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March Performance Style Track Serpentine Kit - Marching AlongBefore You Can Have Air, You Gotta Have A Pump From the June, 2012 issue of Rod & Custom By Kev Elliott
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Those Chopit boys start way... Those Chopit boys start way earlier than us journo types; the hood and radiator had already been removed from the Ranchero before we arrived. We ran across Robbie Freeman’s ’57 Ranchero at Chopit Kustom, not long after their doors opened, following the company’s move cross-country from Florida to California. The Ford was in the shop for the addition of air conditioning, but having a 460 Ford engine under the hood ought to make things difficult, with custom brackets required for the compressor at the very least, right? Well, wrong actually, as March Performance offers one of its Style Track serpentine kits for Ford 429ci and 460ci engines. While finding the space under the dash for an A/C unit is always a challenge, hanging the compressor off the engine and still having space for an alternator and power steering pump is just as much “fun”, especially when no mounting kit is available. March offers their kit with or without power steering bracketry, and provides a one-piece alternator and A/C compressor bracket that rigidly supports these two components. Three separate idlers ensure maximum belt to pulley contact area. The belts, battery, and water... The belts, battery, and water hoses came off next. The Style Track comes complete with a 105-amp alternator, an alternator pulley with fan and nose cover, chromed A/C compressor and nose cover, a water pump with pulley and nose cover, a crank pulley, and the alternator and compressor bracket. Kits with power steering include a GM Type 2 remote power steering pump and the power steering pump pulley with nose cover. All the necessary hardware is included, along with a unique belt tensioning tool, and detailed instructions. The whole assembly is clear powdercoated too, meaning the shine won’t deteriorate and won’t need polishing. Chopit Kustom also ordered a new water pump from March Performance. With the new parts laid out on the bench, and the hood and radiator-less Ranchero waiting, we followed along as Gary “Chopit” Fioto and son, Nick, tackled the first part of the A/C install. Come back next month when we get inside the cab and under the dash to wrap things up with a Vintage Air Gen IV system.  We laid all the new parts...  We laid all the new parts out on the bench to check everything was there. Note how the alternator will move to the front of the driver side cylinder head, and the power steering pump will live where the alternator was, meaning new P/S hoses will be required.  With the old water pump removed,...  With the old water pump removed, the gasket surface was cleaned with a Scotch-Brite disc.  With everything stripped from...  With everything stripped from the front of the engine and the water pump gasket surface cleaned, assembly could begin. First however, all threads were chased and cleaned.  The crank pulley was the first...  The crank pulley was the first part to go on. The March pulley is larger than the original to aid in driving the alternator, A/C, and water pump at idle where it’s needed.  Next the alternator support...  Next the alternator support bracket was installed, but not tightened. A 5/16x1/2-inch-long adjustment screw was then installed into the bracket until flush with the end.  March supplied the new chromed...  March supplied the new chromed 105-amp alternator, to which the new aluminum fan and pulley were fitted.  The new Edelbrock water pump,...  The new Edelbrock water pump, also supplied by March, didn’t come with heater or bypass hose fittings. The heater fitting was transferred from the original pump, but the bypass hose fitting is pressed in as stock, so a threaded version (shown) was sourced to fit the Edelbrock pump.  With RTV sealant between the...  With RTV sealant between the pump and gasket, more sealant was applied to the other side of the gasket …  … as this pump uses a plate...  … as this pump uses a plate (also supplied) between the pump and engine.  Left: More sealant, and another...  Left: More sealant, and another gasket, and the pump was ready to install.  With the manifold water hose...  With the manifold water hose (arrow) aligned, the pump was bolted up, though four of the bolts were replaced with threaded studs, which received tapped studs …  … which were used to mount...  … which were used to mount the alternator/compressor bracket, or “front plate” as March refers to it. This was left with 1/8 inch of free play to allow the alternator and A/C compressor to be fitted.  This aluminum spacer (arrow)...  This aluminum spacer (arrow) was used between the alternator and its support bracket, then the adjustment screw in the bracket used to take up any slack, before tightening the support bracket to the engine block.  The support bracket for the...  The support bracket for the compressor was next to go on the engine.  Before installing the compressor,...  Before installing the compressor, as per the March instructions, we figured it’d be easier to bolt the power steering pump in place at this stage. The pump bolts to a bracket before the assembly is installed on the front plate.  The A/C compressor bolts up...  The A/C compressor bolts up in a similar fashion to the alternator, with a spacer (supplied) between it and the support bracket. Once everything was aligned, the bracket was tightened to the block.  With the front plate bolted...  With the front plate bolted down, the idler pulleys, water pump pulley, compressor, and P/S pulleys were installed, along with all the pulley caps, then the serpentine belt (not supplied) was fitted.  The alternator and compressor...  The alternator and compressor both use these bushings at their top mounts, with M8 Allen headed bolts through the bushings. They’ll be tightened down in the adjustment slots …  … once the adjustment tool...  … once the adjustment tool (supplied) is installed over the bushings and turned to tighten the belt. Once at 100 ft-lb, the M8 Allen headed cap screws were tightened through the holes in the tool, which was then saved for future use. This system allows for a clean appearance.  A new power steering fluid...  A new power steering fluid reservoir (right) was supplied, but Chopit Kustom decided to reuse the one that was already on the Ranchero (left).  With the radiator back in,...  With the radiator back in, which was later painted black, a mechanical fan was installed. The P/S fluid reservoir was re-installed in the inner fender, though it now needed longer hoses to reach the new pump on the other side of the engine. All that’s needed now is a lower radiator hose and hooking up the A/C. We’ll deal with that next month.
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