8ba wide belt length size- no generator

H

HopRod

Member
I am running wide belt pulleys, 8RT water pumps, and just want to drive the two pumps off the crank with no generator. All pulley grooves are in alignment so I can do it with the one belt. Does anyone know a belt length size?
 
Can I suggest you take a longer belt, cut it and superglue the ends together. Then take it to an industrial belt supplier, ask them to measure it and supply the nearest equivalent.
You might be struggling though, with no method of adjusting tension. You might also struggle getting it on or off and changing it if necessary.
Some sort of a tensioner (idler pulley) might help a lot though.
Or a generator!
Mart.
 
Mart said:
Can I suggest you take a longer belt, cut it and superglue the ends together. Then take it to an industrial belt supplier, ask them to measure it and supply the nearest equivalent.
You might be struggling though, with no method of adjusting tension. You might also struggle getting it on or off and changing it if necessary.
Some sort of a tensioner (idler pulley) might help a lot though.
Or a generator!
Mart.
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Thinking the same. There should be some way to adjust the tension. Also, curious as to how to plan to install the belt without some sort of tensioner as Mart mentioned.
 
I figured I would just roll the belt on once I get the size figured out. But having a tensioner would make things easier as long as it doesn't look too out of place. It's going on a vintage drag car.
 
HopRod said:
I figured I would just roll the belt on once I get the size figured out. But having a tensioner would make things easier as long as it doesn't look too out of place. It's going on a vintage drag car.
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Tensioners are generally made from a cut down generator. Very period correct.
 
I am not an 8ba guy, but I thought all the 8ba water pumps had the pulleys staggered, no ?
 
cas3 said:
I am not an 8ba guy, but I thought all the 8ba water pumps had the pulleys staggered, no ?
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I believe the early ones with WIDE belt are all in line...single belt. I'm thinking '49s & '50s?

Although the engine below is obviously modified, this is the layout for the single (WIDE) belt pumps. It's when you introduce a fan that things go 'south'. That's the main reason Heard and I designed our specialty SHORTENED fan for the 8BA in his '36 3-w with the leaned-back radiator. Click on the '35-'36 W/8BA & MECHANICAL FAN at BOTTOM/LEFT of this post if you haven't seen that contraption. DD


dsc09579-jpg.3105523

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I have a merc motor on the run in stand now, narrow pulleys, staggered. now idea what year, or whether or not its stock. Also, were they not staggered to make room for the dizzy?
 
cas3 said:
I have a merc motor on the run in stand now, narrow pulleys, staggered. now idea what year, or whether or not its stock. Also, were they not staggered to make room for the dizzy?
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Not staggered-wide belt (Heard's '36 with the mod), clears the dizzy just fine. DD


485267
 
I used a 5L540 wide belt on my setup and it’s a 8cm with 8rt water pumps also using a 1937 generator 2 brush with a late 39 truck pulley .

So your not running a generator, may I ask how your generating power. I ask because so many ways to skin a cat and can learn so much from others
 

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vulture said:
So your not running a generator, may I ask how your generating power.
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As he said, it's a DRAG RACE car, therefore having to start only once for every 1/4 mile race. Depending on the class, they MAY not even have a battery on board! DD

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pinch your other'halfs dress makers tape [i actually keep one in my tool kit ] should get you in the ball park but yes how are you going to tension it as they dont have anywhere near the stretch of a modern polyv belt can be done but would take some pretty trick custom machining [something similar to Volkswagen's split pully design]
 
Aussie Merc I was thinking the same thing as I had figured he would be using a idler generator pulley setup . Even when using a mag you still need cooling. I wonder if you could use a tension pulley setup upside down on the generator mount as a belt tension
 
Not that I recommend it, but couldn't you install the proper size belt with one or both of the water pumps sitting in the engine with no bolts, and then pull the pumps into position and then install and tighten the bolts? The belt would just about have to be the perfect size for this to work.
 
vulture said:
Even when using a mag you still need cooling. I wonder if you could use a tension pulley setup upside down on the generator mount as a belt tension
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Sounds like you may not have ever spent much time around drag racing. Common practice back in the day (and maybe still to this day) to fill flathead blocks (and others) with concrete for dedicated 'go fast' classes like "Altereds" & "Dragsters". DD

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I like Tubmans idea. Without the drag of a generator or alternator it would take very little effort to turn just the water pumps.
 
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