Re: [Amc-list] 82 Spirit DL 258

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

Russ, you should be able to revert to V belts by changing everything. As Wayne pointed out, you'll have to change the waterpump out completely -- serp belt is reverse rotation. The crank snout isn't a problem though, it's a standard 258 crank. The Eagle serp belt setup looks like a Jeep 4.0L setup but there's one difference: the balancer is different. The hub is different for one thing (longer on the Eagle), and the ring is reversed. On the Eagle there is a 1/2" wide flat on the inside (toward the engine), on the 4.0L that flat is on the outside (aways from the engine). 

Generally if you fix all the smog stuff the engine will run great. If you remove it you have to make sure you remove it all and use an older model carb and distributor as well. Those are calibrated differently for smog engines vs. older non-smog. Luckily there isn't a big difference in the camshafts though.

Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:53:40 -0500
From: Wayne E LaMothe <superglider@xxxxxxxx>

My take on it is that you could switch to the V belt but take a close
look at the water pump.  I know on the 4.0 serp belts the water pump
turns the opposite direction as the 258.  Just make sure the water pump
turns the same way with the V belt and it might work.  I know they had
different snout lengths on the crank so maybe the pulleys won't line up
if the snout length is different for the serp belt system.  No real
answers but maybe areas to look at before you start taking things apart.

Both of my Eagles are reverted back to '60's style motors.  You either
need to do the nutter bypass on the dizzy or go with HEI (that is what I
did) and then unplug the connector on the back of the carb and run a
ported vacuum line to the dizzy.  After that all the other stuff can go.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)

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