Since I've owned my car, I've had to deal with the Bubbafied Alternator Brackets. I have tried to wait on fixing this, but now the brackets are getting worse. One of the mounting holes is stripped in the head(aluminum), and the adjustment bracket is broke.

Here are some facts that complicate this situation. The engine is an 87 Corvette engine, fitted with unknown year brackets to convert from Serpentine belt system. This creates one big problem:Note in the picture how limited the clearance is between the valve cover and alternator. Also note that the adjustment is at max, yet my belt is still a little loose. I have to use a totally different belt than listed for my vette. The recommended belt is way too loose.









Also, I think the reason my adjustment bracket is broken is due to excessive vibration. I feel that the vibration is caused by a missing Alt support, indicated with the red lines in the picture above.

Also note the use of spacers on the main Alt. bracket. Without them, the Alt. is pulled inward, and the belt rubs the side of the p.s. pump. The use of the spacers is putting extra strain on the bolts, I imagine.

Can anyone tell if these brackets are from a 79 vette? The fit of them just seems to be wrong. Perhaps I need to use brackets for an 87? Is there supposed to be a Alt. support that attaches to the back of the Alt.?

I plan to heli-core the stripped thread, in the cylinder head, and replace the damaged brackets. Any ideas or comments would be great!

:cheers:


[Modified by shotgun_000, 6:08 AM 8/23/2002]

 

Funny thing I have the exact same problems with stripped threads in that alum head hole, lucky longer bolt cured that problem, and my alt bracket broke somehow during head and cam change. Your set up looks just like mine in my 73, not sure if that is stock but believe it is. I have a problem with the alt not lining up perfect and have yet to deal with it. I have not thrown a belt yet but sure it will happen if I don't deal with it. I do not believe there is/was a support like you diagramed. I think my alt alignment problem is do to having an after market 100 amp alt and replacement pivot bolt. These two things together allow the alt to rotate just slight back and forth on the pivot bolt since the bolt is slightly smaller than the alt bolt passage. You can get the upper alt bracket that is broke at any parts store in cheesy chrome. :)

I just noticed a diff in our set ups, the upper alt bracket on mine uses the top water pump bolt to secure it while your's uses one of the lower alt bracket bolts. Try switching the upper alt bracket to the the water pump bolt and it should allow you to use a shorter belt. Also check your lower alt bracket for a spacer on inner right hand side of the bracket. That might be missing or on the wrong side. This spacer pusher the alt to the radiator side of the lower bracket and it is about 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Hope this helps.


[Modified by Fevre, 7:21 AM 8/23/2002]

 

BTW, can everyone see these pictures?

If nothing else, someone loan me some dynamite! :smash:
:lol:

 

Thanks, Fevre! I'll try your suggestions.

:cheers:

 

I too experimented with using a washer to get the correct angle for the alt but felt uncomfortable with it because 1) it looked very bubba :) and 2) I was afraid the bolts would work themselves loose.

 

After you fix the stripped bolt hole in the head with the heli-coil, suggest you install a stud in this hole, using lock-tite, then you can attach the bracket using a nut / washer and lock washer if you'd like.

Recommend using studs where ever possible on aluminum, to minimize number of times you screw bolt in and out of the softer aluminum metal. \

If you must use a bolt rather than a stud, strongly suggest you always use a little anti-seze on the bolt threads.

Also note that a lot of those alternator brackets (chrome) that you see in auto parts stores won't necessarily work in your application, because I believe your adjusting bracket has an offset at the end that bolts to the engine, just like mine does, and the chrome ones I've seen at the auto parts stores are just straight with no offset.

You should try to find someone with an assembly manual and have them send you copies of the page(s) that show all of the original parts, so you can check to see that you have everything and the correct parts for you year vette. I'd try to make the original equipment set up work 1st before I'd try anything else, as I dont know offhand why it wouldn't work.

 

I can't tell you if they are right for a 79 but I can tell you that they are exactly the same as mine and I have a 74 and mine are original to the car. I suspect that who ever put that engine in the car just used the original brackets to the car. Also, there is no rear support for the alternator. The alternator has a wide mount at the bottom using the cast iron lower bracket which SUPPOSEDLY eliminates the need for the rear support.

Overall, I think that this is a bad design. I too have had problems with this setup. I have stock iron heads on my engine and rather than stripping holes out, I have sheared bolts off in the head in the past. What a PITA!!! I also had to shim the bracket away from the head. I figured out the reason for this though. There is supposed to be a sliding sleeve in the lower bracket which tightens up against the alternator. You will notice that the lower pivot hole in the bracket is too large for the 3/8" bolt that goes through the bottom of the alternator. That sleeve is missing from my bracket. So when Bubba reinstalled my alt. he tightened up the lower bolt. This bent the front arm of the bracket and caused the alternator to sit about 1/4" further toward the firewall than it is supposed to. The only fix for this is to shim the lower bracket outward or bend the arm back and use the sleeve. I shimmed since I didn't want to take the chance of breaking the bracket.

Hope this helps.

dl

[EDIT] I looked at your pics again and there is one difference between yours and mine. My upper bracket bolts to the upper water pump stud. I see that yours bolts to the head. Don't know if they changed that bracket or if yours isn't original.


[Modified by dladd74roadster, 8:50 AM 8/23/2002]

 

John

Some excellent ideas. I need to switch to studs since it seems I tear my engine apart on a regular basis. :)

Shotgun

Just take you bracket with you to the parts store and see if it matches up. Mine has no ofset but may not be the orig. Might be why it works better on the water pump bolt than the lower bracket bolt.

 

Here are several pics from my stock 1979 set-up. There might be a few hints in these for you. BTW that alternator/valve cover clearance seems fine at one inch. And as you can see, there are no additional supporting brackets.












[Modified by paul79, 5:44 PM 8/23/2002]


[Modified by paul79, 5:46 PM 8/23/2002]


[Modified by paul79, 5:48 PM 8/23/2002]


[Modified by paul79, 6:00 PM 8/23/2002]

 

I actually have but don't need all my '79 alternator brackets. If you need new brackets, I'd give em to you for $5 over shipping.

 

Send them to me. E-mail as to price.

 

Just an update.

I have installed studs where possible. The big problem I am having is with the stripped hole, shown above in the pictures.

It seems that the bolt that was in there broke in half. So, only part of the bolt came out. Most of the bolt is still inside.:mad So, what I have is a depth of about 1/2" of threads before hitting the bolt.

I can't get a drill in there to drill it out. Without drilling, the "easy out" extractors are useless. So, to possibly fix it, I have to tear out my radiator and all accessories to gain access, or remove the head. I prefer neither of these. This car is my daily driver, and I can't afford to be without a car at the moment. I need to fix this today if possible.

Would it be enough to tap the hole out to the next size, and install the appropriate size stud? Will the limited amount of threads withstand the pressure?

If anyone else has an idea, please let me know!

Thanks! :cheers:

 

Use lots of loctite and you'll probably be OK until you get a chance to fix it right.