I have a 1977 302 from a Lincoln Versailles that I am putting in my 50 F-1. I want to shorten the length of the engine and reduce weight and use an electric fan. I have removed all the massive mounting brackets from the front and will not keep the power steering. I want to start with the water pump and alternator and then add A/C later. In researching new pulley sets from Ford Racing and March, I am asked numerous questions about the damper. Mine is a 4 bolt that is 2.75" in length as best as I can measure it. Various stamping on the damper face includes RD and 66318 on the outside flange face and HD and BDSF on the inside of the flange. Does this tell me anything? Also, I am asked the rotation of the waterpump. How can I tell that. My goal is to replace the crank and W/P pulleys and the alternator pulley and mounting bracket. I want to get enough pulley grooves to add aftermarket A/C later.

Am I taking a reasonable approach to this?

 

Well first I would cross reference the damper part numbers to see what years took the same part number. Maybe then March can help you. My guess is March has no clue if it's the same as something they have or worked on or with in the past so they can't match it up. Also if you could talk to someone there that knows a little more than who you talked too last, it may get you some where. I am not sure why they asked you if you had a reverse rotation pump on a 77 motor unless the person has no clue other than what a book tells them. So you need to do the home work instead of them.

If that doesn't get you any where then just buy a damper for the pulley set March wants to sell you but make sure you get the correct water pump. They have different lengths to them.

A reverse rotation water pump is only found on sepentine belt systems and the water pump pulley will be smooth. The smooth pulley will point out that it should be a reverse rotation. Now they may be serpentine systems with grooved water pump pulleys. I just know I had a set up like I describe and I installed it in a 77 mustang. Your 77 motor will be the old V-belt system which will be the normal rotation.

One thing to consider is you need the 28 oz balance damper.

Since you are trying to get the shortest set up possible I would ask March what is there shortest set up and then maybe you could just buy the correct damper and water pump for that year?

 

RTM, I talked to March and they had me measure the distance between the face of the waterpump flange and the face of the damper. This supposedly gave them the info they needed to arrange a setup. As for the waterpump rotation, the second rep I talked to said it was not difficult to determine since the counterrotation was not introduced until the 80's and mine is a "77 block.

The problem I have is that March wants to recommend a serpentine setup costing mega bucks and I want the cheapest route possible. There must be some way I can get pulleys to accomodate a non-fan setup to drive an alternator and aftermarket A/C system with no power steering requirement. I can even use the existing waterpump if I go to a electric fan setup.

 

Well what I would do is look for a newer 5.0 mustang (86 to 94) serpentine set up and install it. The only down side is your balancer will or maybe have to be changed. I am not sure on that one. The 77 may share the same spacing and bolt pattern as a newer 5.0 set up. If not you may be able to just buy a newer 351W since the 351W kept the 28oz balance. Just have to make sure it shares the same specs as the 5.0 one so you can run the serpentine set up. You will also have to swap to the reverse rotation water and I think you only need to swap water pumps, not timing covers.

There's better option than the newer mustang set up and that's an Explorer (96 to 2001) set up. It's 1.5 inches shorter than the mustang set up. Again the same issues apply as above. This is a little harder to find and alot of the Early model Bronco guys love the explorer set up. This seems like your best option?

March is very expensive. I made my own pulleys because they cost so much. Their prices use to be pretty good but they have gotten bigger and so has their pricing.