Tightening the fan belt on a show car

[Clem Clement]

What tool do you guys use? This is a 40MERC. The top water hoses have the metal strengtheners. I have a 20" bent screwdriver. not enough room My hoist won't get it. Crow bar wont fit. So far small wood blocks don't fit.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Clem Clement

What tool do you guys use? This is a 40MERC. The top water hoses have the metal strengtheners. I have a 20" bent screwdriver. not enough room My hoist won't get it. Crow bar wont fit. So far small wood blocks don't fit.

I place a screw driver blade between the bottom of the generator and the top of the intake - all the way forward. If you have the correct pulley / belt, this will be adequate. Just loosen the generator mount bolt a tiny amount. Wedge the blade in there and tap with a hammer.

[Clem Clement]

Thanks Kube,
I run a '39 Pickup as well. I see the ledge and note the paint is chipped off. The space is about a screw driver handle tall. I will study again

[philipswanson]

I use a tire iron between the generator and top of intake.

[deuce_roadster]

I run a 12" taper pin (punch, lineup tool) in from the front in the space between the top of the slot and the top of the intake with the nut loosened and pry from there instead of farther back, you are just about directly under the pulley but prying on the front of the generator mount. Works for me. I do this on all my flatheads, including my only judgable car, my 40 wagon. It is not "Kube nice" but it is a nice (Dearborn) car.

[Clem Clement]

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Thanks Deuce Roadster. I'm looking. I see the slot above the securing nut. I'll find a rod. I'll worry about the radiator. With the rod in place, what do I pry against? the nut?

Th 40Merc is the late Bob Aufderheide's 4 door convert. sedan. I owned it back in '56.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRrfXebA6pI

[COE Dan]

I use a mini-crowbar (about 12 inches long) and takes up much less space than a full-size crowbar and two thin sheets of soft wood. The soft wood deforms rather than scratching the paint. One could also place a piece of cloth between the wood and the intake/generator to prevent further scuffing.

This works pretty well for me since the belt doesn't need to be super tight. I think Ford recommended about one inch of play in the belt halfway between the generator pulley and the water pump pulley.

Of course, you may have less room underneath your generator based on your generator pulley diameter and the length of the belt. Hope this helps.

Dan

[Tim Ayers]

I have a curved/bent pry bar that is about 12" in total length and 10" with the bend. Has a screw driver handle on it. Works great with things like this.

[deuce_roadster]

Clem- The tapered pin is pressing against the top of the manifold and the top of the slot. I generally only have to lift on the pin to tighten the belt (move it in as you lift). I can move the generator by hand high enough that there is an opening through the slot where you can get above the top of the manifold. I hope that makes sense.

[supereal]

It is easy to over tighten belts. The bevel pitch of old Ford pulleys is somewhat different from the belts from a local source. That is why belts are sold by good old car parts vendors are a bit different, aside from often bearing original markings. Observe the "give" that is recommended in manuals to prevent premature wear of generator and water pump bushings. It is important.

[Clem Clement]

thanks folks.

I looked again under the generator. Both sides of the back of the gen mount are scared, so that is what was used. It is not much of a ledge as a rounded area.

[35fordtn]

What I use on a show car is a bit out of the ordinary, but works fairly well, It is a air bag lock smiths use. Simply place between the intake and generator and pump away.. No scratches or chipped paint.

https://www.amazon.com/ARISD-Car-Air...gateway&sr=8-2

[FlatheadTed]

We did this yesterday on 40 Merc ,We also used a bent pry bar (but as said ) keep the nut just loose , the key for us was to turn the pry bar upside down to give the added thickness .

[Ford46]

Clem, go to the search function, look up the thread "Home made tools" originally posted by Tinker. Neat solution offered there. LouB.

[petehoovie]

Use these >

[Zax40]

Is it safe to use this method on one of the stock '37 aluminum intake manifolds? Or should I put a small piece of wood or something between the manifold and screw driver tip to protect the manifold?

[19Fordy]

Zax40: You can use a piece of material cut from an old leather belt.
I have always wondered if it would be possible to install a small nut and bolt jackscrew
between the intake and the bottom of the generator so that you could easily tighten the belt tension. I know space is very limited.

[philipswanson]

Originally Posted by petehoovie

Use these >

Are these 2X4s? Great idea!

[tubman]

There was a thread on just this subject on here a few years ago. It looks like the pictures are gone, so posting a link wouldn't help. I did save them because I really liked the solution. Here are pictures of a tool made by a guy named "Vergil".

I don't know why the pictures are so small, but I think they're big enough to see what is going on. It looks to be made of an old box end wrench and a piece of round stock.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by philipswanson

Are these 2X4s? Great idea!

The shims pictured are 1 X 4's but you can get them in many different sizes or make them yourself in any size you want. You're not limited on how many you can use....