LS Engine Pulleys - LS Accessory-Drive Swap Guide

For those considering an LS engine into an '82 to '92 Camaro, the F-car accessory drive will bolt in without serious modifications except that the factory A/C compressor will only clear with a notch in the engine crossmember. In terms of other later-model swaps, it appears that swapping an LS-style engine into a C4 also has significant merit. As for an accessory drive, it appears that a Corvette (Y-car) front dress will work.

GMPP Kits
Accessory drives are some of the most difficult components to design on an engine, and no one does it better than the factory. GM spends thousands of dollars ensuring these systems are not only reliable but also quiet and easy to repair. To take advantage of this, GM Performance Parts now offers two different accessory-drive kits that offer all the necessary components to bolt on a complete system to the front of a Gen III/IV engine. The 19155066 kit is configured like the older F-car or Camaro/Firebird LS1 engine drives but is actually an '06-style Cadillac CTS-V arrangement. The catalog calls out the 19155067 system as designed for the LS2 and LS7 engines, but it will work on most all Gen III/IV engines as far as we know. This system is based on a Corvette configuration. Both kits include an A/C compressor along with all mounts, bolts, and belts. For those who don't need an A/C pump, there's a rumor that GMPP will soon release a new system without the A/C compressor to trim the price even further. The best part about the current systems is the $825.85 price tag. We priced the parts individually and the cost more than doubles, so the value is already high.

Power Steering Pumps
There are two types of power steering pumps used on the Gen III/IV engines. Trucks use the original Saginaw Type I pump with its integral metal fluid reservoir, while passenger cars use the newer Type II power steering pumps. There are also two different Type II pulley shaft diameters at 0.660 and 0.750 inch. Some information points to the smaller diameter as used on Corvettes, but we've purchased several passenger-car Type II pumps that use the 0.660-inch shaft diameter.

The factory parts necessary to mount a plastic factory remote reservoir system are expensive at around $100.00, and the part numbers can be found on Kwik Performance's website under Tech Tips, but there are alternatives. You can create a custom remote reservoir using AN lines and fittings for roughly the same price. If you are building your own remote reservoir system, the return line should be a minimum of 5/8-inch id, while the high-pressure side is normally a -6 AN.

The last variable is power steering pump pulleys. We've found there are many different pulley diameters, depending on the application. A smaller pulley offers more clearance, but it also increases pump speed, especially at idle. Changing pulley diameters will also require a new serpentine belt.

Kwik Performance
The problem with most aftermarket accessory drives is the entire system ends up costing a lot of money--anywhere from $850.00 to $2,500.00, so we began searching for a low-cost alternative, which turned up a new company called Kwik Performance. As a SEMA member, Kwik had access to GM's CAD drawings of the Gen III/IV engines and used these specs to create a new generation of accessory drive pieces that solve many of the problems associated with swapping a Gen III engine into early muscle cars. Kwik created three kits based on balancer dimensions for trucks, F-cars, and Corvettes. One big advantage of this idea is it eliminates the purchase of a new balancer. So if you have a truck engine, you can purchase a Kwik alternator and power steering mount kit for $287.00 that will bolt directly to your existing engine and clear the chassis. We did the math to get an idea what the total cost would be to convert a truck accessory drive for use in an early Chevelle. The kit allows you to retain the use of a truck or F-car-style alternator, and the truck accessory drive will require a Type II power steering pump and pulley, but that's the only major requirement. You'll also need a power steering pump pulley. We found several at the junkyard on '90s V-8 Cadillacs for $5.00 each. A new factory reservoir package will run another $100.00 , so we decided to do a remote reservoir that can use AN fittings with a nice aluminum tank from Summit Racing. Street & Performance, among many other companies, offers custom-made power steering hose kits for your application.