Detailing on my 427 yesterday and I remembered I'd had an issue with the water pump pulley reinforcement not fitting the inside of the pulley. The reinforcement would drop down inside the pulley where it should go ( it sits up against the water pump hub, then the pulley goes on) but there was about .030" - .040" gap between it and the back of the pulley. At the time, I put it together without the piece in there but I suspect in the long run the pulley may crack if it's not there. It sits down nice on the outside of the pulley but it doesn't belong there!
Anyway, I dug around in my box of pulleys yesterday and managed to find another reinforcement. This one sits down nicely in the back/inside of the pulley. When I compare it to the other one I have, it's just a fraction smaller diameter which explains why it won't drop down flush inside. Has anyone else run into this? And before you guess it's maybe to do with the pulleys for long vs short water pump (this is a 66, so short pump) I don't think that's the issue. This is for the small bolt pattern pulley and it seems to me the long water pumps use the large bolt pattern pulley.
i have a few of those around, and it seems to me that some of them are on the outside of the pulley like a shim rather that inside. If its designed to go on the outside that would explain the larger diameter.
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Beaumontguru
MY BEAUMONT HAS 4 STUDDED TIRES AND 2 BLOCKHEATERS......AND LOTS OF OIL UNDERNEATH. The other one has a longer roof.
Since I posted that a few minutes ago, I've been doing some reading. I only recall seeing them inside but the Corvette restoration guys say they've seen it installed either way. Certainly the pieces are not all identical, at least the 2 I have aren't. There's no way the bigger one fits inside properly.
I might have to look in the parts book to see about a choice of numbers/sizes.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
This is what one guy posted but I don't buy that, because I also found a service bulletin describing the reinforcement as a correction for pulleys that crack out around the bolt holes.
My Canadian parts books just list the reinforcement, only one part #, 3702616.
I have a US parts book for Chevy full size, Camaro, Nova, Chevelle. It has that number also (middle of the page in the picture) but then it says (Note 4)
To me, this says the reinforcement must go behind the pulley to compensate for the .060" difference where the hub is pressed on. First time I ever heard of there being a choice of depths for the hub to be pressed on. This would explain why some 60's small and big blocks I've seen at cruise nights, car shows etc have an alternator belt alignment issue. (Pet peeve of mine!)
Carl....I've been looking for one of those reinforcements, everywhere with no results. Didn't realize you had a stash!!!!
From the info I've been able to find, the reinforcement goes BETWEEN the pulley and the WP mounting face. I've seen info that said that you had to press the WP mount back the thickness of the spacer... ( can't remember where I saw that info, but if I find it I will forward)
i have a few of those around, and it seems to me that some of them are on the outside of the pulley like a shim rather that inside. If its designed to go on the outside that would explain the larger diameter.
Dave... Would you have one of these reinforcements for the OUTSIDE for sale?