So I have been trying to get the belts to align on my 8ba and I'm having some serious issues. The belt that runs the generator interferes with the fan pulley and I have tried just about everything to overcome it. I shaved down the intake to move the generator bracket closer to the back of the engine. The P/O did it a little but not enough and it still does not align. It's an 8ba with an Edelbrock SU349 3 carb intake and everything else is stock. All the parts came with the engine and it was a running engine.
I may be missing something but doesn't one belt normally drive the generator and water pumps and the other belt drive the fan?
WTF? Generally the generator belt drives both water pumps. Next move the freakin generator back 1/2" or so. It ain't that hard...ignore the pin under the generator and move it to align the belts.
H'mm--found this picture as well where it looks like one belt drives the generator and the other belt drives the water pumps and fan. the other picture was the 59AB style
His generator isn't at 12 o'clock, which is where the problem is, so getting one belt to drive the pump and generator and the other to drive just the fan is the best solution. May need another pump so the pulleys match up side to side.
Later flatheads used the narrow belt setup as shown, with the generator centered. Looks like your offset generator bracket is causing your problems.
Or flip the generator bracket the other way and have the gen hover over the distributor. That is the cheaper option.
There are several different configurations for the 8ba. Post all the info you have on your engine on the Ford Barn sight. There will be somebody on that sight that can help you out. My 8ba has the truck pumps and an alternator, so will be different than your motor
Here's what I did--ran them all with one belt. My generator hangs off to the distributor side but similar mount. I am running the wider belt, not sure but yours looks like maybe the narrow belt. Sorry about the picture but couldn't get a full frontal.
Thanks so far guys! Yeah my engine has truck pumps on it as well. I can get all the pulleys to line up now but the belt still hits the fan.. I tried flipping the generator bracket the other way but it doesn't work. From what it looks like the P/O left it like that because you can see where the belt was rubbing. I will post on the Ford Barn! These are the pictures I have before it came apart.
That's what I'll end up doing I guess. If I raise the fan all the way up it gives me about 1/4 of room
If you put the Generator bracket on the correct way the pulleys will line up. YOU HAVE THE BRACKET ON BACKWARDS! I just hope you have not destroyed the intake manifold by grinding it! The flat side faces that Radiator/Grill Shell This side faces the Intake Manifold
If I flip mine around like you say its supposed to be nothing lines up at all. The way that I have it lines up the best. But I still don't understand why the belt is rubbing.
You guys rule! I went back into the shop and tired it again and got it all to work! I guess the guy's who had the engine before had it on backwards as well. Now I just need to figure out what length belts to buy and I'm set. Thanks everyone again!
What do you by it won't line up? The Belts are rubbing now because the generator is way to far forward and lot lined up with the pulleys.
The belts rub because they are on wrong. this is how my 8 BA stone stock looked the day we pulled out of the Jeep wagon it powered for about 30 years. The generator belt was loose for one reason or another but you can see that the front belt drives the water pumps and fan and the back belt drives the generator. I'd think on your rig an Idler pulley would give you a route around the fan mount shaft and make life simple.
He already figured it out, but since we're still talking about it, the pumps he has have two different pulleys, the driver side pump pulley lines up with rear sheave on the crank pulley. The passenger side pulley lines up with the front crank sheave. So running both pumps with one belt will not work unless the pulleys were identical. The front belt is crank+pass. pump+fan, the rear belt is crank+driver pump+generator, just like he has it, and shown as a drawing in post #4. My only concern now is does the intake still have enough mounting groove to keep the bracket straight up and down and in place during operation? Sounds like he ground it perfectly flat to move the bracket rearward.
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