Fan belt install tips

dean333

dean333

Well-known member
What’s the trick to get the belt on the crank pulley when there’s no clearance between the frame and lower pulley snout? 33 stock Ford.
 
Something is amiss as there should be (just) enough room between the crankshaft pulley and the back of the front cross member for the fan belt to pass through. Has the front cross member been replaced (not uncommon on a '33)?
 
Tim, 1933 Ford is not my strong suit, but then, I can’t imagine any Ford of any year being designed and built with no fan belt pulley clearance as you have on your car. I would suggest that you may have an incorrect condition involving your front motor mounts that puts your pulley in that position, or alternatively, an incorrect pulley.
 
You may have to loosen your motor mounts and jack up your engine.
DON'T DENT THE OIL PAN.
 
This is where the gap is too small.
 

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I bet if you gently compress the belt to decrease its thickness and then tilt the belt and wiggle it around it slip between the frame and pulley?
 
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I’m going to try to turn the engine over a little at a time to try and reposition the crank nut where the groove/slot is in a more favorable position.
 
I think that you need to address why your crank pulley (which looks to be the correct one) is about 3/8" forward of where it should be. The problem isn't likely that the pulley itself is too far forward as if it were 3/8" out of place you would tend to have a serious oil leak at the front of the engine.


The attached photo shows the two possible front cross members for a '33 passenger car/commercial vehicle. Which one does your car have?
 

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David, the center section on both look the same. The only difference I see is the end angles out at the top right and bottom.
 
That wasn't my point in asking which cross member is in your car. After 1933, the cross member on the left in the photo wasn't supplied for service. Only the '34 cross member on the right was offered for service for both '33 and '34 models. My large, but statistically insignificant sample of the many '33s that I have inspected suggests that the replacement rate was high, bordering on 50%. If yours was replaced and done recklessly, it could explain the absence of adequate space to install a new fan belt.
 
You're only looking for a fraction of an inch. Probably some spacers on the engine mounts would make the difference. Or loosening all mounts and pushing the engine and box back. Are anti chatter rods in place? Have they had spacers added? If absolute originality is not important it might be worth having the bolt protrusions turned down on a lathe to ensure on the road serviceability.
 
Remove the pulley, slip the belt into the groove and reinstall. With the pulley off, check visually to address David's comment.



DavidG said:
I think that you need to address why your crank pulley (which looks to be the correct one) is about 3/8" forward of where it should be. The problem isn't likely that the pulley itself is too far forward as if it were 3/8" out of place you would tend to have a serious oil leak at the front of the engine.
Click to expand...


Glenn
 
See post #10, I lined up the belt horizontally over the gap and pushed it in with a screwdriver. All is well. Thanks.
 
I did see post #10 but did not realise it was the original poster! I thought it was someone offering how they did it!
 
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