By Fergus Ogilvy, Photographs by Moore Good Ink:
–Unique pulley kit: well-weighted, beautifully geared & admirably precise
–For street rods, custom cars & trucks, Muscle cars & road race machines
–Internal machining tolerances, & even pulley surfaces, held to 0.0002in
Kennesaw, Georgia: KRC Power has introduced a new and distinctly different 6-rib serpentine pulley kit for LS engines. It includes a race-bred competition hydraulic power steering pump originally proven on 24-hour Le Mans sports racing cars. The kit is offered for LS-powered street rods, custom cars and trucks as well as Muscle cars and road racing applications.
With internal machining tolerances held to 0.0002in., this fully in-house built aluminum pump with integrated reservoir uses no OEM parts and is well-weighted, beautifully geared and admirably precise. In addition, its high standards offer generous adjustment. In fact its genius probably lies in its response to tuning.
Similar to changing jets in a carburetor, a selection of nine flow control valves is available to adjust the steering feel to personal preference.
Though the standard KRC pump flows 8 liters per minute, by using flow control valves with larger orifices, those marked B, C, D, or E, the flow rate can be increased to 12 liters per minute in one-liter increments. The higher letter indicates greater hydraulic assistance, although less feel. In contrast, flow valves marked with numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 provide less assistance but greater feel.
Beyond this, the pump has access to two different diameter pulleys: 6.0in and 6.5in. Determined by the size of the GM harmonic balancer, they offer the ability to spin the power steering pump at its optimum speed, which is 2,500 to 4,500rpm. In this rev band the pump achieves minimum horsepower consumption and maximum output. Importantly, the pulleys are slipped onto a splined drive, unlike most pulleys that are press-fitted and require a puller for removal.
Most LS enthusiasts know that the engines operate with one of three pulley offsets. These are largely determined by the design of the original GM harmonic balancer. The one that sets the pulleys closest to the front of the engine is known as the Y-body and is used principally on Corvettes. In contrast the truck version sets the pulleys farthest away from the engine while the F-body, used on the Camaro and Firebird and GTO 2004 to‘06, places the pulleys somewhere between the two. To accommodate the Y- and F-body positions KRC provides the appropriate spacers. Though the F- and Y-body kits don’t include an A/C compressor they do accommodate such.
The truck style, however, is designed exclusively for that particular engine and is less intricate, making use of the original alternator and tensioner.
To observe GM LS pulley offsets click here: F Body, Y Body, Truck Balancer Assembly
For further information contact:
KRC Power Steering
2115 Barrett Pk. Dr.
Kennesaw GA 30144-3680
Telephone (770) 422-5135 or visit: www.KRCpower.com
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