The picture Nate posted above is my 62 Impala SS 409 with all factory 409 deep groove pulleys on the harmonic balancer, and water pump, plus factory 409 PS pump brackets & a original rebuilt factory PS pump with the correct steel pipe connector for the factory PS hoses.
I did switch to an alternator (vs a generator) with a repro 63 / 64 deep groove 409 alternator pulley with a Allan Grove Mounting bracket for the alternator.
- I went through/ordered all the show cars belts to check fit for size and then used gates belts to fit the PS belt and the Alternator belt so that they clear the pump and line up correctly.
- I did the same with my friends 62 Impala SS 409 Convertible with factory PS and a factory 409 generator. I have bought and returned gates belts that did not fit (for fitting the factory PS pump for steering box clearance and clearance including proper belt tightening for the alternator or generator )
- I have lists of the part numbers for “all the gates belts for various lengths to select from” so they fit and allow the generator/alternator belts to tighten and clear the PS pump and to allow the PS belt to clearance for the 3 spoke 409 pump pulley with the steering box.
- Gates belts come in 1/2 inch to 1 inch increments for length allowing me to select PS, A/C, generator, alternator belts from “from different cars and engines” but not specifically listed in parts books for 409 engines for 1961 to 1965.
Finally I just completed installing just last fall a complete set of belts and pulleys on my 62 SS 409 Convertible with PS and with 62 factory air conditioning using the 63, 64, 65 409 factory A-6 compressor mounting bracket for the engine.
- What I determined was that 1963, 1964 ( and I think 65’s) 409 factory air cars that came on 340 HP engines did not use deep groove 409 pulleys.
- The factory air pulleys used were standard groove pulleys on the harmonic balancer and water pump ( 3 pulleys were used on the harmonic balancer and 3 pulley’s on water pump).
- I purchased 3 harmonic balancer standard groove pulleys from Show cars. The triple standard groove water pump pulleys are one single groove pulley and a dual groove pulley “stacked” that I had ( I have not found the part numbers for them from GM - they are GM pulleys).
- The PS pulley used on factory air 409’s was the small block pulley instead of the 3 spoke deep groove 409 pulley
- The middle pulleys on the triple pulleys were used for the factory air compressor belt.
- I also checked mutilple gates belts to get the right length for a three belts ( PS, alternator, air conditioner compressor). This checking of belt length’s was necessary to get the belts tight and still clear the PS pump and steering box.
- I also added a Show Cars shim ( the shims come in different thicknesses) under the triple water pump pulley’s to get the belts to line up.
- I added adjustment washers to the factory alternator bracket that is mounted to factory 409 big tube 925/926 - 409 cast iron exhaust manifolds to help with the alternator belt line up.
Paul