Explorer front dress help

[4x4man514]

What's the purpose of using all the washers under the bolt heads? Aren't they there in case you need to space OUT the bracket, or space IN the pump?
Were your bolts too long?

How's about another pic, but with the belt on all the pulleys correctly?

Paul

actually now that im looking at the washers, i think there is just a flat washer and a lock washer on those bolts. that bracket is still really shiny and the picture is reflecting back and making it look like 4 washers instead of two.

 

[m_m70]

i think there is just a flat washer and a lock washer on those bolts. that bracket is still really shiny and the picture is reflecting back and making it look like 4 washers instead of two.

I think you're right!

 

[ba123]

actually now that im looking at the washers, i think there is just a flat washer and a lock washer on those bolts. that bracket is still really shiny and the picture is reflecting back and making it look like 4 washers instead of two.

Haha! I thought there were more as well,,,thought maybe the bolts bottomed out or something.

Another thing that is helpful is taking a slo-mo video. I did that and could see where it started to pop off and was sure.

 

[73azbronco]

yeah, washers go on head side of bracket, that should pull it out enough. Ditto get a new belt once it's set right, use old one till it works. If it jumped you have damaged the belt.

 

[4x4man514]

yeah, washers go on head side of bracket, that should pull it out enough. Ditto get a new belt once it's set right, use old one till it works. If it jumped you have damaged the belt.

i had at first pulled the ps pulley forward about 1/4 inch and the belt stayed on it but came off the crank about 1/4. that should bre the same as shimming the whole bracket out right? unless the problem IS the idler.

it makes me wonder if im back to square one with the prof prod balancer and the wh pulley.

 

[rocknhorse76]

I’ve had issues with that bracket setup as well. I’m running a Sanden compressor on mine though. I had to stack 2 small washers behind the idler to bring it into alignment so that the belt would stay on.

 

[73azbronco]

I used straight edge of metal yardstick to very correct plane of everything, then played with shims to make it all flush and plumb. Obviously, the crank pulley is the main reference point to set everything else.

 

[4x4man514]

I’ve had issues with that bracket setup as well. I’m running a Sanden compressor on mine though. I had to stack 2 small washers behind the idler to bring it into alignment so that the belt would stay on.

Thanks. Thats what I was thinking about doing. It seems to be the easiest avenue right now as well.

 

[4x4man514]

I used straight edge of metal yardstick to very correct plane of everything, then played with shims to make it all flush and plumb. Obviously, the crank pulley is the main reference point to set everything else.

I tried that and thought I was good. But that may have been b4 I switched gears and went with the saginaw bracket. If washers behind the idler don't do it ill try this again

 

[73azbronco]

loosen the bolts on bracket enough to push a washer in on the block side then lightly tighten, then check for alignment, if good, thats how many washers you need

 

[4x4man514]

I haven't had a chance to do anything yet but I did take a couple more pics. The idler doesn't look as crooked in person as it does in the pics but it may still not be spaced right.

 

[ba123]

could be me or the view of the pics, but it looks like the drivers side is out further.

 

[ba123]

If you can, put a flat level or metal stock or whatever you can flat on the crank pulley on two edges so you know it's square.

maybe that will help you be able to tell what's up.

If you can do that, you can try moving it over to one of the other pulleys and compare.

I would bet that tensioner is fine but it looks off cause that driver's side is out too far.

 

[Oldtimer]

Put the belt back on the PS pump pulley, and take a nother picture.

 

[ba123]

Haha, yeah, maybe that's why it looks like it's out on that side!!!

 

[4x4man514]

If you can, put a flat level or metal stock or whatever you can flat on the crank pulley on two edges so you know it's square.

maybe that will help you be able to tell what's up.

If you can do that, you can try moving it over to one of the other pulleys and compare.

I would bet that tensioner is fine but it looks off cause that driver's side is out too far.

It prolly does look like that and it may be .

Put the belt back on the PS pump pulley, and take a nother picture.

