Assessories/Brackets, Ect,Ect..,

[Kevin Shasteen]

I've seen a few post discussing what brackets work & dont work: I too am interested in that subject as my Z has A/C & when I do get to begin my convesion I would like to mount my compressor basically in the same place it is now.

 

Anyway, the reason I've posted this is to shout to the world that "Chevy High Performance" has an article in it about the SBC short/long water pump issue & sources for brackets of all kinds of set ups: some interesting ideas.

 

Here are their sources:

 

Classic Industries

714.847.6887 or 800.854.1280

 

D&R Classic Automotive

630.393.0009 or 800.472.6952

 

Edelbrock

310.781.2222 or 800.416.8628

 

Mr.Gasket Co

216.688.8300 or 888.MRGASKET

 

Holley Perf.Prod's

270.782.2900 or 270.781.9741

 

March Performance

734.729.9070

 

Moore Automotive

734.729.9070

 

Moroso Perf.Prod's

203.453.6571

 

Original Parts Group (OPG)

714.841.5363 or 800.243.8355

 

TD Perf.Prod's

562.921.0404

 

Year One

800.932.7663

 

Zoops Products

909.922.2396

 

Big Block Chevy Parts

480.981.3096

 

Canton Racing Prod's

203.481.9460

 

Dont just list these #'s for later sake: the article also lists part#'s for about 100 parts...some pullies, other brackets.

[randy 77zt]

another place for expensive billit brackits is street&performance in mena arkansas #501 394-7113.put some on the project car in garage.polished show quailty stuff that fits .they have brackits for sanden a/c compressors and serpentine belt drives.you must have a deep wallet though.since building a project car for a friend i have learned that the street rod mags have lots of neat problem solving parts in them .

[Guest EPS]

Kevin, VINTAGE AIR in San Antonio, TX has what you need. I mounted my compressor lower left driver side using their brackets, with some modification. They really know their stuff. Ck with me and I will supply their phone etc.

[SpeedRacer]

I don't think he has a web site but Alan Grove says he has 27 different brackets for a small block Chevy. Look for his ad in a Hot Rod mag.

[Kevin Shasteen]

quote:

---

Originally posted by EPS:

Kevin, VINTAGE AIR in San Antonio, TX has what you need. I mounted my compressor lower left driver side using their brackets, with some modificationsupply.

---

 

Thanks EPS; I'm not ready to begin my conversion (V8 Enlightenment) yet; I do have the "How to Install A/C" book which has Vintage Air's address but didnt list their ph#.

 

It's nice to know the compressor will install on the lower left side-I feel much better when an A/C Compressor is mounted low instead of high. This way its always got oil for lubrication when it's engaged.

 

I know I could call info fot their ph#; but if you have it-please list it.

 

Thanks for the info.

[BLKMGK]

Am currently wrestlng wiht this. Pete's setup looks pretty awesome but it requires a particular alternator that I didn't realize until AFTER I'd purchased a standard sized alternator (I think - it's one wire so maybe?). I've also got a short water pump - a potential mistake. Since I also want to run A/C down the road Pete's setup REALLY looks good (sigh).

 

Zoops seems to have a great number of brackets but very little in the way of description as to how it will mount on the block etc. unlike March who seems to show much of their stuff on a motor.

 

S&P has nice stuff but very little on the web and mostly for EFI. Some of the setups out there seem to preclude ever running a radiator hose to the top of the motor too - huh?!

 

Anyway, I'm still screwing around with this and hating every minute of it! Pete's been real helpful but buying a new alternator (?) AND a new water pump just isn't in the budget right now. Not when the alternaor is as high as $250, the pump as high as $150, pullies $40+ apiece, and the brackets still have to be built... March's setup is $300 BTW but includes everything except the water pump

 

I'm also considering this setup at the moment but it might be too tall ->

 

I think I can flip the alternator to the passenger side where I want it so I don't have to move my oil filter and lines until I do the A/C. Unfortunatly that looks like a mightly long freespan belt run!

 

If my alternator is the wrong one I may stick to the March setup and give up the A/C for now. Not being a GM expert it may take me awhile to figure out if this one wire alternator is the smaller size needed to mount it in front of the head and still line up (sigh).

