Nailhead Power Steering Pump Pulley Alignment

I was so preoccupied getting the alignment right on the AC and alternator brackets I made that I didn't notice that the PS pump pulley is not in line with my 3 groove pulleys. It's about 1/4" off and needs to be shimmed further forward towards the radiator. Am I going to have to shim the bracket or can the pulley be shimmed?

 

You do not want to shim the pulley since extending it out in that direction will only serve to load the pump shaft more.

I would only go that route as a very last resort!

This assumes that the pulley is pressed on to the factory distance on the pump shaft.

In this case you will have to shim the pump off it’s bracket, or if the pump is on its own bracket you can shim that.

just be sure you still have a good amount of contact area between whatever your shimming so the pump or the bracket does not rock around otherwise you will be constantly throwing belts.

PS.
I have seen on other older car forums where a lot of guy as of late are having issues with new belts slipping, and the cause was found to be belts where made with a metric taper to them that only would have a small contact area in the pulley groove .
This made for a situation where no amount of added tension passed the 1/2” of play rule would not allow the belt to do it’s needed job.

 

Don't know if it is your problem, but on 55's there is a different pulley used on AC cars vs non-AC cars.

 

I made shims and believe this will work just fine. This pump has a straight staft with Woodruff key and I have nearly total engagement. .2" is not going to change the side load enough to worry about.

If there is a different pulley that goes with the 3 belt pulleys, please advise. Otherwise, I am gonna run it.

 

What year engine? Someone mentioned '55. A '55 Buick with AC is a mighty rare bird.

 

1961 364 nailhead

 

Not all 364" and 401-425" Nailhead water pumps are the same length.

 

This has been converted to the short water pump. You have to do that to use the 3 groove pulley.

 

Interesting. My 425 was a non-AC engine that I converted to AC. The pump that was on it did not have the 3-groove pulley, but when I put the engine together, I replaced the pump and it took the 3-groove pulley without any problems. I was not asked (nor was I aware at the time) that there were two different length pumps. I guess that I was just lucky.

 

'61, & only '61, had two different length water pumps. One was cast iron the other was aluminum.

Tom T.

 

This has short water pump, not original.