1952-59 Ford serpantine belt

does anybody know if a serpantine system was used on small block fords before going to reverse rotation pumps? if so, which yrs should i be looking for? i have a 2 belt pully stem on my car now and was curious if i could run the alt/power steering on one pulley and the ac on the other? or the alt/ac on one and pwr steering on the other?

should i just spring for the serpantine belt system off a tbird or mustng. would a crown vic fit as well or avoid that set up as well as a pickup/van.

have found a (very) few v belt set ups on a 1/2 ton econoline/f150. i just want to add power steering to my ride without taking it all apart to do so. i dont have a hollanders manual to see what fits what. anybody have any ideas?

 

the first years of serp belts used 2 and had normal rotation water pump early 80s cars and trucks. been awhile since i had the hood open on one with it.

 

thanks. i found a couple of each (serpantine and v belt) but wasnt sure of the year when the switched from normal rotation to reverse. didnt know early serpantine belt setups used 2 belts, so maybe the setups i found were reverse rotation. they only had 1 belt, but looked to be early 80's model ltd's and f150's.

 

in general if the groved side runs across the waterpump pulley its normal rotation, if the smooth back is against the pulley its reverse rotation.

 

thanks. just went through and read jeffb52's article on sbf pully's etc (i now have a headache), and it sounds like serpantine may be the way to go. will look for grooved belts across water pump. any idea if pressure from crown vic/f150/econoline power steering pump pressure is too high for mII/tbird pwr rack? if so, how do i reduce?.

 

ford pump on a ford rack should do fine.

 

thanks.

 

My donor engine came from a 1984 Lincoln MK VII it was standard rotation also 1980-83 full size Fords and Mercs use the same set up.I went to V-belt to gid rid of all the extra bracket garbage.

 

yeah, excellent write up you had jeff, but my head was spinning by the time i was finished, leaving me more confused than when i started. "this will work if you have that but wont with this". i needed a scorekeeper

found a couple early 80's stuff in the boneyard and was shot what i thought respectable price of 75 for all brackets and pulleys (on the vbelt stuff). he said the serpentine would run about the same.he wants 75 for a used pump. i thought that to be kinda high seeing as how a core is only about 60. i think i will go with new so i have less chance of having to take it back out agaain.

thanks old lady's mad and jeff, appreciate the feedback.