LS Engine Front Drive Kits - Driven!

Here’s what the compressor looks like mounted on its perch.

The compressor cover is a nice dress-up piece that covers the front of the compressor pulley. Blue thread locker keeps the three 1/4-20 cap screws in place.

Another dress-up piece is the billet manifold that cleans up the hose routing on top of the compressor. It also attaches via two M8x25mm cap screws.

Changing sides, it’s time to install the alternator bracket to the two spacer studs previously installed using two M8x25mm cap screws and washers.

Next, the Powermaster 105-amp alternator is installed using one M8x25mm and one M10x80mm cap screw. The bracket and alternator fasteners can be tightened at this point as well.

The water pump receives a matching pulley and is attached using four 5⁄16-24x3/4-inch cap screws with red thread locker.

For the truck family of LS engines, this is where things get interesting. Pictured is the S-Drive power steering bracket bolted in place on the block.

Unfortunately, the truck blocks only have one tapped hole for the bracket to attach to as the trucks use a different accessory drive kit than the other LS engines. They do, however, have the same boss, albeit undrilled or tapped, that the other engines have. Therefore, the solution is rather obvious. Using the S-Drive bracket as a jig, I center punched the block with a transfer punch…

…then drilled the block using an 8.5mm drill bit (a “Q” drill bit will work as well). An M10x1.5mm tap is then carefully threaded into the hole.

Once completed, a pair of M10x25mm set screws followed by a pair of 3/4x1.75-inch spacer posts can be installed onto the block, followed by the power steering bracket, which is affixed via two M10x20mm cap screws with red thread locker.

Two 5⁄16-18x3-inch cap screws and lock washers mount the provided Mavel power steering pump to the bracket.

The serpentine belt tensioner attaches to the A/C compressor bracket using a single 3⁄8-16x2 1/4-inch cap screw and washer with red thread locker.

The crank pulley was then mated to the damper using 3⁄8-16x1 1/4-inch cap screws and washers. Then using a 1/2-inch-drive ratchet, the tensioner was rotated to allow easy installation of the serpentine belt.

The final piece of the puzzle is the installation of the tensioner cover using two 10-32x3/4-inch flat head screws.