xc_ute

Ford's air pumps make great SUPERCHARGERS for motorcycles!

Believe it or not. Check out the top supercharged biles at the drag strip, Ford air pumps.

roundman

How can you be so wrong about something this simple?[sm=wakeup.gif] There are many serpentine belts on the market that can be used to do just about any by-passing of engine driven accessories on most 5.0 engines. You just need to do some measuring with a steel tape and go to the auto parts store and ask for one that length with the same number of ribs and they will fix you right up. I even adapted the no A/C belt to run just my water pump and alternator after I removed the power steering and smog pump on my '88 with underdrive pulleys by moving the belt tensioner over to the old A/C bracket and running the belt around the outside of it instead having it push down on the belt. Just because you can't walk up to the parts counter and ask for one, don't mean it ain't available if you use your head and do a little "out of the box" thinking!
Once I get a new March alternator bracket and straight line tensioner, I can lose the stock tensioner and A/C bracket all together for an even cleaner front end of the engine look!

uedlose

[sm=icon_rofl.gif] only one length serpentine belt and so what do all the other auto makers use? everyone uses the same length and width belt heck that would be perfect.are you sure you dont live in Kansas and let me guess your name is Dorthy now welcome to the REAL WORLD.

Demon_Mustang

Um, yah, last time I checked, the belt I buy doesn't say "Ford Mustang serpentine belt" on it. Hm, wonder why, oh, that's right, it's not made specifically for the Mustang!

Yah, my car takes a very weird length serpentine belt, it's the standard 6-rib of the Mustangs of my time, but it's length is "888" whatever that is, don't know if that is inches, centimeters, or what. But the item code would be 060888.

Anyway, my point is, the belt is labeled by number of ribs, then length of belt, which would SUGGEST that they would have more than TWO sizes, lol.

90LX50

[sm=exactly.gif]

xc_ute

Yep, there are only two serpintine belts for the Mustang 5.0. Don't beleive me then go down and ask that guy making the big $$$ (at least $8) behind the counter at your local "Auto Parts R Us. You and I know there are various lengths belts but "Bubba" isn't geting paid to know or sell you something the computer doesn't say applies to a Mustang. You and I don't work there because we are overqualified.


As for why running a shorter belt isn't such a great idea:

Ford engineeres follow STANDARD drive belt pratice by routing the belt up from the air pump and AROUND the water pump. The routing you suggest, running the belt from the alternator directly to the water pump results in less SURFACE AREA CONTACT between the SMOOTH side of the serpintine belt and the SMOOTH surface of the water pump pulley.

The energy that drives the water pump comes from the friction between the smooth belt surface and the smooth surface of the pulley.

Next you are going to say the resistance of the water to the water pump blade's movement isn't enough to cause slippage when the belt has decreased surface area contact...

Learn the hard way!

roundman

I don't need to learn the hard way, have seen and talked to several guys who have it set up this way and they drive theirs on the street and have no problems whatsover with it. I know on my drag car it will be just fine.
FYI, I've probably sized more belt drives for industrial equipment than you have years of age, so you don't need to be such a wise *** about it, unless you can explain what the belt length arc correction factor is for!