power steering pulley question...
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Lee's Summit, MO, USA
power steering pulley question... I just installed my corvette power steering pump, alternator and bracket. Unfortunately, during shipping the pump pulley was shattered probably due to the cold and the less than ginger handling buy UPS. I have a couple questions... first off, I have the pulley from the F-body pump that the motor came with. The diameter is the same but I'm not sure it is the same. The Vette pulley is part number 12559890 and the 2000 Z/28 pulley part number is 12559885... I can't tell for sure but it almost looks like they might have a different offset... also, the pump pulley is VERY close to my steering box... if I were to buy a new pulley, is there another pulley that might be SLIGHTLY smaller in diameter that I could use? I know it would end up creating more pressure due to smaller diameter and in turn would have a lighter steering feel... not sure that it matters... just a thought. Anyway... suggestions? Use the F-body pulley? Find one with a smaller diameter? Just order another Vette pulley? BTW, there are pictures of the alt/ps/bracket installed in my webshots gallery linked below. Thanks in advance.
Coach... I mean Randy (I often forget who I really am)
Undergoing LS1 Conversion as we speak!
Click Image to Visit My Website!
My Webshots Gallery...
Coach... I mean Randy (I often forget who I really am)
Undergoing LS1 Conversion as we speak!
Click Image to Visit My Website!
My Webshots Gallery...
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
I don't know if this will help you, but there are 4.5" and 6" pulleys avaialble for the Saginaw pump. I run a 2.5 inch steering ram/rack from the pump on my LS1 and needed to speed the pump up to keep up with the steering inputs. I bought mine from these folks (talk to Jeff)-
http://www.howeperformance.com/offroad.html
http://www.howeperformance.com/offroad.html
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Lee's Summit, MO, USA
Thanks for the reply and info. I just measured me pump pulley and its diameter reads around 6.5". If there is a 4.5" pulley that will work, that is good news for me. I have sent them an email and will wait for a reply... or call them later next week. Do you know if all pulley's used on these pumps have the same offset? I was comparing the (shattered) vette pulley to my camaro pulley... the diameter is the same but it almost looks like the center of the pulley is slightly different... it just looks like it might have a different slope outward... if that makes any sense. I guess I could find a way to measure it... anyway, thanks again for the reply.
TTYL!
TTYL!
The fbody accessories are set alittle further forward than the Vette setup. That is why the Vette and the fbody use different crank pulleys. BTW, make sure if you don't get a power steering pulley install tool. The generic one from Advance worked good for me. I think it cost me like $25. I used the old farmer's method and tried to just tap it on with a hammer and a wooden block rotating it 90 degrees every few taps and I didn't realize the back of the PS pump has a composite backing plate. Needless to say I screwed the pump up.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Lee's Summit, MO, USA
DOH! So it sounds like I'm gonna be changing my crank pulley too... how bout the water pump pulley? Is there a difference in water pump and pulley from F-body to Vette? Just another thing to change! lol Thanks for the info!
water pump pulley is ok. The fbody and vette use the same water pump. The water pump as you can see is driven by the smooth side of the belt. The belt just rides alittle further towards the motor on the C5 accessories than it does in the fbody. I think the difference is maybe 1/2 an inch so but that is enough to mess you up.
One more thing. I have heard of guys spacing the C5 accessories out away from the block alittle and use the fbody balancer. I wouldn't do this and being space is a premium I imagine you don't want to do this at all. The smaller PS pump pulley will speed the pump up quite a bit. A underdrive C5 pulley should bring it back down to normal I would think. Again best of luck.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Lee's Summit, MO, USA
Again, thanks for the info. Yeah, space is a premium I can't afford much of. I'll be in the garage all day tomorrow so I'll check it out a little closer. I guess if a Vette crank pulley is needed I'll be starting my search. Thanks for the insight. Oh, and the PS pulley... so long as speeding the pump up doesn't cause serious problems with the box, I don't mind... having my steering a little (or a lot) lighter isn't gonna hurt my feelings... even though the Vehicross handles like a go-cart, I don't think the feel at the wheel has to be so heavy. Later!
Randy
Randy
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
The pulley that Howe offers is made mostly for offroad vehicles, but I know that car builders use both Camaro and Corvette engines in their cars and Howe is likely to have the correct offset for either one.
I'm not sure that speeding up the pump is going to have much effect on the lightness of your steering in your vehicle. Speeding up the pump will increase the volume of fluid to the rack, but the lightness of the steering probably has more to do with the system pressure and size of the ram (or whatever mechanism drives it)
When I used the stock GM pump with the offroad rack and pinion, the pump wouldn't keep up with the demands of the ram attached to the rack when the motor speed was low and I was moving the steering wheel rapidly.
Howe told me the smaller pully would help, but ulimatly I needed a pump with higher system pressure (1300 psi)
The steering 'lightness' is the same in either case, i just don't run out of pump at low engine speeds.
I'm not sure that speeding up the pump is going to have much effect on the lightness of your steering in your vehicle. Speeding up the pump will increase the volume of fluid to the rack, but the lightness of the steering probably has more to do with the system pressure and size of the ram (or whatever mechanism drives it)
When I used the stock GM pump with the offroad rack and pinion, the pump wouldn't keep up with the demands of the ram attached to the rack when the motor speed was low and I was moving the steering wheel rapidly.
Howe told me the smaller pully would help, but ulimatly I needed a pump with higher system pressure (1300 psi)
The steering 'lightness' is the same in either case, i just don't run out of pump at low engine speeds.
