I was looking for an alternative on my racecar. Most people don't run an alternator on their cars. They bring a generator to the track and a battery charger and hook the charger up every chance they get. Well that just doesn't make much sense to me. There is plenty of data to be found on the horsepower losses of running an alternator (less than 1 HP) or having the battery voltage dropping off over a long race because of only running off the battery (significant HP losses).
Because of space problems and my power steering pump is located on the left side head. I needed to mount it in front of the right side head. I was able to find a triple pulley for the water pump. 1st groove is crank to water pump. 2nd groove is crank, water pump to power steering. And the 3rd outside groove is a smaller one and would be for the alternator alone.
I bought the cheapest GM alternator I could find at Autozone for $22. I called the junkyard and told them I needed a destroyed alternator to use for a core, they gave me one no charge.
Here is where the alt would be mounted. I bought an oversize pulley so it would be slightly under driven. I didn't want to spin a $22 alternator at 7500 rpm.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/164362_1551194535618_2557051_n.jpg
Here is a shot of the basic idea. Some pieces of flat stock bent in place. Bolted between the water pump and the head.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/166147_1551251537043_7910101_n.jpg
Here it is with some plates for strength.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/167993_1551271817550_7369585_n.jpg
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/162618_1551275697647_114483_n.jpg
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/168771_1551275937653_646332_n.jpg
In place and tacked together. I added a small piece of square tubing as the spacer between the alternator and the head. I would later have a longer one made instead of shimming it with washers. You will notice the top plate is much smaller. This allows clearance to tip the alternator forward to get the belt on and off.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/167698_1551307818450_6901340_n.jpg
Another shot from the bottom.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/165576_1551294218110_8380343_n.jpg
Here it is in the car. I used a radius rod to the opposite head to put tension on the belt.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/180563_1567690868016_174014_n.jpg
All the steel was scraps I had laying around the shop. The radius rod is off an actuator door cylinder (also free).
It was fun to fabricate it. It was a simple design and easy to do. And it would work well for your street/strip guys looking for a simple fix to a common problem on SBC's.
Because of space problems and my power steering pump is located on the left side head. I needed to mount it in front of the right side head. I was able to find a triple pulley for the water pump. 1st groove is crank to water pump. 2nd groove is crank, water pump to power steering. And the 3rd outside groove is a smaller one and would be for the alternator alone.
I bought the cheapest GM alternator I could find at Autozone for $22. I called the junkyard and told them I needed a destroyed alternator to use for a core, they gave me one no charge.
Here is where the alt would be mounted. I bought an oversize pulley so it would be slightly under driven. I didn't want to spin a $22 alternator at 7500 rpm.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/164362_1551194535618_2557051_n.jpg
Here is a shot of the basic idea. Some pieces of flat stock bent in place. Bolted between the water pump and the head.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/166147_1551251537043_7910101_n.jpg
Here it is with some plates for strength.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/167993_1551271817550_7369585_n.jpg
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/162618_1551275697647_114483_n.jpg
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/168771_1551275937653_646332_n.jpg
In place and tacked together. I added a small piece of square tubing as the spacer between the alternator and the head. I would later have a longer one made instead of shimming it with washers. You will notice the top plate is much smaller. This allows clearance to tip the alternator forward to get the belt on and off.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/167698_1551307818450_6901340_n.jpg
Another shot from the bottom.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/165576_1551294218110_8380343_n.jpg
Here it is in the car. I used a radius rod to the opposite head to put tension on the belt.
https://sphotos.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/180563_1567690868016_174014_n.jpg
All the steel was scraps I had laying around the shop. The radius rod is off an actuator door cylinder (also free).
It was fun to fabricate it. It was a simple design and easy to do. And it would work well for your street/strip guys looking for a simple fix to a common problem on SBC's.
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