Matching The Pulleys

The alternator post started out as the pulley post but I went on a tangent. Since I didn’t feel like editing the page down, I’m starting a new one.

As it turns out, once the alternator bracket fiasco was straightened out, the alternator lines up perfect with the water pump and crank pulleys. If I were smart, I’d leave it like that. If I were smart, I’d have someone else doing all of this work for me.

I picked up dual V pulley from that e place. It’s PN C1AE-6312-A. Apparently a fairly popular pulley. I picked it put because it looked cool, it was a double V and the diameter was smaller than the water pumps. There’s supposed to be a certain ratio between the water pump and crank but I don’t remember what it is. I knew what it was then and I think my selection is pretty close to the proper ratio. (fingers crossed)

(I looked it up. The ratio is supposed to be 1:1. I think my WP pulley is a tad larger)

The pulleys have a ring on the back side that centers the pulley to harmonic balancer, or it’s supposed to anyway. The spacer I have for the single V pulley also acts as an adapter. I use the “Cammer Pulley” spacer on the 6312 pulley.

The spacer is too short.

Grrrr

Now what?

It’s not off by a whole lot, maybe a 1/16 or so. I buy an assortment of shims but I can’t get the right combination. It’s either too short or too long.

I have this cheap little combo mill and Lathe called a Smithy. I’ve had it for 20 years and it’s collecting dust in the shop.

This is probably a bit more involved than it should be but I’m gonna make my own spacer. I have some 3/4” 6061 aluminum and the Smithy lathe. All I need is an arbor to hold the aluminum stock and I can try my hand at making a spacer. BTW. I am not a machinist.

Let’s build an arbor.

There is 5/8” round bar stock and some 1/4” flat stock. Cut a length of the 5/8 round stock and machine an end down to 1/2”, about 1/4” inward for the 1/4” flat stock. That piece gets cut into a 5X5 piece. I find approximate center and drill a 1/2” hole. The machined end of the round stock goes into the 1/2” hole and it fits pretty snug and square. The two pieces are welded together and then chucked into the lathe and turn the square plate down to make it round. The last step is to locate and drill holes on the circle that coincides with the pulley mounting holes.

Now I can try my hand at making a pulley spacer.

I don’t know how balanced that spacer is, it can’t be too far off.

The dual V pulley has two issues: One is that it had been broken and then brazed to fix it. That puts up a red flag in my head. The other is that I wanted a dual V pulley with matching diameters. The 6312 has two different sized V’s.

Luckily a friend of mine had such a pulley just lying around the shop and he graciously allowed me to have it. I have to double check but I think the new spacer works on it. If not, I’ll have to whip up another one.

Now let’s see about this water pump to crank ratio pulley stuff.