by veefre Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:23 pmAnd by "G-Strings" I do mean fan belts for G-Vans, LOL.
I had a heck of a time finding the right fan belt for the '67 283. It came with a Gates 7425, which is supposed to be 43.09" long on the outer circumference (or 43-1/8" for short).
The problem is that with this van and motor, proper tensioning of the belt puts the alternator nearly at the end of the adjustment travel.
So I went searching for a shorter fan belt that would still fit. I tried a 7410, which is about 41-1/2" long. Too short, couldn't fit it on the pulleys. So I hit the Gates.com website and sure enough there is a 7420 that is about 42-1/2" long. This one fits perfectly, putting the alternator at the middle of its adjustment travel when the tension is brought to spec (75 lbs +/- 5 lbs).
I checked the tension with the "Cricket" tension tester - great little gadget, by the way.
The reason why the recommended belt, the 7425, is too long, is probably because this motor doesn't have an air pump (smog pump) for that year. I guess. In any case, the local Kragen/O'Reilly parts counter has been very patient with my multiple visits to exchange belts.
Now to test drive!
I had a heck of a time finding the right fan belt for the '67 283. It came with a Gates 7425, which is supposed to be 43.09" long on the outer circumference (or 43-1/8" for short).
The problem is that with this van and motor, proper tensioning of the belt puts the alternator nearly at the end of the adjustment travel.
So I went searching for a shorter fan belt that would still fit. I tried a 7410, which is about 41-1/2" long. Too short, couldn't fit it on the pulleys. So I hit the Gates.com website and sure enough there is a 7420 that is about 42-1/2" long. This one fits perfectly, putting the alternator at the middle of its adjustment travel when the tension is brought to spec (75 lbs +/- 5 lbs).
I checked the tension with the "Cricket" tension tester - great little gadget, by the way.
The reason why the recommended belt, the 7425, is too long, is probably because this motor doesn't have an air pump (smog pump) for that year. I guess. In any case, the local Kragen/O'Reilly parts counter has been very patient with my multiple visits to exchange belts.
Now to test drive!
