Would I have to get a shorter/longer serpentine belt if swapping to this design (i.e. is this the same diameter as what I have now)?

 

Read the last sentence in Post #18. You can use the same belt.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1584810455-post18.html

 

Guess I am going blind!

 

I have been researching these and they look pretty good (albeit pricier than Helicoil). I see some 10mm x 1.5 Kits, but wondering what "length" of insert I would need for the Alternator bracket?

Also I see Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel and Aluminum Inserts. Looks like the Carbon Steel is the "default" material. Is that safe to use in Aluminum in this application?

 

I'd use the carbon steel insert, then use a little anti-seize on the alternator bolt when reinstalling. Any one of those insert materials would be safe to use in the aluminum bracket.

 

Helicoil will work just fine in that application. Its easy and inexpensive compared to the Tinesert

 

Also, you don't need to torque this bolt. Just tighten it good and snug. It won't come out.

If, you decide to replace the bracket.....you will have to remove the pulley on the pump....or....do like I did and drill access holes in the pulley with a good stepper bit. Worked well. And, the pulley is on the car, hasn't busted......over 100 drag strip passes so I think it's ok.

Ron

 

Ive had the front bracket off my engine 6 times and I have never had to remove the pulley or drill the pulley.

If you remove all the other bolts, you can reach the bolt behind the pulley with a wrench and as it loosens keep moving the bracket forward until its free from the block.

 

Great.

That is good to know!

Definitely costs less!

 

UPDATE:

5th Alternator from O'Reilly's crapped out.

History:
Day 1 - Appeared to work fine - drove around for about an hour and held 14 - 14.3V on the DIC the whole time (best consistent output I have had from any alternator in the past.

Day 2 - Went to the garage to start the car and first thing, DIC shows "Charging System Fault" (never have seen that message in 13 years!). Voltage gauge also would not get above about 11.2V.

Turned off engine - ran a code check and saw 1637 & 1638 H C codes (so I did not drive the car day two and ordered yet another alternator from Advance Auto this time - gave up on O'Reillys Remanufactured in Mexico Alternators). Called Bill Curley to get some good advice and he gave me some tests to run, but as far as I could tell everything tested OK in the wiring.

Day 3 - just for the heck of it, I started the car and was getting 14V again - 1637 & 1638 codes showed "H" only, so I ran a couple errands (this is my only car) and had no problems.

Day 4, 5 & 6 Same as Day 2 - could not drive car. Battery shows 12.69V with car turned off. I am also reading 12.69V between Alternator Pos Terminal and the front and rear of alternator casing with engine off.

Today - My 6th Alternator came in to try - Remanufactured ToughOne from Advance Auto. Shows to be Remanufactured in Virginia (I guess that is better than Mexico?). Installed, fired right up, no codes after a couple hours of driving so far. Holding about 13.6V on DIC (drops to about 12.3 sometimes when sitting at a red light, but my old ones did that too?)

So keeping my fingers crossed that this one may work more than a day like the last one!

Here is the latest one I installed today...





This is what I had to do as a temporary fix for the top upper bolt. I ordered a Heli-Coil Kit, but had to do something in the meantime. Just bought an M10x1.5x4" bolt and nut at Lowes. I am not sure that I do not feel even more confident with this arrangement than retapping the upper support - feels really "solid".

Can you see anything wrong with just staying with this method?

 

That bolt looks fine to me. I wouldn't worry about it further and I'm sure if I/we would have known it was that easy it would have been suggested sooner.

Steve

 

A nut and bolt is fine but the bolt needs to be longer if you want that nyloc nut to work properly. The nylon insert needs to be sitting on full threads and not right on the end of the bolt which is chamfered, where it will have a very poor grip. It's bad practice for any nut to sit right at the end of a bolt, for a number of reasons. There are engineering tables available that will give you the full info but for an M10 bolt which is 10mm in diameter, I would use a bolt that is at least 4mm longer.

 

I think it's fine the way it is

 

Either that, or eliminate the flat washer and Nylok nut and use a split-ring lock washer with a standard metric nut. The standard nut being thinner and should make full thread engagement.

 

I think it's fine the way it is and I doubt you'd have any problems with it, but you do need a longer bolt to properly use that nylon locking nut.

 

Just take the flat washer off the front end of the alternator, and that should get the bolt into the "locking" portion of the nylock nut....

 

Are you fully charging your battery every time you replace the alternator? If your battery is drained you can easily fry an alternator since it's working harder to charge the battery.

 

Good point!!

 

I think my photo is deceiving... That "looks" like a "Nylok" nut and that it what I assumed it was when I first picked it up, but there is no nylon - solid metal. I just used a lock washer and some blue Locktite. Lowes did not have any longer M10's in stock, but I will do some searching. The stock bolt hole was fully stripped and I had to come up with something fast.

I installed a new alternator 2 days ago (Remanufactured ToughOne from Advance Auto - rebuilt in Roanoke, VA) and it seems to be working fine so far (no more "Charging System Fault" or code being thrown like the last Mexico Rebuild from O'Reillys). Yes, battery is fully charging - below is a pic showing voltage at the battery after drive last night.



I also ran a Solar Diagnostic and these were the values I got last night...

CCA Tested = 1117
Static Voltage Engine Off = 12.67V
Start Pull Min. = 11.1V (Green Light)
No Load - Engine Running 1200 RPM = 14.5V (14.0 on DIC as usual)
Full Load (AC/Headlights on High Beam, etc.) - Engine Running 1200 RPM = 14.34V (13.8 on DIC)

 

Looks like you got things well in hand.