When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hello guys last fall i installed headmen long tubes on my 90 coupe L98,
all went well on the install of these headers except the rear support for the alternator would not fit any more, so instead of getting the problem
fixed right away i drove it and put 3000k on it and forgot about it.
But today i cranked it up and heard a clanking,so lifted hood and found
that the lower alternator housing broke apart from the mount bracket,
i also have a A.I.R delete kit as well.So short of custom fab and welding
a rear alternator support tube, is their a after market replacement availible
for small blocks with headers? so i don't have to have one made up,or weld?
Mechanic i am welder not.
This is how I fixed mine after installing headers...I took the original brace, cut it in half , slide a rod up inside the 2 halfs and bolted both ends of the brace , one to the motor, the other to the alternator.( you have to use the second bolt back instead of the first bolt like stock) ..Then I tack welded the rod and brace , took it off and finished welding it up,then painted it black.......If you notice Hooker headers gives you 2 extension tubes, so you can use your original bolts and have someplace to hook the brace to....There really is no one I know of that makes a bolt on solution for this problem....WW
I had to do the same thing as WW7 did. Even got the idea from his pic. Without that rear brace, the alternator housing will continue to be stressed and it will continue to crack.
Another possibility might be using a short piece of 1/2" EMT electrical conduit. Use a vise or hammer the ends closed and drill holes for the bolts. My Hedman headers for my '87 didn't come with any extra tubes or a flange for the alternator so I had to get some steel tubing (available at places like Lowe's or Home Depot) and cut a spacer to get the angle correct and allow for clearance around the header bolt.
This pic is an example of one I found when I built my custom bracket
My approach was a little more low-tech. I took a piece of electrical conduit cut to the needed length and flattened the ends to the correct angle for the bolts. Its been this way for many years with no issues. I guess I should at least paint black
Thank you fellas for your advise and great pics you sent of these alternator supports! I bolted new alternator on and made a temp, support
on it till i can get it welded, for good.
I'm just deleting my AC, tensioner and smog(delete not idler) and had no plans of making a new brace. My C3 has pretty much the same mounting style, a lower long bolt mount cup bracket and then just a slider/tension top mount flimsy bracket. Well I got plenty of conduit so maybe I'll fab one up once I get the tension set.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
alternater housing cracked
...If you notice Hooker headers gives you 2 extension tubes, so you can use your original bolts and have someplace to hook the brace to....There really is no one I know of that makes a bolt on solution for this problem....WW
