Bess's Power Steering Pump Pulley Alignment

[Mick]

While working on Bess's ('66 Imp) exhaust manifold leak issue, I noticed the ps pulley was not aligned properly with the rest. I figured it might be the ps bracket that bolts up to the ac compressor and then on down to the first stud on the driver's side exhaust manifold. I also consulted the FSM, looking for adjustments on that pump.
I must be missing something simple...

 

[Davea Lux]

Try looking at the exploded view of the parts for the bracket, sounds line you are missing a shim on the pump bracket. Or possibly the bracket is bent.
Dave

 

[Mick]

Try looking at the exploded view of the parts for the bracket, sounds line you are missing a shim on the pump bracket. Or possibly the bracket is bent.
Dave

Thank you, I will give it a shot.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Mike, you have the dreaded "Floppy V" power steering pump mounting bracket of which I am all too familiar.

There are fixes: Try removing it and seeing if the rubber bumper down inside the V (can't see it while installed) has dried up and crumbled away. They are available new and will help in part.

The pivot hoes at the bottom of the V get elongated and allow the V to twist, putting the pump and puley out of allignment.. What I do is shim the mounting bolts from the V to the pump body to allign the pump and pulley. I'll email you some pics when I get home if you promise to send me a reminder email!!

The factory dispensed with this bracket after a few years and came up with a much better 2 pc system that's available in repro from Mancini. They don't list it as fitting cars with AC but I believe it does.

A quick look at Mancini comes up with this:

Mancini Racing Big Block & Hemi TRW Power Steering Pump Brackets

If I were you I would just shim the original.

 

[Mick]

Mike, you have the dreaded "Floppy V" power steering pump mounting bracket of which I am all too familiar.

There are fixes: Try removing it and seeing if the rubber bumper down inside the V (can't see it while installed) has dried up and crumbled away. They are available new and will help in part.

The pivot hoes at the bottom of the V get elongated and allow the V to twist, putting the pump and puley out of allignment.. What I do is shim the mounting bolts from the V to the pump body to allign the pump and pulley. I'll email you some pics when I get home if you promise to send me a reminder email!!

The factory dispensed with this bracket after a few years and came up with a much better 2 pc system that's available in repro from Mancini. They don't list it as fitting cars with AC but I believe it does.

A quick look at Mancini comes up with this:

Mancini Racing Big Block & Hemi TRW Power Steering Pump Brackets

If I were you I would just shim the original.

Thank you and yes I will send you a reminder email. I was able to play around with the brackets somewhat, based on a video by "Bob" that demonstrated how to work with that bracket:

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Good video!

I'll send pics later today.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Here is an eBay auction for the rubber bumper that goes in the bracket.

Power Steering Pump Snubber for 1960-1968 MoPar C-Body & Imperial | eBay

Below are three pics, showing the top and bottom bolt with washers shimming the pump into allignment, and then the belt nearly in allignment under full tension. This is after replacing the internal bumper mentioned previously, and getting the best example I could find where the holes in the bottom of the V pivot weren't too elongated. .

All in all, the design is poor, as it twists when under tension, even when new.

Screwdriver points at washers used as shims on the top bolt:

Screwdriver points at washers used as shims on the bottom bolt:

While I could probably add another washer to shim it, the belt is now in near perfect allignment while under tension:

 

[Mick]

Here is an eBay auction for the rubber bumper that goes in the bracket.

Power Steering Pump Snubber for 1960-1968 MoPar C-Body & Imperial | eBay

Below are three pics, showing the top and bottom bolt with washers shimming the pump into allignment, and then the belt nearly in allignment under full tension. This is after replacing the internal bumper mentioned previously, and getting the best example I could find where the holes in the bottom of the V pivot weren't too elongated. .

All in all, the design is poor, as it twists when under tension, even when new.

Screwdriver points at washers used as shims on the top bolt:
View attachment 125609

Screwdriver points at washers used as shims on the bottom bolt:
View attachment 125610

While I could probably add another washer to shim it, the belt is now in near perfect allignment while under tension:View attachment 125611

Excellent pics and explanation! Also, thanks for the bumper info. Heading to ebay now.

 

[Ripinator]

Mike, you have the dreaded "Floppy V" power steering pump mounting bracket of which I am all too familiar.

There are fixes: Try removing it and seeing if the rubber bumper down inside the V (can't see it while installed) has dried up and crumbled away. They are available new and will help in part.

The pivot hoes at the bottom of the V get elongated and allow the V to twist, putting the pump and puley out of allignment.. What I do is shim the mounting bolts from the V to the pump body to allign the pump and pulley. I'll email you some pics when I get home if you promise to send me a reminder email!!

The factory dispensed with this bracket after a few years and came up with a much better 2 pc system that's available in repro from Mancini. They don't list it as fitting cars with AC but I believe it does.

A quick look at Mancini comes up with this:

Mancini Racing Big Block & Hemi TRW Power Steering Pump Brackets

If I were you I would just shim the original.

I installed the repro bracket you mention here on my '66 300. I had the same problems with that original bracket, and could never get the thing adjusted properly. The repro bracket is a Chinese item; therefore, you will find that one of the bolt holes is slighltly off, requiring you to drill it out, so the bracket / pump will align and adjust correctly. Its not a big deal.

 

[CBODY67]

In reality, the issue with those brackets IS trying to run the belt adjustment too tight.

When the cars were new, it was common for the power steering pump belt to appear loose, but there was a reason for that. IF you ever turned the steering wheel all the way "to stop", or any time "a load" was placed on the pump, the reaction was for the pump to move and "lean into the belt", as long as that load existed, then return to its normal position when the load decreased. Therefore, NO squeaking power steering belts, as so many GMs had back then.

AND, even with the pump sitting whomper-jawed, that torque reaction still happened reliably.

The rubber bushing that mounted the pump would degrade with the tightened too much belt adjustment. In reality, as I recall, it took quite a bit to get the belt to the expected tension . . . as I was initially oriented that it should be tight all the time, as the solid mounted pumps of later years.

End result, the pump's front bearing/seal life was extended. Belt life was extended, too, as other belts on the engine had to be replaced sooner.

Our local dealer would weld-up the existing brackets so they'd be solid and in alignment, as expected.

Another over-engineered Chrysler "advance" that was pretty neat, but few really understood why it was there in the first place and how it worked better than what GM or Ford did.

As a result, the pump on my '66 is still sitting crooked and it still worked as designed when I parked it. When I get to it, I'll seek out a new grommet to replace the degraded rubber one that came in it.

CBODY67