 

Here's the March setup ->

 

This is what I'm trying to avoid ->

The bracket I have now from GM mounts something like that. Long belt run and the top bar can move at higher RPMs if it's not sturdy enough.

 

Lone, what did you use? Got any pics? Anyone else got a magic setup like Pete's to share? Here's his setup ->

 

Pete's got a bigger pic on his site but I didn't want to hose everyone's reading here..

 

[ June 06, 2001: Message edited by: BLKMGK ]

[DavyZ]

Good job on mounting that Sanden, Lone! It looks like it "belongs" there. Hopefully, the lines will go as smoothly with no hiccups.

 

David

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

BLKMGK, I don't understand what your wrestling with. You bought a large case alt or small case? Only two sizes AFAIK. All those mounts you showed except the pass. side one were VERY high, is that what you want? The transdapt one I've written on many times now is low as is the vette one which I even have available. Standard small case alt's typically fit most fine.

 

You're looking at a $300 pulley setup and concerned on new alt and pump? You can't exchange your alt by chance? I'm a receipt hog as I never know if I'll end up using the item or not. If you must join the lwp ranks you can get extensions/blocks for cheap as Lone mentioned.

 

Either way theirs cheap and pricey brackets to do all that you want. Even having them fabricated is v. viable. My alt. is on drivers side right beside my balancer Do you have anything sitting their?? I have ~1" b/t balancer and alt.

[BLKMGK]

Okay - size of case I'm NOT sure about. It's the ProForm unit that Jeg's sells. It's a one wire unit and 100amps. The links I put up are indeed fairly high mount - YUCK - but Pete's is darned nice! Lone's mount would work too actually and I'd be happy.

 

Part of the problem here is I'm DIRT ignorant on the darned SBC stuff! I haven't worked onowned a SBC in about 6 years and the accesory stuff is a mystery to me. Heck, I thought the difference in LWP and SWP as simply the length and that JTR specced the long one to fit the fan in the shroud. I thought a SWP would give me more space and went with that. I did NOT know, 9 months ago, that the LWP was the more standard one or that there were multiple sizes of alternator case. I knew 3 wire, 1 wire, and external regulator. (sigh) CSI wasn't in my vocabulary unil today when Pete clued me and researched. Even knowing that not many sites are mentioning it - Powermaster being one of the few I've seen that were real clear.

 

I've looked though the PowerMaster site and I'm going to compare their pics with my alternator to TRY and figure out which case it is. I'll also look at the alternator on our Impalla (and how it's mounted!) to try and get a clue. I pop the hood on that sucker as little as possible - it's the woman's and woe be me if I tinker with it - she wants it STOCK. Hence, I dunno' too terribly much about it an like it that way.

 

Ross, mounting it way down low next to the damper would be FINE with me. BUT I had thought that the setback plates got in the way. No? That would be wonderful news! I'd held the alternator up down there and it just didn't look like it would work but I'll try it again and eyeball it. Low on either side, preferably the passenger, would be great. Lot's o brackets ou there to do that like the old Chevy II (apparently). Like this->

 

Middle of the head on neither side would also be great ala Pete. I will measure my alternator case and post it. IF it turns to to be the right size case I'll Snoopy dance and try to build brackets like Pete's. What are the chances I'd be that lucky with a $100 alternator?! *cough*

 

Swapping pumps is no big deal but returning this one won't happen - it came with the motor. As I said before spacers are well good and fine but the pics I've looked at, including Pete's and others, show a boss on the long pump that I do NOT believe is on my short pump. I might be crazy but I looked last night and didn't see it near the heater hose outlet. That boss is used in several LWP setups - simply extending my SWP doesn't give me that boss so extending may NOT be an option. Hell, if I just had a couple of SWP pulleys laying around this would be easier to eyeball but if I might have to swap pumps there's no sense in buying any.

 

Frustrated? Moi'?! I'm past that. This and final mounting of the darned fan are some of the final things I need to do.

