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Raw water pump adjustment? 1991 454

J

jerry and sons

Member
I have a 91 crusader 454, it looks like the belt is loose on the raw water pump. Is there an adjustment like the alternator that i am missing? or just a new belt?
 
Re: Raw water pump adjustment?

There is an adjustment at bottom of the pump where it sits on a steel bracket with slots in it. From underneath this bracket loosen the bolts and slide the whole bump assembly outboard away from the engine driven pulley. You may have to hold it there with a large screwdriver or prybar while you tighten the bolts. Also be careful not to over torque the bolts because they go into tapped holes in the brass pump base. Too much force can and will strip the brass threads.

Best wishes,
 
Re: Raw water pump adjustment?

I think the book says 1/4", which I find tough to get, given the primative adjustment process on the E35 pump. Am happy with 1/2".
 
Re: Raw water pump adjustment?

I just checked my book (86) and 1/4" is the spec for the alt belt; 1/8" is called out for the raw water pump (midway between the pullies).
 
Keep an eye on how far the belt sits
into the pulley. On mine I thought belt looked good, but it sat to far into the pulley and left no more room for adjustment.
 
Keep an eye on how far the belt sits
into the pulley. On mine I thought belt looked good, but it sat to far into the pulley and left no more room for adjustment.
 
the problem I have is that there is so little room on the starboard side engine I have having trouble finding a place to put a pry bar or screw drive....the fun we get to have working on boats sometimes!
 
I frequently removed the 'inboard' bolt, insert a stud, and apply the screwdriver to the pump base thru the slot in the bracket.
 
without the stud, the pump won't be in alignment and will brutalize the belt...i've done it enough I can snug up the belt and not put any side load on the stud; ie it comes out by hand.
 
i use the screwdriver as a lever between the mounting plate and the pump base. Insert screwdriver from below, into the slot that the inner mounting bolt (closest to the crank) goes thru, and put the end against the pump's mounting boss. move handle towards the Alternator side to tension belt. Tighen outer bolt when sufficient tension has been applied.

I have to remove the bolt because we added some MONGO sized washers under those bolt heads. Also, if the mounting bracket has significant rust, you may have to clean out the thru bolt slots...I had to do it a few times over the years. Not being able to get the pump pulley aligned with it's partners is a good indicator this is needed.
 
Yes, rust there is pretty painfull. Just taking off the bracket entails removing the coolant pump, as I recall, and some other stuff to do that, llike the oil cooler. After all that effort, sandblast it, coal tar epoxy it, a nice poly top coat then you are good for at least a year! for all its weight, it's not a particularly stable platform for the RW pump; it tends to give when the belt is tightened. Anyway, better than a crank mounted pump, ... i think.
 
yea I have had the port side engine all apart over the weekend. I did a rebuild on that side. I sand balsted everything so it looks brand new....I go to the other side and it is a different story. you should see the before and after pics they are amazing
 
I am changing the drive pulley on each E-35 to a powder coated one to reduce effects of corrosion eating up the belts. Not that they get used up but in 5 years, I have changed each pulley once already and see the rubber dust surrounding the mounts
 
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