I am adding a Classic Air AC to my challenger 383.
My question is does it matter where the fan belts go around?

I have a Unisteer power steering pump that is not OEM.

I have all the pulleys lined up and the only way the compressor belt is going to work is to go around the compressor, then the power steering pump, and then the crank and back.
The usual way is to go around the compressor to the crank to the alternator and back.

Is there some physics that I am missing?

Thanks

Could you contact Classic Air and speak to their Tech department?

It may or may not make a difference (belt routing). Some accessories need to be driven at a given specified RPM and that is produced based on engine RPM, pulley diameters, etc.

Personally I think you will be fine. The pulley diameter and speed of the alt and water pump are more important than the compressor and power steering pump.

If I understand, you have a single belt that runs the AC compressor, fan and power steering? Can you post a photo?

If that is correct it may be a bit much for one belt. The compressor has a pretty big load as does the fan. You may get squealing and short belt life.

Like said, call Classic air.

IMO if it is turning the right way, then it don't matter. Just as long as you have enough "wrap/contact" around the pulleys.

I added/replaced the factory stuff under the hood AC with stuff I got from Bouchillon on both my 340 and 440.

The SB uses a single belt and the BB uses 2 belts. Both times I got the correct pulleys and brackets/hardware from them the first time. It was painless. At one point I talked to JR on the telephone and he definitely knew all about mopar pulleys and drive setups. Helped me right out after I got him some kind of measurement.

The 340 setup has been on about 8-10 years now and I have over 26K miles on the motor and it was on before the last motor rebuild in 2007. No problems with the belt or slippage.

I ended up going a different route.
Re-did all my fan belt routing. ( Pulley alignment issues).
Moved my power steering ( unisteer pump) moved to the back.
Moved the AC compressor forward. A real pain.
I am now waiting for a two groove pulley for my chrome alternator to come in the mail.
I suspect that I have to pull and press that pulley on to the alternator. ugh

so I am back to an alt and ac on one belt.
Power steering by itself.

Anybody have a Classic Air system on their Big Block Challenger?
Got a few questions on how you positioned the compressor and the hoses.
Also, did you have any issues?
Got any pics?

I used the classic air underdash kit, dryer, and condensor but went with the bouchillon bracket kit and made my own hoses. Keeps the engine compartment cleaner.

I did this http://bouchillonperformance.com/inc/sdetail/467/571 Click on the pictures for a better view.

Except I used a smaller water pump pulley and have it line up with the outside power steering pump pulley.

I have the same setup as the picture for the a/c, except that the belt from the crank to the A/C compressor wraps around the a/c compressor pulley a lot more because that is all it turns.

I also used a GM alt. which put's out 94 amps at idle if needed.

wow,
very cool.
I am already down the path of putting the compressor on top. But that is excellent.

i had to remove the unisteer pump pulley & press it on backwards

A friend of mine let me look through his stash of pulleys and I got lucky. If I had to guess the water pump pulley might be off a later model 383 or 400 with stock A/c

Thanks rapom, been wanting to do this but didn't like the belt wrap around, or lack of.

I measured the pulley. From outside edge to outside edge it is 1.75" thick and 5 7/8" in diameter.

I may have an extra pulley but I think it's bent. I will look for it and if I find it you can have it if you pay for shipping.

Sounds great. Let me know, hope I can return the favor some day.


Thanks Mark

The extra pulley I have is 6.5" in diameter. It might work but there are 2 problems. It will slow your water pump down which you don't want especially with a/c and it just scrapes the lower crank pulley.

The part no. of the pulley you need is 41734 65 The 65 is in big numbers.

I found some pulleys on ebay that had the right diameter but I wasn't sure how they measured the depth and they looked shallow.

My crank pulley has a smaller dia. grove on the inside and a larger dia. grove on the outside.

The outside grove is what the waterpump and the ps pump are driving off of on my setup.

My pulley may work if you a smaller crank pulley.

I could send you my pulley since it is the right depth and you could use it as a reference when looking for a smaller dia. pulley.

csk,
Thanks!
Interesting about the pulley on backwards on the unisteer pump. Why did you have to do that? Pulley alignment? belt rub?

I noticed you have a different back bracket for the compressor than mine.
Mine is a block of steel that fits on the engine block. The holes on the bracket do not line up well. Classic air says differences in deck height and aftermarket waterpump housing maybe the cause.

Where did you get your back corner AC compressor bracket? did it come with the kit? Which kit do you have, Classic Air?

Thanks,

Thanks you have a pm Mark

the pulley offset is why i had to reverse it,, all the ac brackets came from bouchillon performance
LINK
brackets