When it comes time to putting the finishing touches on any motor, one of the most important aspects is how to mount all those accessories off the block. In the past, that meant scouring the wrecking yards for OEM brackets and guessing at the alignment of the V-belts and the clearance of each accessory. But like most aspects of a classic truck build, today there are a myriad of companies that provide solutions to the guessing games of the past. One such company is Concept One, purveyors of some of the nicest accessory mounting kits available for small and big-block Chevys as well as their common Ford brethren.
We recently contacted Concept One about dialing in a small-block Chevy engine that had received a fairly tame dress up kit to the top end, but needed the accessory drive sorted out. They turned us on to their Victory Series pulley system that contains everything needed to mount the three most common accessories, power steering pump, A/C compressor, and alternator, using a single serpentine belt.
Designed to keep the A/C compressor, alternator and power steering pump tucked within the boundary of the engine block, their kits are intended to fit a wide variety of applications from street rods to late-model trucks, as long as there is sufficient room between the engine and the radiator. These easy-to-install systems are supplied with all the necessary components, including Goodyear Gatorback belts and chrome hardware. We opted to include their power steering kit, which includes a lightweight aluminum power steering pump with their exclusive pump-mounted billet aluminum mini-reservoir.
The first step to installing the Concept One Serpentine Pulley System is to install the A/C compressor and alternator / power steering pump main brackets to the block.
The end result was a kit that tucks the three accessories nice and tight against the block using a simple bracket system and the tried and true serpentine belt design that has become the industry standard on all modern cars and trucks. Anyone who was had to deal with clunky brackets and misaligned pulleys knows the headache caused and the money that can be spent on components that don't work together.
A true, all-encompassing setup, the Concept One pulley system installed in a couple of hours and didn't require the modifications so many other setups do. And the added benefit of providing the Sanden SD-7 A/C compressor, 105-amp Powermaster alternator, Edelbrock water pump, and Delphi power steering pump with their exclusive billet aluminum mini-reservoir took the guesswork out of the equation completely. So, next time you find yourself scratching your head when it comes time to figure out how to hang all those components off your engine, give Concept One a call, they'll sort you out!
Four 3/8-inch studs screw into the water pump mounting holes approximately 7/8 of an inch and need to be affixed using blue Loctite to prevent them from spinning and to seal the threads. Note the O-rings that seal up the water pump inlets. Four 3/8-inch flat head bolts secure the lower portion of each bracket as well.
