Cobbled alternator & bracket

[Kozmo]

It's pouring out and I'm working hard at avoiding work so I decided to poke a little into the long list of "fixits" on the beast.

Sometime several years after the Fire Department converted this machine to 12 volts, they had to do some sort of alternator "fixit"--the records don't say why, just that it was done.

I tend to get a little paranoid about alternator brackets because I got stuck several times on the road due to a bracket cracking at the worst time in my old "driver"---mechanics too lazy so left a bolt out (3rd finally figured that one out in Corning CA).

Anyway....looks a little weak to me but I may be comparing to what was originally there in 1967. Seems to have held up for the Fire folks, though. Looks like a pretty low amp alternator too but I'm a butcher, not a mechanic.

Comments? Suggestions? If it aint broke, don't fix it?

[CHRIS UNGER]

The alt is a typical delco unit. Probably a 63 or 78 amp and should work well for you since you wont be running all the accessories that the " fire folks " had on there.

[fishtail]

That bracket looks pretty chincey. That alt. hanging out there with the tension of the belt, combined with the engine shaking and road bumps will probably break it (I'm guessing at a bolt hole rather than the weld)

Just my 2 cents.

Scott

[Flingarrows]

That bracket looks pretty chincey. That alt. hanging out there with the tension of the belt, combined with the engine shaking and road bumps will probably break it (I'm guessing at a bolt hole rather than the weld)

Just my 2 cents.

Scott

Agreed, and maybe add a bracket triangulating it to the block. It looks like a long bracket - front to rear deflection may be possible

[Kozmo]

Thanks for the responses. My gut feeling by looking at it was not good but it has worked for a while as is.

Murphy makes that kind of thing break at the worst possible time, though.

I have a friend with a cnc plasma cutter so will do up a solid model for him to cut that's beefed up and then just use my press to break the needed offset bends. I'll find a way to gusset it so it doesn't twist out of square with the main pulley and doesn't fatigue from vibration.

One more thing for the list. At least it's straight-forward and not packed with 50 years of grease.

[Flingarrows]

Post up some pictures when you finish the bracket. I'm always interested in seeing fabrication and fabricated parts