Need help- What side to put the Alternator???

[azygoustoyou]

I don't know what year my engine is. I know it's and early 1800 having 10mm flywheel bolts. I don't know if it was a spider engine. There is no stud or hole to hold the alternator on the driver side. Yet the PO put it there and just braced the bracket up against the engine. I want to place the alternator in the right spot. This is what it looked like and this is what it looks like now. Who has put the alternator on the passenger side and what brackets did you use. What problems is there? Did you have enough room with the thermostat and radiator hose?
Please tell me what you would do. I'm being told to drill and tap a hole. Others are telling me that would put shavings inside the engine and that's a job to do when the engine is out of the car and apart.

This is what is printed on the engine block:
4330156
132AC1CFIAT

[manoa matt]

Brady,

I didn't check the numbers, but that looks just like a 76 1800 I had. That engine originally had a 45 amp alternator with the external regulator that mounted on the boss cast with the block on the passenger side. When you mount the alternator on that boss, the drive pulley is further back. The 76 also had a deep dished water pump pulley and a single track crank pulley.

I think around 77 they moved the alternator to the drivers side. It mounts on the aluminum casting the oil filter is mounted to. The lower pivot point is cast into the aluminum, and the alternator is tensioned via that bracket you have.

If you want to mount it on the driver's side, you need to find the oil filter boss with the pivot hole, and drill the hole in the block for the tensioner bracket mount.

If you want to mount it on the passenger's side you need the tensioner bracket arm, the deep water pump pulley, and the crank pulley with the track spaced closer to the block face.

Mark's distributor may be in the way to mount the alt on the driver's side. Maybe Jason Miller will exchange the pulleys for the correct ones, and you can get the bracket from him too.

[baltobernie]

Brady, it looks as though your alternator may have originally been on the passenger side, as mine is. My upper bracket looks like yours:



... and you have the boss on the block similar to mine, which measures 2 9/16". Here is the bottom view:



So it looks like you can use a 65A internally-regulated Bosh like me, and probably a lot of others, too. I agree with Matt that the relocation to the driver's side took place in the mid-70's, to accommodate the smog pump on the passenger side.

What are you doing for a crankshaft pulley? I had a 3-groove one on my motor, and had a machine shop slice off the outer two grooves. Much less expensive than aftermarket pulleys, which don't add any performance. My alternator and water pump run off the inner groove, and I've no difficulty with electrical output or engine cooling. The shallow pulley makes it easier to attach a degree wheel and see the numbers. Otherwise, the 3-groove pulley outer surface is very close to the sway bar. You'll need a different fan belt, but they're easy to find in a "real" auto parts store. (Buy two )

[azygoustoyou]

Thanks guys
I had the three pulley crank which was shaved and I sent it to Jason to make me an aluminum one.
I'm using the 95A alternator from Auto Ricambi. I hope it fits.
I guess both of my pulleys are wrong. My luck.
I just want to do this right but easy. I think maybe it should go on the passenger side where the holes are already there.

[azygoustoyou]

Brady,
If you want to mount it on the driver's side, you need to find the oil filter boss with the pivot hole, and drill the hole in the block for the tensioner bracket mount.

I do have the oil filter mount with the pivot hole.

Brady, it looks as though your alternator may have originally been on the passenger side, as mine is. My upper bracket looks like yours:



... and you have the boss on the block similar to mine, which measures 2 9/16". Here is the bottom view:]

If the boss is the bracket that comes off the engine, Mine measures 1 7/8"

[manoa matt]

First you need to see how the alt you have will mount on the cast iron boss on the side of the block. Later years had two studs where that cast-in boss is. There was a supplemental bracket (as shown in Bernie's picture) that mounts on those two studs.

Your alt will fit over the cast-in boss, but you need to take up some side to side play with a steel bushing or washers, and try to align the drive pulley on the alt with the water pump and crank pulleys.

I'd try and mount your alt on that boss, take a picture and show Jason. There are even two dimensions for deep water pump pulleys and several different crank pulleys. He has documented these differences well, and would be the best person to help get everything aligned.

[azygoustoyou]

First you need to see how the alt you have will mount on the cast iron boss on the side of the block. Later years had two studs where that cast-in boss is. There was a supplemental bracket (as shown in Bernie's picture) that mounts on those two studs.

Thanks Matt,
My engine doesn't have those studs. I'll try to mount the alternator tomorrow. I'll show pic's and send them to Jason.

[124JOE]

hi there so iwas just reading up here and thought
if you want to do it right look at the wires and see if there long enuff
to reach to the pass side.joe

[azygoustoyou]

I still have to wire the car. No way to check as of now.

[manoa matt]

Brady, this will help, it will let you mount that alternator and keep your existing pulleys. I'm certain you can make it cosmetically better. http://mirafiori.com/faq/content/boscha ... ltswap.htm

[pastaroni34]

I didn't get to do up some drawings tonight as I had planned. Too busy tonight with other work.

The link Matt has provided sums up a few of the issues.. its a bit more complicated though, plus you have another set of problems using the 95a alternator.

The cast into the block knuckle/lower mount is not made to work with the OE upper bracket. The pivot hole is lower, and the offset from the block face is different than the "bolt on" aluminum bracket. The link shows a way to "modify" an OE 65/55a alternator to fit, I do not think there is enough room for modification on the Ford 95a alternator, nor would I recommend this. You're better off trimming the block.. but again.. not recommended.

We could try a different offset alternator pulley though there still may be an issue with the radiator, as different radiators have different lower output spouts. I have run in to this problem before. It also depends if you're running an external or internal thermostat.

[azygoustoyou]

I'll put the alternator on today and take some pic's. The radiator I'm using is the aluminum one from Auto Ricambi.
http://stores.auto-ricambi.net/-strse-1 ... Detail.bok

[azygoustoyou]

Here are the pic's of the alternator on the boss. The boss measures 1 7/8".
The alternator inside mounting surface measures 2 5/8".
The pic's reveal the alternator all the way forward and backward. I'll have to make a shim for the inside of the alternator mounting area and a sleeve to go over the bolt in the boss.

[WYSpider]

Looks like one of Mark's headers.

[baltobernie]

Hey Brady, isn't restoring old cars FUN!? Just wait until you're finally on the road, and somebody offers you $4,000 for it "because that's all Spiders are worth"

You probably already know this, but McMaster Carr stocks a huge assortment of metal spacers. Good Luck!