1 Vintage small-block Fords...
1 Vintage small-block Fords came with a very simple V-belt drive system that is easy to service and adjust. When you start adding accessories like air conditioning and power steering, the humble belt drive system becomes more complex.
Serpentine beltdrive first appeared on ’79 Mustangs with the 5.0L engine. In the years to follow, serpentine drive became main stream for engine front dress, replacing the redundancy of V-belts, not to mention reliability and longevity. With serpentine front dress, a single, continuous drive belt quietly runs all of the engine accessories.
Factory serpentine beltdrive looks and acts utilitarian in terms of function, but it doesn’t have to be boring. The Vintage Air billet aluminum FrontRunner Serpentine Beltdrive system is a way-cool bolt-on upgrade for classic and late-model small-block Ford V-8s, including the 5.0Ls in ’79-’95 Fox-bodies. We like the FrontRunner system for its self-adjusting belt tensioner and good looks. It places all accessories in close to give the small-block Ford a compact persona. It also cleans up an engine compartment by eliminating unnecessary clutter. This cool billet design yields perfect fit and finish. Water pumps are available in long and short style, depending on your application, along with three finishes depending on taste and desire.
Installation of the FrontRunner system calls for timing cover removal and replacement with the FrontRunner billet cover and related components. We’re going to install Vintage Air’s FrontRunner system on Project Reclaim’s 331ci Street Stealth small-block V-8, which was handcrafted by MCE Engines in Los Angeles.
2 Richard Bramlett of The...
2 Richard Bramlett of The Restomod Shop removes the V-belt drive and harmonic balancer using a puller to get the balancer off once the crank bolt has been extracted.
3 The timing cover and water...
3 The timing cover and water pump are carefully removed as an assembly, making sure no debris falls into our Canton road race oil pan.
4 All gasket surfaces have...
4 All gasket surfaces have been cleaned. Richard will have to replace this dual-roller timing set with one for a 5.0L engine with electronic fuel injection, which doesn’t have a fuel pump eccentric. The fuel pump eccentric is part of the timing sprocket’s dynamic balance, which means you must go to a timing set engineered for applications without a fuel pump eccentric.
5 Vintage Air’s FrontRunner...
5 Vintage Air’s FrontRunner system arrives with all front dress accessories—Titefit compact air-conditioning compressor, single-wire GM 140-amp alternator, GM Type II compact power steering pump, high-flow water pump, speed engineered pulleys, self-adjusting belt tensioner, mounting hardware, and T-6061 billet aluminum timing cover assembly. FrontRunner is also engineered to clear most fuel injection systems.
6 Richard prepares our billet...
6 Richard prepares our billet FrontRunner timing cover for installation using Permatex Form-A-Gasket. Despite all the advances in gasket sealer through the years, Form-A-Gasket seals very well and lasts the life of an engine. Here, the timing cover gasket has been trimmed for a clean installation.
7 The crankshaft front seal...
7 The crankshaft front seal has been carefully pressed in. Richard lubricates the seal lip with engine assembly lube for a slippery start-up. Dry seals on start-up can lead to seal damage and oil leakage.
8 Richard carefully applies...
8 Richard carefully applies just enough Permatex RTV high-temp silicone sealer at the gasket joints, but never too much. The rule of thumb with gasket sealer is to use just enough to close gaps. If it oozes out, you’ve used too much. And remember, sealer can impede cooling passages. Don’t overdo it.
9 The billet timing cover...
9 The billet timing cover is installed next, taking care not to disturb the crankshaft front seal. Make sure the seal spring hasn’t popped out of the lip, which will lead to immediate leakage when the engine is fired.
10 Richard examines the installation...
10 Richard examines the installation to make sure the crank and seal are perfectly centered before installing and tightening bolts. It’s a good idea to temporarily fit the harmonic balancer to get the cover dead center.
11 We like this high-flow,...
11 We like this high-flow, reverse-rotation water pump, which will clear just about anything thanks to its compact design. Reverse rotation is common to ’94-’95 Mustang GTs and Cobras. If you’re installing the FrontRunner in your ’65-’69 Mustang, you will have to use a ’70-up Mustang radiator with inlet and outlet on opposite sides. We’re going with Flex-A-Lite’s new radiator/fan combo for outstanding cooling coupled with compact design.
12 This is Vintage Air’s...
12 This is Vintage Air’s compact Titefit air-conditioning compressor, which offers efficiency and less weight. Once installed, it blends right in with the T-6061 billet aluminum timing cover.
13 This is Vintage Air’s...
13 This is Vintage Air’s compact Titefit air-conditioning compressor, which offers efficiency and less weight. Once installed, it blends right in with the T-6061 billet aluminum timing cover.
14 Richard has lubricated...
14 Richard has lubricated the harmonic balancer hub with engine assembly lube and is running the crank bolt down at this time. It gets 70-90 ft-lb once the balancer is seated.
15 This good-looking, polished...
15 This good-looking, polished GM single-wire alternator delivers 140 amps from its compact design, which enables it to keep up with accessory demand.
16 The belt tensioner is...
16 The belt tensioner is self-adjusting and will easily last the life of your engine. The nice-looking tensioner cover gets installed after the belt is installed.
17 The power steering pump...
17 The power steering pump pulley is pressed on with this pulley driver.
18 The air-conditioning compressor...
18 The air-conditioning compressor clutch gets this cover for a clean look.
19 A/C compressor lines tie...
19 A/C compressor lines tie in here on the right-hand side for a streamlined installation, which eliminates engine compartment clutter.
20 Earlier, we mentioned...
20 Earlier, we mentioned Flex-A-Lite’s radiator/fan combo, which is completely self-contained with thermostatic switch and fan relay. We opted for the Flex-A-Lite #50164 unit for ’65-’69 Mustangs with the 289/302/351W engine, but we requested the inlet (bottom) on the left-hand side instead of right, which would also apply to ’70-’73 Mustangs with the 302 or 351W. Part number is unknown at press time.
21 Here’s the billet FrontRunner...
21 Here’s the billet FrontRunner system installed. The only snag we encountered was the missing crank pulley spacer, which had been misplaced, explaining why the belt isn’t installed here.
22 With the engine installed,...
22 With the engine installed, the Vintage Air FrontRunner package looks terrific and provides a clean, compact front dress that’s easy to service.