View attachment 918654

Yea I've been trying to get that message out. That does make the pic look that way. I wanted to put it back on and THEN take pics but i didnt have time. I posted pics alittle prematurely but it's been one of those days I can't even get 5 min. On my phone to clarify that. Nice catch!

 

[4x4man514]

well im coming back t my post cause im still stuck. i finally got a chance to work on it and no luck. i removed the fan and radiator and everything so that i could get to it better and made some corrections.

using a straight edge i determined the bottom pulley on the explorer alt bracket was sticking out the farthest. so i got some shim stock and shimmed the crank pullet out about .060 to match it up . that put me almost 1/8 inch out further than the ps pulley. so i put washers betweeen the bracket and the head and then used the pulley puller/installer to get the pulley perfect on the shaft. the idler i shimmed out with one washer but im not sure its perfect since i couldnt figure a way to check the alignment other than eyeballing it. all of the pulley are now within at least .010 of each other

i put it all back together and while trying to start it the belt stated in place.

i finally got the engine running and then the belt ran back off just like before. off the ps pulley(it did stay on the crank pulley this time though)

any other thoughts on what else to check?

 

[fishinman78]

well im coming back t my post cause im still stuck. i finally got a chance to work on it and no luck. i removed the fan and radiator and everything so that i could get to it better and made some corrections.

using a straight edge i determined the bottom pulley on the explorer alt bracket was sticking out the farthest. so i got some shim stock and shimmed the crank pullet out about .060 to match it up . that put me almost 1/8 inch out further than the ps pulley. so i put washers betweeen the bracket and the head and then used the pulley puller/installer to get the pulley perfect on the shaft. the idler i shimmed out with one washer but im not sure its perfect since i couldnt figure a way to check the alignment other than eyeballing it. all of the pulley are now within at least .010 of each other

i put it all back together and while trying to start it the belt stated in place.

i finally got the engine running and then the belt ran back off just like before. off the ps pulley(it did stay on the crank pulley this time though)

any other thoughts on what else to check?

I've done several of these conversions and just finished one on a buddies 408 using that bracket. Ive had the best success with the factory explorer damper and lining up everything from there. Damper Dudes has it in 28oz vs the factory 50oz depending on the balance of your engine.


Do you have a new belt tensioner?? How did you determine belt length??

 

[4x4man514]

I've done several of these conversions and just finished one on a buddies 408 using that bracket. Ive had the best success with the factory explorer damper and lining up everything from there. Damper Dudes has it in 28oz vs the factory 50oz depending on the balance of your engine.


Do you have a new belt tensioner?? How did you determine belt length??

i spent a good penny on the professional products balancer i have and i cant see why it wont work but im almost to the point of trying anything. this is frustrating

the tensioner on it is new but it does seem to kinda bounce around a little while running,. i dont know why. it seems to have plenty of tension and it turns smooth. i bought a new one to put on it just in case but the new one has all kinds of slop in the bearing. way more than the one thats on there. so i havent swapped them. what usually goes bad on a tensioner? bearing or spring? ive been wondering if this was the issue.

i cant remember ahow i determined length. it seems i got 3. one was loose one i couldnt get on and the one that i went with that was in the middle

 

[ba123]

It's not necessarily the pulley that's in the wrong place, but more likely the bracket that bolts to the head. What happened to me, is that my aluminum heads were not exactly the same dimensions side to side and so my drivers side BRACKET was a little inside and so it make my PS and AC pulleys too far inside and the belt came off. First I moved it too far and that made it squeak, then with the help of a laser alignment tool I could see that I moved it too far and moved it back in and good.

BUT...

The other problem is that once this happens to a belt, it's kinda toast and is more likely to continue to either squeak or fall off just because it has been stretched in the wrong way.

Belts are cheap, so if you think you might have taken care of it, get a new one before you think you might not have.

Check your length, but this is the one I used for all accessories, including AC:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SPLYPXK/?tag=classicbroncos-20