Ghetto Fab AC delete + alternator relocate using factory AC bracket
08-05-2013, 04:06 AM
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Ghetto Fab AC delete + alternator relocate using factory AC bracket
I live in south texas. It gets hot here, and we generally like our AC. However my system was inop, totally empty, and I got bored today. I gutted all the lines, the dryer, the condenser, and the compressor. I had read somewhere that it was possible to simply bolt the alternator in place of the AC on the factory bracket and then bolt the tensioner to it. I didn't really believe this but I went ahead and pulled off my alternator too only to find that I was right, and there is absolutely no way you can do that. While I had the tensioner bolted up though, I got an idea to fab up some really ghetto brackets out of 1/4" steel because I still wanted to relocate the alternator down low and damnit I just went through the trouble of pulling it!
When you line the pulley of the alternator up with the crank, the front mounting ear on the alternator almost perfectly lines up flush with the front compressor mounting hole. A simple straight piece of steel and 2 bolts and nuts should secure the front end, one for the front AC mounting hole and one just below it to go through the front alternator ear. For the rear a long ~4-5 inch bolt will go through the bracket before threading into the rear hole for the compressor. It will be shimmed up with a ~1 inch steel spacer or a bunch of washers to bring the bracket out straight up and down because the rear alternator mounting ear sits just in front of the rear compressor mount hole. Another bolt will go through the bottom of that bracket and through the rear alternator mounting ear, secured with a nut. Then you just use a shorter belt ( havnt figured out the proper length yet, but I'm thinking something around 35 inches or 890 mm should do it ) and tension normally.
I dont have pictures yet because I'll be making the brackets tomorrow, So I tried to explain it the best I could. I think this is just as elegant as the 5$ VW bracket solution, but with the added benefit of moving the alternator down lower and using the factory tensioner. What do you guys think? would 3/8" steel be better, or is that overkill?
lol I would just get an AC delete bracket ( would prefer it) but I kind of didn't think this one through before starting to turn a wrench and now I only have 1 and a half days to get my car running so I needed to design, fab, and implement something fast and simple.
When you line the pulley of the alternator up with the crank, the front mounting ear on the alternator almost perfectly lines up flush with the front compressor mounting hole. A simple straight piece of steel and 2 bolts and nuts should secure the front end, one for the front AC mounting hole and one just below it to go through the front alternator ear. For the rear a long ~4-5 inch bolt will go through the bracket before threading into the rear hole for the compressor. It will be shimmed up with a ~1 inch steel spacer or a bunch of washers to bring the bracket out straight up and down because the rear alternator mounting ear sits just in front of the rear compressor mount hole. Another bolt will go through the bottom of that bracket and through the rear alternator mounting ear, secured with a nut. Then you just use a shorter belt ( havnt figured out the proper length yet, but I'm thinking something around 35 inches or 890 mm should do it ) and tension normally.
I dont have pictures yet because I'll be making the brackets tomorrow, So I tried to explain it the best I could. I think this is just as elegant as the 5$ VW bracket solution, but with the added benefit of moving the alternator down lower and using the factory tensioner. What do you guys think? would 3/8" steel be better, or is that overkill?
lol I would just get an AC delete bracket ( would prefer it) but I kind of didn't think this one through before starting to turn a wrench and now I only have 1 and a half days to get my car running so I needed to design, fab, and implement something fast and simple.
08-05-2013, 08:13 PM
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5 dollar AC delete/alt relocation bracket is a success 
I had some doubts about this one, but it totally works. I made it out of 1x1/4" steel. I ended up using a 765mm belt and had to grind off ~1/8" off the upper right hand alternator cooling shroud stud ( if you are looking at the alt from behind ) in order for it to clear my front sway bar ( it hangs that low ). Obviously you can not run the cooling shroud with the alt that low unless you run with no front sway bar. The factory wire harness just barely reaches, any lower and it would not have. I'll get some pictures up as soon as my phone wants to cooperate. Cheers gents
I had some doubts about this one, but it totally works. I made it out of 1x1/4" steel. I ended up using a 765mm belt and had to grind off ~1/8" off the upper right hand alternator cooling shroud stud ( if you are looking at the alt from behind ) in order for it to clear my front sway bar ( it hangs that low ). Obviously you can not run the cooling shroud with the alt that low unless you run with no front sway bar. The factory wire harness just barely reaches, any lower and it would not have. I'll get some pictures up as soon as my phone wants to cooperate. Cheers gents
