By NICK LICATA Photography by ACP Staff

ftermarket LS accessory drive systems are nothing new, but they play an important role in making our engines look better and perform better, especially when increased horsepower is part of the equation. No doubt we all want our engines to look as good as possible and the fine folks at All American Billet offer front drive system kits for a variety of engines, but for this article we’ll be focusing on their billet serpentine system for LS Gen III- and Gen IV-style engines. While All American Billet offers machined, black anodized, and Silverline Series, this particular system is the polished kit for those wanting to liven up the front end of their LS engine with a little pizazz.

While it looks 100 percent more attractive than the stock GM system, the six-rib Gates belt system offers the ability to handle that extra horsepower you’ve added without belt slippage that is common with high-performance engines.

As mentioned, All American Billet offers systems for Chevy small- and big-block as well as systems for Ford and Chrysler engines. With a variety of finishes, there’s sure to be something to fit the style you are after for your ride.

The All American Billet LS Serpentine Kit comes with all the necessary hardware and detailed instructions for a drama-free installation. All you need are some basic mechanical skills, a decent set of tools, a free afternoon, and good buddy to lend a hand when needed.

For visual clarity, we’ll be performing the install with our LS on an engine stand, but this can be done with your engine bolted in your engine bay, too. Follow along as we illustrate how to bump up the looks and performance of your LS engine in just a few hours. Remember to follow the included highly detailed instructions to make sure your installation goes exactly as planned.

3. It’s a good idea to chase all forward-facing mounting holes with a thread chaser to clean out any old sealant or debris.

5. Next up is to fully seat the balancer onto the crankshaft snout using the proper installation tool. Install the old balancer bolt and tighten to 240 lb-ft.

8. Mount the water pump using the supplied bolts through two of the driver side water pump mounting holes. At this point, you’ll finger tighten only. Trust us on this, we’ve done it the wrong way before … once.

9-10. Use the supplied Allen bolts to install the rear A/C bracket to the water pump. Once again, these will be just finger tightened for now. Then mount the passenger side main bracket using the supplied 2.25-inch spacer and bolts through the water pump. Use a little antiseize on all the threads and tighten just enough to hold in place.

11-12. Remove the two temporary bolts from the driver side of the water pump, then use two of the 2.25-inch spacers and bolts through the driver side bracket and water pump. Once again, use some antiseize on the threads and tighten enough to hold in place.

13. Next the alternator bracket and 1.6-inch spacer and supplied bolt goes through the driver side bracket. Repeat the process of using a little antiseize on the threads and hand-tighten only.

15. Here’s a side view of how it should look.

17. From there, install the Type II power steering pump. Be sure to use a dab of blue Loctite on the threads.

19. Follow up by installing the serpentine pulley on the steering pump.

21. Now install the water pump pulley …

23. Next up is to install the provided serpentine belt. Use a ½-inch drive ratchet or breaker bar to preload the tensioner. Loosely route the belt around the pulleys except the power steering pump. Insert the square boss in the front of the tensioner and pull upward, routing the tensioner downward in a clockwise direction until it stops.

26. Here’s the LS looking good and ready to bring your engine bay to life. The appropriate power steering and high- and low-pressure lines and fittings will need to be assembled by a shop that specializes in high-pressure lines and hydraulic hoses. Remember to follow All American Billet’s detailed instructions regarding your connections and fluid filling instructions.