Camaros and Chevelles have the alternator on the passenger side....Corvettes with the alternator and power steering on the driver's side........but does it look less "Corvette" with the alternator on the passenger side? Other than the wires being on the driver's side....does it really even matter? Do people think it looks "Bubba" with it mounted on that side? Seems pretty trivial, but inquiring minds want to know.

Deja

 

I don't think it looks Bubba at all...

 

If you are a purist, #s matching, unmolested C3 person it matters & thats a good thing. If you want to change your C3 to your liking I think thats OK too. We all have the same C3 passion. I am fortunate to have a #s matching BB 68 & one that I'm building now that only looks like a 68, but its going to be a lot more fun to drive.I just love all C3s !!!!!!

 

 

If done tastefully, proper brackets and clean wiring, than it's custom Stock is great if done well & custom is great if done well. It's all in the presentation that makes or breaks the Bubba title. IMO Do what makes you happy, just do it with pride, these cars deserve that.

 

 

It really doesn't matter to me. As long as I can drive it and enjoy it, I'm happy.

 

Why move it? I will ask what no one else has yet to say. What's wrong with where it is.

 

Well, there are a lot of brackets out there on the market, and I don't have any of them yet. Just seems like if I HAVE to buy brackets, why not get some that free up some space? I am not running AC, so squishing everything onto the driver's side seems a little....well....silly. So no toe tapping here.



Deja

 

I'm a huge fan of the alternator on the passenger side and was about to do this exact same switch but did a little research.....

If you look carefully, the two major factors are the water pump (long vs short) and if you will be using A/C.

To be able to switch to the passenger side, most passenger alt brackets sold are for the long water pump. I have measured and yes, you can use a long water pump...just be sure to switch all your pulleys and measure your fan clearance twice.

Second, if you are going to use an A/C compressor...most stock compressor brackets are for passenger side and most aftermarket A/C compressor brackets are passenger as well.

Lastly, I saw a post a while back about converting to manual steering, eliminating the power steering pump and stuffing the alternator way down the drivers side. This is the best option for cleaning up the front of the engine but you have to have strong arms for this option.

 

And there is the rub. Trying to find a bracket that allows a short water pump for use on the passenger side. I know they are out there...but MAN, people are sure proud of their brackets! Nothing says that more than a $150 bracket!

Deja

 

So make your own brackets. Seems all you need is a few inches of bar stock, the ability to drill a straight hole in both ends and then some rod ends on each. Unless it is some uber custom sweet looking piece of automotive art that complements the car...DIY.

 

My motor, minus the Procharger. Looks fine to me.

 

It was in the way of this.

 

See? Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! So what did you end up using for the bracket? Sis you make your own, as was stated in a previous post? I think that looks great.

Deja

 

I went with a long because I needed to for the ATI 12 rib pulley. But if you're going to run a Corvette style water pump you'll want a short.



P.S. That's the original alternator, just polished it with a 3M bit on a dremel tool.

 

P.S. Doubt a long water pump will fit if you still intend to run the stock fan.

 

Well, I got to thinking this one out....and I think I have a relatively inexpensive solution to my situation. You see, I am going to run a Gilmer belt drive on mine...and you can run either a long or short pump with that. I already bought the short pump because the Gilmer water pump pulley fits better on the short one. I believe my solution is this: get the alternator bracket for the long water pump so that I can mount the alternator on the passenger side, and then put a fan spacer (the almost entirely round kind and about 1/2-1" thick) between the water pump and the pulley. This will push the water pump pulley out to where the long water pump WOULD sit, allowing me to use the long alternator mount. There is a groove in the crank pulley for a V-belt, and I can run the power steering belt off of that.....thus keeping everything from being all rammed together on the driver's side!! The nice thing with the Gilmer setup, is that there is leeway to move the pulley in or out, since they are wider than the 1-1/2" belt!

Oh, and I am going to run electric fans only, so there would not be an issue with the spacing.

PS....didn't even think to try and polish the alternator! Went out to the garage just a minute ago and tried a bit on mine...and sure enough!! Thanks for the tip!!

Deja

 

Let us know if it works out, the fan spacer is a good idea. Curious to see if it will work smoothly. You'll prob end up having to grind the face of the spacer to get the perfect length, or use washers I guess. Good luck!

 

Ok, your logic is well understood now, But you could have given me a little smile.