I just mentioned something about this the other day.

you can easily make a cheater single belt system ..
but ..
your water pump drive ratio will be too slow.
Ratio of crankshaft diameter to water pump pulley should be in the area of
about 5 to 4.

I 'could'........at least..
if not offer the kit,
offer the parts list to build a super perfect Single Belt Conversion.

and ..we just yakked about this a lot, with people saying they don't mind
their two belts-with-shims systems.
I hate them of course.
I *always* am building things so they are easy to work on.
That manufacturers and engine conversion-ers don't keep that foremost in
mind in everything they build and design ...drives me nuts.

just like people don't take a jacket with them in case the weather changes
.....or check that there is air in the spare tire and a million things like
that...evidently people have it in the back of their minds ..'well, it won't
need to be worked on that often ..so it's all right if it's really difficult
to do. Won't happen that often.'

yeah, right.
there are so many things in cars that could be SO much easier to deal with
..
and it's also why I have no interest or need in owning any vehicle  newer
than the early 90's at the latest.
heck ..
even a 93 Eurovan is a complete nightmare to work on compared the any
vanagon.
And as cars go ..
vanagons are about as nice to work on in about 90 % of the whole vehicle as
cars get ..
super sweet that way ..which is just one of about 30 reasons why Vanagons
are world class keeper vehicles ..
there's just one thing they really screwed up on though ..
the diesel vanagon two belts with shims alt and w. pump drive system.
I would pay near anything to have the designer of that system , or
designers...
and make them take that apart, and put it back together..
over and over and over , in the van, until their fingers are bloody, then
make them do it some more.
It's a joke..
it's totally unnecessary. There is zero gain from having that dumb system on
there.
Any VW diesel engine I build automatically gets a good solid Single Belt
Conversion if it had a two belts with shim system to start with.

what fun !
Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "ralph meyermann" <ralphmeyermann@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 12:18 PM
Subject: More v belt questions

> Hi all me again,I hate having to shim the waterpump pulley to tighten the
> lower belt then use alternator to tighten the upper, can I use a one belt
> set up? My crank pulley seems to line up with the back waterpump an
> alt,pulley any suggestions? Thanks 82 westy 1.6 na diesel