alt on passenger side, short water pump, taurus fan, jtr radiator, scarab

[waynekarnes]

a while back i questioned whether it was possible to keep the alt on the passenger side of a small block chevy when using a short water pump . mine is an older scarab swap.

 

if i was running headers would have been a piece of cake ...

 

using the rams horn exhaust made it a bit more difficult ...

 

well, at 1st ...

 

it is actually a bolt in operation, just a pain gathering the correct parts.

 

the 63 to 65 vettes had an option that put the alt on the passenger side ... i knew this, but had forgotten how it was done ...

 

the factory manifolds come in 2 inch and 2 1/2 inch dumps. for clearance most z swaps use the 2 inch ...

 

for what we want, the 2 inch are a bit harder to find than the 2 1/2 inch.

 

the rams horn exhaust on the passenger side has a horn, or triangle sticking out , towards the radiator ( the front ) ...

 

there are 2 holes in that horn.

 

you need the corvette alternator bracket ( 1963 to 65 RH ). a yr ago the cost for the bracket was 60 bucks. it's just flat stock, one end bent over ( the front ) 90 degrees with a hole in the tab for the bolt that holds the alt to pass through. at the rear a second piece of flat stock is welded on to the 1st piece. that piece is bent 90 degrees to match the front tab. a whole is drilled through the rear tab, and a bushing is inserted in the hole .. when tha bolt that holds the alt in place is pushed through and tightened, the bushing moves up and holds the alt in place.

 

getting ahead of myself ...

 

that bracket has 2 holes drilled in it ... matching the 7/16 coarse thread holes in the corvette exhaust manifold ... bolt the bracket to the manifold, the alt to that bracket.

 

you can buy the upper 1963 to 1965 RH alt bracket for 25 bucks. it goes from the upper mounting hole or support bolt on the water pump. for hi po applications, chevy made a double bracket.

 

if you are so inclined one could probably make that bracket as well ... but, i think it is probably cheaper and easier just to buy the bracket.

 

the exhaust manifolds were also available on some chevy trucks ...

 

the vettes all had short pumps ... not so for all the trucks ( though i believe that if this style exhaust manifold was used on a truck, it was used with a short water pump ... i can't see GM making different right hand manifolds with alt mounts. i was told trucks with air got these manifolds ).

 

the manifolds are unusual, but not rare ... i paid 125 for the one i bought, another 25 for brackets ( incase the vette bracket was wrong ) and 25 for shipping. e bay ...

 

anyway, yes you can keep the alt on the passenger side when using a short water pump.

 

for those that remember, this all started when i asked about installing the taurus 2 spd fan with the scarab V8. swapped to high volume nascar style short aluminum water pump ... still wasn't enough room ... bought the JTR radiator ... estimate ... enough room ... new pulleys, ect. then found issues getting the alt to stay on pass side. neighbor and i made funky bracket ... worked but meant removing it to get to spark plug ... arrgghhh ...

 

my buddy used to have a fuelie 65 vette, all stock, alt on passenger side, couldn't remember how it was done ... finally i remembered the trick was the manifold.