| [GMCnet] serpentine belt [message #174851] |
Thu, 28 June 2012 05:36  |
Mr ERFisher
Messages: 7117
Registered: August 2005
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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– A serpentine belt is an added bonus and I would like one as well…. Just
not 800/1000$ as well, which is about the “cheapest?” single belt setup I
could find.
On a GMC RELIABILITY and functionality is lost by going to a serpentine belt
with the OEM belts you can come home with any one belt -read here-
> http://goo.gl/ENLEI
>
one famous GMCer, replaced 4 serpentine belts on the road to a Mt Hood
rally, and took off the whole mess, when he got home.
JimB will not install a single belt any more
IMHO, a single belt reduces the functionality and reliability of the GMC.
if some other mod ( like a CAD, or chevy) makes you change , live with it.
but do not ask for problems
JWID
gene
--
Gene Fisher -- 74-23,77PB/ore/ca
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today --- give him a URL and
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http://gmcmotorhome.info/
Alternator Protection Cable
http://gmcmotorhome.info/APC.html
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| Re: [GMCnet] serpentine belt [message #174857 is a reply to message #174851] |
Thu, 28 June 2012 07:02  |
Jim Bounds
Messages: 842
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 0
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Someone asked and my name was used so I am sorry but I cannot resist this subject.
Adding a serpantine belt system to our GMC is my opinion is not advised and I will tell you why:
I want to support anyone who produces products for our niche community but I cannot put someone in harms way be selling or promoting something I know will cause problems. The auto inductry spends millions to solve mechanical issues and on new cars, maybe a serpantine system is good but for us it is bad and most certainly the systems that are out there promoted to our community just are bad juju.
Our 3 belt system gives you 3 chances to turn the water pump, you can still drive as long as your water pump works! Dash AC compressors seem to spaz out for no aparent reason all the time-- it goes out on a single belt system and you are hooped! Pull into a shop in Lower Lompoc (sorry for bringing up this city if you live there) but try to find a mechanic that will work on a modified motor on the road, good luck! These are logical reasons why a 3 belt system is preferrable. Our belts are everywhere and properly adjusted (which there are adjuster kits to make that job a snap) maintained 3 belt system can always be fixed and you can be on your way. You may only have to cut away a bad belt and just keep driving which is a huge advantage, one we should embrace not do away with.
Now, lets talk about the specific serpantine systems out there for our 455 motor. There are 2, the first is from a GMC specialty supplier-- it is a terrible option-- The tensioner pulley is in the wrong place! Think of a derailer bike gear system, the tensioner is on the bottom (return) side of the chain. This serpantine system is designed as if you were to put that tensioner assembly on the bike on the top or torque side of the chain! That cannot work! The tensioner pulley on this system jerks tight under load putting all the slack between the crank pulley and the AC compressor pulley! Not good. Next, the system turns the water pump backwards--- Backwards? Yes, it does so now you install a special water pump that is supposed to fix that. Now you have a "morphodite motor" that no one one will work on. If your end goal is to turn your coach into something only you can work on then go for it man, you have made it oh and you had better
buy a couple of those unique water pumps because you will not find one on the road! Again, not what the thinking man should do to their coach. All this along with looking at the bag of washers, spacers and crude brackets that make up part of the install kit, life is just too short for fun of that nature! So tell me again, why did you do this to yourself putting in a rig job like that?
Second, there is a quality based performance car company that makes a custom serpantine system specifically for the 455 Olds motor. No wait, it uses 2 (countm) belts! I thought the idea was to reduce belts to reduce friction, raise hp. No wait there is more, the system does not use a tensioner pulley, it used manually adjustible "hym joints", I thought not having to adjust belt tension was another reason to do this-- it does not have that! Hey, it's billet aluminum though and cool looking, awesome looking pulley and all that. Betcha you could win a few points on your restmod but what does this system do for my GMC? Nothing is the answer to that! I installed one of these and swore it would not go into another GMC by my hand!
My first filter when looking at modifications for the GMC or any vintage motorhome for that matter is "What is it going to do for me and will it make my motorhome easier to maintain or fix on the road". If the answer to one or more of these is negative, I do not get involved. I appreciate those who love their GMC, heck I have a bunch of them and I betcha I am more of a freak about all this than many but just doing something to be different dealing with your GMC-- save that coolness for your antique car, motorcycle or skateboard-- keep your GMC where it will take you somewhere and bring you home without causing a river of tears! Serpaintine belts for our application do not fit, certainly the 2 options that are out there for us right now. I want to be able to find parts and make my machine wisk me to where I wanna go--- chrome, billet, funky designs will not help you in this endevour!
Whenever you consider a mod for your coach please think about the reliability, hang mind numbing performance, our machines perform pretty well the way they are. Forget trying to double mileage-- it aint happening at least not soon enough for us here to mess with, the GMC already does a descent job of that if we can keep them running on this ethanal laced &^^%$#@@^&&& fuel and also don;t turn in reliability for chrome or fancy performance stuff cause you aint gonna find a replacement in Lower Lompoc!
Jim Bounds
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| Re: [GMCnet] serpentine belt [message #358726 is a reply to message #174851] |
Thu, 17 September 2020 08:57 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Senior Member |
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Been driving GM V belt vehicles since 1969 and lost one belt on a 1976 Grand LeMans alternator during a WOT run. 1 on like 20 vehicles and 50 years. Never lost a V belt on a GMC. I have replaced several bad serpentine tensioners and idlers over the years due to noisy bearings. Bearings that aren’t there never go bad on a V belt system. Yes, changing V belts is hard on a GMC until you know how to do it then it’s really not that bad a job.
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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