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Date:         Sat, 6 Mar 2010 09:48:44 -0500
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: GoWesty Alternator Bracket
Comments: To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BLU0-SMTP74D5FCB9E8ABBCA5890F86A6380@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

The go Westy bracket should be used in addition to, just instead of the stock bracket. It seems designed to provide additional support front/rear. A real clever design. The one thing I would do is be sure to use P.C. 10.9 hardware and hardened washers though. I like the idea of the threaded nut and pass though bolt but that threaded part seems a bit thin.

Proper tension of the belt is essential. A loose belt can set up various vibrations and oscillations that will do as much or more damage to bearings as a tight belt and can be a source of bracket failure. Get a belt tension gauge and learn to use it. As an alternate the belt should be tight enough that turning the alternator pulley with a wrench you should be able to turn the engine without the belt slipping. The belt layout is a very poor design as the belt does not get a good wrap around the engine pulley. If you have the later top alternator bracket with the adjusting rack set up the spec is 6ft/lbs on the adjusting nut.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Karl Wolz Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 2:50 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: GoWesty Alternator Bracket

Half inch deflection (never knew how hard to push to get that deflection though) seems to be pretty standard advice.

Quicky tip: spread a bit of brake fluid on the contact surfaces of the belts. It conditions the rubber (just like inside the brake system), giving a better grip on the pulleys.

Karl Wolz

|-----Original Message----- |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of |Katy Hahn |Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 9:35 AM |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM |Subject: GoWesty Alternator Bracket | |I have just put one of these on my '84 and thought I would comment on it: | |http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=1201 | |It obviously side-steps the possible failure of those studs/holes in |the block by using the much meatier holes made for the power steering |unit. | |Comes with more parts than shown to accomodate installation on engines |w/o a power steering pump (like mine). | |The mounting holes in the bracket allow some wiggle-room so care must |be taken that the alternator (pulley) ends up in the same plane as the |crank pulley. | |Biggest design concern I have is that the bracket only offers a rear |support (the original had support for the lower alternator mount both |front and rear. This seems to put a lot of faith in that bolt which |now must carry the load held only by the threads at its far end. Just |an ordinary 80mm bolt I think -- the kind I have bent from time to |time. | |Other concern is that the lower bolt is held by threads tapped into |the (1/4 inch) metal of the bracket. I would have preferred to have |seen a large nut welded on the bracket -- but I'm no engineer. | |At first when I just eyeballed the bracket I saw the ear with the |threaded hole was not square with the plane of the crank. Uh oh. But |then I did a trial fit of the lower bolt and saw that the threaded |hole was just a bit crooked and thus the bolt ended up in the exact |position it needed to be. Odd, but perhaps they make the bracket then |use a jig to bore the hole as needed. I'm still not an engineer. | |Have a 5000 mile trip planned fo next month and beyond -- I will, of |course, carry the old parts along just for luck. | |In summary: the appears well made, solves the problem it is meant to, |time will tell if it is well-designed. | |One question for those still reading -- what is the thinking on belt |tension? On some of my old cars I keep the belt almost loose, but |those are low-demand units. On the Westy I have always kept the belt |pretty tight (and yet can get a chirp out of it on hard acceleration |with electric load occuring). | |The reason I ask: If I could get away with a looser belt I would feel |better about this design. | |Thanks! | |Geo


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