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Got my 1952 Texas plate approved and have the sticker and the state inspection. I will post a though the windshield video as soon as I can get my wife to ride and video. I tried while I had a friend drive and did it all with the phone turned sideways. Of course the video is sideways and can't be turned so another will need to be done.
RANT!!!!!
So, with only about 25 miles on my truck I got one hiccup. I have a March serpentine belt system that has a Saginaw power steering pump. The March system I have is their "Sport Trac" and it is their lowest cost and I thought simplest. It has aluminum pulleys with one belt for the WP, AC, and Alternator, and another short belt that only turns the PS. The way that they engineered the PS set up is a joke, with only about 1/4" of movement to adjust the belt tension on the PS. They also use a stock Saginaw (I think late 60's GM application) that has a key way shaft with a 9/16" x 18 threaded end for a nut to secure the pulley. Their pulley is too thick and there is only 1/2" for a nut so they have an aluminum nylock nut that is less than 1/2" thick total so not many threads. These Saginaw pumps are NOT press fit pulleys so the nut is what holds it. The instructions on Saginaws say to use an impact to tighten the nut to make sure the pulley doesn't loosen in use.
I installed all this several years before I actually drove the truck and with the body off, and tightened the nut. After driving the truck around a few weekends the steering became hard to steer with low RPM's. I took the belt off and found out that the nut didn't hold, tried to tighten it (after removing the radiator to get the impact in because of no room) and of course the nut stripped all its threads off easily. I went and got a grade 8 nut and tightened it up. Started it up and saw that the pulley had wallowed out and powdered the woodruff key on the non-tapered steel shaft of the pump. I had to order another pulley from March since I couldn't find one the same diameter that would line up with the crank pulley. Only $120 for a new one with their $39 charge for UPS ground!!! Needless to say I am not a March fan anymore...st design of a power steering system that I have ever seen, including the adjustment design that is almost non existent. Not to mention the ridiculous aluminum nut that has to be torqued down but can't be since you can't stop the pump shaft from turning so you must use an impact - which of course will strip the nut before it will tighten enough.
Still waiting on the pulley that I ordered a week ago. Other than that the truck was fun to drive!
The pictures in the catalogs make that fancy stuff look nice! And the price you pay, should be due to quality products! Sounds like somebody in the engineering dept. was slacking....
what a bummer Topper...
Sorry to hear about your set-back. Those kind of issues can sure be frustrating. I hate spending good money on what I thought was a good part, only to find out its a POS.
I hope you get it straightened out without too many more headaches. After all this time you need to be out driving the wheels off of this beauty!
as an aside, I've had the picture problem also. Every once in awhile a pic will get turned 90 degrees for some unknown reason. From the posting side it is correct but in the thread its wrong.....who knows....some kind of voodoo
The pump works great, it is just the way they designed/engineered the PS set up that is bad. If I ever purchase another serpentine set up it will be another brand. CVR looks good!
I'm happy with the CVR products, I went with the V pulleys on mine . Originally I had planned to use the factory pulleys but run into problems lining up the A/C compressor and a bracket to mount it. Needless to say I have extra pulleys and brackets that didn't work
John, still waiting for the new pulley to arrive from March. I ordered and paid for it 10 days ago and it is still not here. No word from them after I enquired Thursday as to shipping. Not my favorite company...
