This image was posted in response to another thread, but I noticed in the image that the alternator has not one but two belts pulling from the engine. I have a 68 J code 302 4 speed MT with factory AC and thermactor smog system (built in SJ). When I inherited the car, it had a repro alternator with only one pulley. However, my water pump pulley has two sheaves and my crankshaft pulley (which appears to be original) has three sheaves, one of which runs to the alternator and the other runs to the AC compressor and the thermactor on one large belt. The middle sheave is empty.
Does this mean that my alternator should have two sheaves and I should have two belts running from my alternator to my crankshaft, as the image suggests? What does using the second sheave accomplish if they're both running to the crankshaft?
Not to unnecessarily confuse things, but if it matters I also have reason to believe that my engine had a dual diaphragm distributor (again based on my setup of both factory AC and thermactor) at the factory, but had a single diaphragm distributor since I have owned it. Is it possible that the PO's decision was made to move from a dual to single diaphragm distributor and that was the impetus for moving to only one belt for the alternator? Or would those two choices be separate and unrelated?
Hope someone can advise on this, as I need to replace my alternator and would love to know if I need to get a dual sheave.