Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

i would short belt the engine and leave all the gear in place.

it is a power hog especially when the pully starts to binding up.

i threw a few belts before i found out my smog pully was binding after the pully shaft started to warm up.

When I installed the 5.0 in my TC I was very conscientious and installed all the smog system but then somehow it disappeared a little at a time with only the air tube on the back of the heads remaining, needless to say that's about to be history as well...

Would you just recomend plugging the hoses off near where they would have went into the pump then? Or do you think it would work to just leave the pump in place with hoses attached and run a short belt that bypasses it?

short belt the pullys so that the smog is not turning.
in effect, its just sitting there doing noththing.,, the smog operates off of electrical signals that open and close vac line paths.

all this will still function but your smog wont be spining.  I suggest leaving all in place and short belting.

however... if you want to omitt all the smog,....
take a look at the vac solenoids behind the pass side strut tower.
These get electrical signals and open the path for vac suction on two diapharms mounted in line with your smog pump.
When the diaphrams open, they allow a path for the smog pump to suck in exhaust from the passanger side exhaust and pump it back up into the engine,, yes follow those tubes that go to the back of the heads and you'll see what i mean.

its your choice.

if i were to delete the smog,,
-un plug the black and white(ish) vac line from smog pump rubber tubing and cap them off.
undo the metal line down to the exhaust under the car and shove a bolt in that hole or screw a bolt in that hole.
-cap off the pipe that goest to the back of the heads.
-leave the electrical solenoids in place with the electrical connector so it doesnt throw an emissions code.

short belt the engine.

now for short belting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, take a look at your tensioner.
notice that when you use a pry bar to rotate the tensioner all the way around to where it *STOPS*.  Notice what causes the tenstioner to *stop".
cut away with a hacksaw about a 1/2'' of that metal thats in the way so the tenstioner has more CCW travel.

the reason i say this is this will allow you a much wider "lenghth" of belt selection.  I noticed that the Cost of certain lengths can be out of this world but yet an identical belt that is 1/2'' shorter is like half the price.
think it through.........have fun