 

[ June 06, 2001: Message edited by: BLKMGK ]

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

That proform unit is a small case, same one I run. Transdapt makes a $25 chromed steel bracket to put it beside your balancer on the drivers side, it bolts on the two bosses on your engine block and works SLICK IMO. Dead low/protected on my setup by my splashpan. BTW, my '100A' unit tested out at in the 70-80A range somewhere Or my vette one puts it b/t head and fender or above valve cover, I took the lower 'reverse' route prior to my transdapt...and before that had a header/vette bolt on ala 60's style, still have that bracket tooo.

[BLKMGK]

Okay, try #2! #$@!! computer!

 

Firstly, thank for the advice on the low mount. I had thought that it would NOT work due to the setback plates. I also appreciate you telling me I got a small case alternator, I think Pete's might be even smaller though

 

IF low mount will work the some of th eMarch billet stuff should work too. http://www.marchperformance.com/pg9.html has 3 setups that are nice. The Vbeltserpentine one looks good and could take A/C later on maybe. It doesn't include pullets but I think I can deal I will eyeball this again tonight, not having any pullies it's tough for me to know how far back the alternator will go. (sigh) If I can figure it out I'll try to flip the alternator to the passenger's side.

 

Thanks for bearing with me. I've been a little lost here and 99% of my friends haven't a clue about SBCs. The one friend that does got me the bracket for high mounting - right where my oil filter is mounted. It also used one of those long arms that I've seen flapping at idle at so many car cruises. I'll still post alternator dimensions and post how it works out in case anyone else is frustrated. I still think Pete's solution rules

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

If you can physically place your alt. directly beside your balancer at same horizontal level with ~3/4-1" air gap b/t the two then it should work fine. Sounds like you have oil filters on your inner fenders right their so you have to go high or low I suppose. Transdapt piece is so strong and simple if it does fit. As well having the balancer right their makes tension/belt swaps very easy and it's still triangulated plenty enough to prevent easy belt tossing like some quit vertical systems can allow. If I had a $300 bracket system I might want it all up high as well, I prefer it all down low with inner fenders as clear as possible as my ZX was so busy with crap in OE form it's quite obvious once it's been 'cleaned up' and you can see straight across the front of the motor with sizable gap to radiator and heads/valve covers/water pump (all Al) easily visible and accessible to clean or keep an eye on

[BLKMGK]

Ah - you're doing a ZX? In that case you've NOT got setback plates. You do have motor mounts though so perhaps it's 6 of one, half dozen of another.

 

The March 20215 setup comes out to the side 12.5 inches. That's getting close to the frame but I may have as much as a half inch to "spare". That sucker is $137 from Jegs with NO pulleys though (gulp).

 

I may just go for one of the other two other sets - they have pulleys, brackets, etc. but won't mount A/C that I can tell. I'll check out their prices if I can find them. Prices on V-belt pulley sets sans brackets from Jegs (March) are as high as $200. I think I'm back to the $300 mark but I get to keep my pump

 

The smartest move may be to forget the nice billet stuff, get the Transdapt unit, buy a couple of decent V belt pulleys for water and crank and sweat this after the car is running! If the Transdapt unit won't fit I won't be out much if anything. Swapping pumps is still an option if I must.

 

P.S. I think Pete must have one of the CS130 style alternators. Mine may be "small case" but the CS130s are tiny! Check this out -> http://www.marchperformance.com/pg52.html Polished instead of chrome, I like it. Want to bet it costs a ton? I'll measure my alternators case when I get a chance but there's almost no chance it's one of the 6inch units.

 

[ June 06, 2001: Message edited by: BLKMGK ]

[BLKMGK]

Ross, is this th eTransdapt unit you're talking about? -> javascript :popup1('http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=6904',650,450,'TRD9758');

 

If that doesn't work it's Transdapt #9758. $39 from Summit (shrug). Their pulley's aren't too hateful in price and while looking for this I think I might have found another part I needed

 

[ June 06, 2001: Message edited by: BLKMGK ]

[pparaska]

Jim, you're right. It's a CS130, and it's smaller than the small SI alternator. These are tricky alternators as the tolerances are very tight and a rebuilder has to really know what they are doing and have special tools to work on them.

