'68 318 to carbed Magnum 5.2: Check my checklist
I've been considering it, but I'm a bit concerned about the original way Dodge engineered this thing. I'll admit that the single bracket itself is simpler than the 4-bracket 1970+ design, but I'm still skeptical:
First off, I'm not entirely sure how much of that has been played around with - and I know that pump was swapped. The dogbone bracket does belong there from the photos I've seen of other vehicles, but I haven't the slightest idea why there is a tensioner behind it which does nothing - though it was probably thrown there as a jury-rigged spacer (in which case, what's supposed to be there instead?).
That also leads me to the question: Why did Chrysler put that cast iron dogbone bracket there in the first place? They weren't present on the earlier 1970+ style brackets, and it doesn't particularly tension anything. Near as I can figure it, all it might do is prevent stress cracks on the shell of the aluminum water pump.
Then there's the single crossbar spacer at the bottom of the pump, which spaces out the bracket at the bottom. Again, no real good reason for it, unless stress cracks are a worry - but I don't want to put a bracket in if it doesn't have a real purpose other than to obscure more of the front of the engine.
With all this concern about brackets and such, I'm also wondering whether that orphaned tensioner-type bracket behind the dogbone belongs somewhere on the PS pump. Right now, the only way to tension it is by grabbing the pump shell and giving it a good yank to the side - no provisions for a breaker bar.
Not to mention the fact that this bracket completely obscures the timing marks from the front (though they can be seen from the side).
Decisions, decisions...
-Kurt
I've been considering it, but I'm a bit concerned about the original way Dodge engineered this thing. I'll admit that the single bracket itself is simpler than the 4-bracket 1970+ design, but I'm still skeptical:
First off, I'm not entirely sure how much of that has been played around with - and I know that pump was swapped. The dogbone bracket does belong there from the photos I've seen of other vehicles, but I haven't the slightest idea why there is a tensioner behind it which does nothing - though it was probably thrown there as a jury-rigged spacer (in which case, what's supposed to be there instead?).
That also leads me to the question: Why did Chrysler put that cast iron dogbone bracket there in the first place? They weren't present on the earlier 1970+ style brackets, and it doesn't particularly tension anything. Near as I can figure it, all it might do is prevent stress cracks on the shell of the aluminum water pump.
Then there's the single crossbar spacer at the bottom of the pump, which spaces out the bracket at the bottom. Again, no real good reason for it, unless stress cracks are a worry - but I don't want to put a bracket in if it doesn't have a real purpose other than to obscure more of the front of the engine.
With all this concern about brackets and such, I'm also wondering whether that orphaned tensioner-type bracket behind the dogbone belongs somewhere on the PS pump. Right now, the only way to tension it is by grabbing the pump shell and giving it a good yank to the side - no provisions for a breaker bar.
Not to mention the fact that this bracket completely obscures the timing marks from the front (though they can be seen from the side).
Decisions, decisions...
-Kurt
