Info needed: Ford V8 water pump rebuild kits

[Petr Brezina]

Hi Lynn, I believe that quality modern single belt can easily take it. They are surely more powerful than the war ones (Im running single belt too).

[Tony Smith]

The problem is not with the belt being able to withstand the tension, the problem is that a single belt in a single pulley has only half the surface area to grip than does a double pulley/belt arrangement. To ensure that the single belt does not slip, additional tension is required.

OK, a modern belt construction might be better able to withstand the tension needed to prevent slippage, but what about the rest? What does that addition tension do to the Generator/Fan mounting? http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...439#post268439

To avoid overstraining any fragile castings or prematurely causing bearing failure, you want to keep the belt tension as low as possible without allowing slippage. The double belt/pulley arrangement allows a lower tension. Combined with the ball bearing shaft in the double water pumps (compared to a plain bronze bush in a single pulley pump), this system gives a much longer, reliable life.

[Lynn Eades]

Tony, my response, exactly! Thank you for saving me the effort. :note

[Petr Brezina]

Of course that could be an issue, I can speak only from my personal experience. I have belt tensioned exactly according the manual, so its not overtensioned and no slippage there at all. I think that if you have new belt with correct V and with good surface (not a cracked, hard and polished one) it can works even with single pulley. You would be surprised how much power can one belt transfer.
But Im not questioning that double pulleys are more proper and nicer