Quanta belts

[Tom L.]

I have a '70 LS-5 with power steering but without air. The water pump to balancer belt is non-adjustable and was awful to install.

I started the engine today to check for leaks and other problems before the body gets dropped in another week or two. The only problem was that one belt that rolled over and then started to come apart almost immediately.

When I installed it, the belt diameter was very small. After double checking the size with Quanta, I installed it and I think that I broke the cloth strands in the belt by stretching it enough to make it fit.

Has anyone run into this before? What are my belt choices other than Quanta? I'd like this to be the last time I ever have to replace this belt. Thanks.

[Marc K.]

Re: Quanta belts

I think Dr. Rebuild may still have NOS belts available for that application. Probably a little pricey, but I sympathize with your frustration of the installation.

[Jay G.]

Re: Quanta belts

...I installed it and I think that I broke the cloth strands in the belt by stretching it enough to make it fit....

I believe the correct method to install the belt on cars without the idler pulley is to unbolt the crank pulley, put the belt in the groove then reattach the pulley to the harmonic damper. I have an air car so I have the idler pulley and it is still a hassle to install that belt.

Regards,

Jay

[Rich G.]

Re: Quanta belts

I have never seen a belt that was non adjustable. Belts stretch. Are you sure your not forgetting or missing something? It is hard to believe that you would have to take the pulleys off to change a belt.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Quanta belts

I believe the correct method to install the belt on cars without the idler pulley is to unbolt the crank pulley, put the belt in the groove then reattach the pulley to the harmonic damper. I have an air car so I have the idler pulley and it is still a hassle to install that belt.

Regards,

Jay

This belt is a bear to get on, but the method that Jay suggests is what I did after realizing that it wasn't going to go on any other way. I have the Quanta belts on my LS5, no air, and have had no issues.

Tom

[Bill C.]

Re: Quanta belts

The back belt should be snug - but no so tight that it needs to strech to fit.

The method of removing the pully on the balancer is okay when the car is not assembled. I don't think I would even attempt that once all stuff in the front is put back in.

I found that if you place the belt on the back groove (balancer pulley) and then place the belt on the WP pulley, it is possible to lift/roll the WP pulley over the WP mounting flange. If your WP has the studs installed it even gets easier to align the WP pulley mounting holes.

I also use a Gates 7315 belt for this application. If you scrub off the lettering and ink marks, the belt looks pretty nice. The belt is not to thin nor to wide, it fits nicely in the groove.


Use to tight of a belt and in a short while it will dissintergrate.
Ask me how I might know this

[Greg L.]

Re: Quanta belts

Bill's method for installing this belt is just what I do and it works great!

I have a quanta belt here and it fits just fine however their PS to Alt belt and WP to AIR pump belts are about an inch or so too long...

My application is 69 427, without A/C, with P/S.

Rich, hard to believe but true...there is no adjustment for this one particular belt.

[Tom L.]

Re: Quanta belts

Thanks everyone. I'll pick up a Gates and a Quanta and see how they size up. I did take the balancer pulley off to install the belt but, the Quanta belt was so small that, during the install, the balancer pulley was misaligned by a full inch with the belt in place and pulled tight.

It looks like maybe I just got a bad one. I had to put one balancer pulley bolt in at the 3:00 position and then rotate the engine to get it to 6:00 to make the other holes line up. I think I stretched it well beyond capacity.

[Thomas H.]

Re: Quanta belts

Thanks everyone. I'll pick up a Gates and a Quanta and see how they size up. I did take the balancer pulley off to install the belt but, the Quanta belt was so small that, during the install, the balancer pulley was misaligned by a full inch with the belt in place and pulled tight.

It looks like maybe I just got a bad one. I had to put one balancer pulley bolt in at the 3:00 position and then rotate the engine to get it to 6:00 to make the other holes line up. I think I stretched it well beyond capacity.

Tom,

I don't remember having to go through that much effort with my belt. It does sound too short and using it will only shorten the life of the water pump bearing as I'm sure you are aware.

The Quanta belt I used is their part number 29-B-182 which is the same as GM 3952336 which is what is embossed on the belt. The belt I took off the car was the original and the GM number was the same.

My car is a 71 LS5 without AC. For a 70 LS5, they show the belt as part number 29-B-162, but the same GM part number. Don't know why they have two different Quanta parts numbers for the same GM part number. Maybe a phone call is in order?

Tom

[Randy R.]

Re: Quanta belts

I think Quanta offers two different belts for this.

Randy

[Tom L.]

Re: Quanta belts

Hello all. I've been doing battle with my captive belt on my '72 LS5 W/ A/C for a while now. Was given #3952336 as the GM part number. I crossed it to a Gates #7315 as noted in this thread and tried it. I was able to get the belt on using Bill C's method along with studs in the water pump and nuts on them to pull it onto the hub but I have two problems with this. In my humble opinion it is so unreasonably tight I think I'll be buying a water pump after a few miles AND after getting the pulley on, I release the nuts on the studs to put the fan on and the tension forces the pulley to cock to the point that it pops of the hub altogether.

I have a tough time thinking that this is normal and the belt will "streach to fit" over time. I thought perhaps it is that the pulley sizes may be wrong. My balancer pulley is a 2 groove 6 3/4" pulley and the one on the water pump is a 3 groove 5 1/2" diameter. Sorry no part numbers.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Tom L.]

Re: Quanta belts

I tried several Quanta belts until I found one that fit properly. I have the part number and length at home. I'll post it tonight.

[Tom L.]

Re: Quanta belts

Tom, I'm assuming that your pulleys should be the same as mine since the belt part number is also the same. Would you mind confirming or discrediting the sizes I posted? It will make me feel better knowing that the pulleys are correct so I'm only chasing one problem. Thanks

[Tom L.]

Re: Quanta belts

Lynn,

Unfortunately, the car is in the body shop now and the chassis and engine were wrapped extensively before the body was dropped on to prevent over spray, so I can't measure the pulley diameter. However, I know for sure that my water pump pulley only has two grooves. The rear groove is for the non-adjustable belt and the front is for the PS pump. The alternator drives directly off of the second groove of the PS pump. How is your's configured? What is the third groove for?

I suspect that one of us may have the wrong WP pulley. I may have a picture that shows a part number. I'll look tonight and perhaps Joe L. can set us straight.

Tom

[Tom L.]

Captive belt

Truely sorry that you are "wrapped up". As for the pulleys:

1st groove: Crank to Water pump only, but as it is an A/C car there is an idler pulley that "Adds tension" to the belt that we are discussing.

2nd groove: The belt wraps from the crank to the P/S pump to the W/P.

3rd groove (aligned with but not connected to the P/S pump) of the water pump only goes to the AIR pump (if equipped) and the A/C compressor only

3rd groove: from the P/S pump only (not connected to the W/P) to the ALT on the driversside of the engine

Difficult to describe but accurate.

Have you located the number of the belt you used?

Hpefully someone will chime in on the pulley sizes. Thanks!