'65 L-79 crank pulley

[Jeremy Hedges]

I have a'65 with L-79 (350hp) and power steering. I am in the process of restoring the car, frame and driveline is done. I found that in the the judgeing manual that the L-79 has a crank pulley with three grooves. Is the third groove an add-on, or a complete three groove pulley, and if it is a complete three groove pulley, where would I find one? I currently have a two groove pulley and it lines up with the P/S pump pulley. The car is a 4-speed, P/S, P/B with a VIN of 1344. If it does have three grooves, are their three belts? If so, where do they all go. I know that early L-79's had the idler pulley, but probably not the ones with P/S. My water pump pulley has two grooves, currently not using one groove(the #2) is this correct?

Thanks
Jeremy

[Chris D.]

Re: '65 L-79 crank pulley

Jeremy,

I am merely a casual observer. I defer to Joe Lucia, the hands down expert, to confirm or correct the following items. From what you state I think your belts and pulleys are correct as they currently stand.

The L-79s have a number of peculiarities depending on the options. Without power steering or AC, with only PS, with only AC, and with both AC & PS each have their own arrangements. And not everyone is in agreement on some of these. Your power steering only application is fairly well understood.

The third groove, add-on PS crankshaft pulley only comes into play for air conditioned cars. Without air, your car is correct with just the two grove pulley 3858533. One belt in the first groove drives the alternator, water pump, and crankshaft. The second belt in the outer groove runs between the crankshaft and power steering pump. It sounds like your car is currently set up correctly.

What I am not so sure on is the water pump pulley. Parts book says it should be one groove part 3827846. The two groove part you have, 3770245, seems to be what was actually installed whether the second groove was used or not. More confusion gets generated because the '66 and '67 L-79 PS belts routed around all three pulleys. Folks look at the empty water pump pulley groove on the 65's and get all nervous.

Bottom line, I would keep your belts and pulleys as they are.

[Loren L.]

Are you sure that the car

came with PS from the factory? I note only that the March 1965 Chevrolet Service News, on page 20, carries this statement:

"Power Steering is now available with the 350-hp 327 V8

as well as with the 250- and 300-hp.".
At least the implication is that there WAS a time when you could NOT get PS with a 350-hp.