 

The Street and Performance one I have, with AL fan and pulley on it was (I know, crazy!) $250. Hope it never goes bad! But I made my own bottom bracket and only had to by the adjusters (not in the picture Jim included above) an the cheaper V-belt pulleys. V-belts are cheap and you can get them ANYWHERE.

 

[ June 06, 2001: Message edited by: pparaska ]

[BLKMGK]

Yup, I figured as much If the tolerances are that tight though it's probably a pretty good unit. If that's what's on our Impalla it's lasted about 100K with no rebuild in sight.

 

I'm looking at the Transdapt lower mount, the Vintage Air mount which isn't pictured anywhere but my Chevy mag, and the March mount. I believe the March mount can be used with a V-belt. Wysco pullies from Jeg's in brushed aluminum w/nose cone are about $100. The Transdapt piece is $40 - FWIW Racesearch was HIGH on ALL of these parts.

 

I'm tempted to just order this tonight but am going to sleep on it. I think any of those three mounts will work but for a bit more the March piece sure is purty. If the TD piece was just $20 I'd jump on it and switch up later if I didn't like it but at double that cost it's not so easy to discard. Ross, is that piece even very visible? Sturdy? It looks like flat stock and not much to it. Pry on it to adjust?

 

Again, I appreciate the help on this guys. Yes, I sweat the little stuff sometimes. I DID finally get my bolts for the valve covers and get my throttle cable installed. Carb studs are too short for use with my carb heat shield though - TD sells taller ones cheap

[Guest Anonymous]

Jim,

 

Here is the pictures I have on my website (just published) of my A/C mount. The rest of the system isn't installed, but this is how I did the mount. I modified the mount MSA sent for the L6 engine, I cut it down and turned it over (its pretty much symetrical). 3x3 angle iron was then used to mount it to the block. I used the three holes in the left front head to mount it solid. I also have the long water pump. (Dude, you don't need a new pump, just buy the pump extensions to make it a long pump if thats what you need/want to run.)

Its not nearly as pretty as Petes setup, but its functional and will work for my usage.

 

For the alternator, I just use the brackets that mounts the alternator with a long stud (I used stainless all-thread cut to length) and a tube that is basically a spacer that goes to the right front head and with this setup is a bracket that bolts to the waterpump to hold the outside of that long stud square to the block, the top mount is a slide adjuster bracket. The brackets for the alternator were the cheap chrome Chinese parts available in most speed shops and cost less than maybe $20.00, with the stud and all that definitely under $30.00. Definitely not March stuff, but 10% of the price.

 

 

Heres a few foto's:

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Lone

 

[ June 06, 2001: Message edited by: lonehdrider ]

[BLKMGK]

East Coast Electric has a NICE piece. This may be the winner. Jegs sells this one - something between $75 and $88 and it might flip from side to side too.

 

Not flashy but looks solid. Cheaper than March and probably closer to the block. Pry to adjust, I'll live Just not sure what the difference is between the two of the mounts, Jeg's doesn't say. Guess I'll hunt up another source and see. Fun 'n games!

[Modern Motorsports Ltd]

** Here, I dug up the PN for the one I've described. Transdapt 42720, cost me $37US. Chromed steel**

 

Mine uses the same two bolt holes with the lower hole on the mount slotted. Also doesn't have any of that extra front arm, just a 'rear' arm that's more subtle wrapping around the alt and still grabbing the same two alt. bosses but from the backside (ie. 1-2" from front face), not the front which allows it to be a LOT smaller/tighter than that one you show. One single C with one end straightened a bit, barely larger overall than the alt. case itself.

 

[ June 09, 2001: Message edited by: Ross C ]

[BLKMGK]

Okay guys - low mount alternator on a JTR setback Z is a big NO-GO! It obviously works on a ZX that's not got setback plates in the way but this puppy hits the crossmember, setback plates. You name it - it hits it. Drat! I don't think a more tucked up bracket will help - SWP only spaces this sucker about an inch from the motor and the setback plates are right there.

 

Looks like I'm going LWP and with a setup like Lone's if I can source the brackets. I'll take a loss on the pump but it'll be done at last. Boy was the SWP a bad idea for me.

 

Lone - you got your brackets from a local shop. I'm going to hunt through Summit and Jeg's for something like them - wish me luck! Bleah!