available, with exactly the same widths top and bottom, in inch and half inch length differences shorter and longer. They were only about $10 each so I got both the one that's a half inch shorter and one that's an inch shorter. I'll use the one that fits best. Thanks for your help.

Forehead slap... I forgot the link earlier, in case anyone else needs it. It's not Gates but its a broad-spectrum tool.

V-Belt Guys: Online Replacement Supplier & Manufacturer (vbeltguys.com)