Advice on fitting JE Alternator bracket please?

Advice on fitting JE Alternator bracket please?

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Tyre Tread

Original Poster:

10,525 posts

215 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
quotequote all
I decided that since the bearing on the alternator adjustment pulley on my car is on the way out I'd fit the JE alternator bracket conversion.

From the pictures in this thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... it looks like the adjustment bracket fastens to one of the water pump bolts.

When I offer up the alternator the front alternator bracket doesn't seem to naturally line up (front to back of car orientation) with the water pump bolts so it would put a strain on them.

Am I missing something here?

phazed

21,844 posts

203 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
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You have to use a spacer in between the bracket and the alternator.

Tyre Tread

Original Poster:

10,525 posts

215 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
quotequote all
Ah OK, thanks Peter.

You'd have thought JE Eng would have made that clear and maybe supplied the spacer.

Any idea on size of spacer?

TV8

3,118 posts

174 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
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Tyre Tread said:
Ah OK, thanks Peter.

You'd have thought JE Eng would have made that clear and maybe supplied the spacer.

Any idea on size of spacer?
When I ordered mine, I asked JE if the kit included everything and he suggested I might need to make a spacer. I explained that wasn't possible and he supplied one. I would have thought it should be included as standard as well.

I also took advantage of Phazed fitting services and from memory, i needed a different belt, so a good job I was at Peters!

carsy

3,018 posts

164 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
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Just pack it with some washers to fill the gap.

Pupp

12,206 posts

271 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
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And have fun working out which way round (and up) the banana bracket goes hehe

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
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Pupp said:
And have fun working out which way round (and up) the banana bracket goes hehe
rofl that old chestnut laugh

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
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Maybe this might help the OP'er

phazed

21,844 posts

203 months

Saturday 25th March 2017
quotequote all
That's upside down smile

Tyre Tread

Original Poster:

10,525 posts

215 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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carsy said:
Just pack it with some washers to fill the gap.
That's what I was thinking about doing.

I saw the discussion on right way up banana brackets on the earlier thread I posted the link to.

I like the idea of the rose joint adjuster and once I've measure the size needed its probably the route I'll go down.

One more thing. The way I've mounted the alternator for now has the vents on the top. Shouldn't the vents be on the bottom to avoid water ingress?



phazed

21,844 posts

203 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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I don't think that matters. Mine has been like that for some time on two cars .

Hedgehopper

1,537 posts

243 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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The rose joint adjuster adds a nice bit of bling. Many opinions as to how the supplied bracket fits!


Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Hedgehopper said:
The rose joint adjuster adds a nice bit of bling. Many opinions as to how the supplied bracket fits!

You will need to grind the bracket or alternator to fit it like the above scratchchin but fit it what ever way suits your needs, I settled on this method after thinking about it with a M8 rose joint at the other end ...............



Edited by Sardonicus on Sunday 26th March 12:19

Tyre Tread

Original Poster:

10,525 posts

215 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
So what we are saying is that for a supposed engineering company this is the worst conversion kit ever!

No short bottom bolts supplied to mount the new bracket (3/16UNC? Length?).

No spacer provided (or even mentioned) to bring the banana bracket in line with the alternator mounting hole.

The bracket supplied needs to be modified to fit.

It doesn't strike me a as a good idea/good practice to use a water pump mounting bolt to mount the an alternator bracket.

Oh and no mention of the fact a new pulley belt will be needed nor the required length.


Pupp

12,206 posts

271 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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It's an effective and well engineered product for possible application across multiple and potentially very different variants of intermediate and later versions of the RV8 designed by the originator of that basic iteration of the engine that gets used in umpteen configurations.

It assumes some basic mechanical aptitude and nous from the user who wants to modify and capably facilitates that.

it's not offered as nor could it realistically ever be a TVR specific bolt-on.

Read, ask, and adapt to suit what you want to do; it's worth the time/thinking investment for the weight and space saving; maybe you'll improve on what we have done and documented; satisfaction to be had if so.

Or maybe just change the shagged tensioner and forget the fact tbat modding rarely invoves stuff that fits itself...

sparkythecat

7,898 posts

254 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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Please would someone explain what problem this mod is designed to overcome ?
I thought that the belt tensioner took up any slack in the belt negating the need to adjust the alternator position and also enabled the belt to be changed without any spannering.

confused

Pupp

12,206 posts

271 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Problems are in the eye of the beholder. The bracket enables a much more minimal install, and eliminates a mechanically redundant tensioner that is a frequent cause of problems. And expensive to service/replace sometimes.
Also, the JE bracket allows the massive and heavy oem casting to be deleted. Less weight, consumed space, and sacrificial drag from tbe tensioner and longer belt.

Maybe not for the Stealth cam and smoothbore elbow brigade but a no- brainer for serious development.

Like roller rockers and shaft pedastels but no-one does those either as TVR mileages are minimal and not usually at any revs (generalising i know)

Tyre Tread

Original Poster:

10,525 posts

215 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Thanks Gary, I think we both know I'm not a stranger to spanners but surely one might reasonably expect the necessary short bolts to be provided?

As for multiple applications, where does it say that?

Until I moved house I had shed loads of bolts (3/8" rather than 3/16" as I said earlier).

As for weight saving I don't think a kilo or so is going to make much difference. My reason for changing to the JE bracket was to simplify the system so reduce failure points.

TBH I wish I hadn't bothered its a complete pain in the arse! Should have stuck with the original and changed the bearing.

Now have to trawl various places for suitable bolts and a new belt of the right size.

phazed

21,844 posts

203 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
All very true.

For me, it was getting rid of the huge self adjusting gubbins..
It's also very much neatened up the front of the engine.
Once the new system is adjusted I have never yet had to re-adjust it so it is a win-win situation for me.




Pupp

12,206 posts

271 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
quotequote all
Tyre Tread said:
Thanks Gary, I think we both know I'm not a stranger to spanners but surely one might reasonably expect the necessary short bolts to be provided?

As for multiple applications, where does it say that?

Until I moved house I had shed loads of bolts (3/8" rather than 3/16" as I said earlier).

As for weight saving I don't think a kilo or so is going to make much difference. My reason for changing to the JE bracket was to simplify the system so reduce failure points.

TBH I wish I hadn't bothered its a complete pain in the arse! Should have stuck with the original and changed the bearing.

Now have to trawl various places for suitable bolts and a new belt of the right size.
Oh FFS, it's your car you are modifying for whatever reason; take ownership of what you are doing. It's not advertised as a TVR specific item as far as I have ever seen, but something that can fit Rover V8s (and does). Bolts and belts are hardly difficult to come by - the former for literally pennies plus the price of a stamp off Ebay; as for the necessity for the latter, what did you think would happen as a result of losing the tensioner pulley - did you expect the alternator to be sitting proud above the bonnet to take up the slack that obviously results?

Sorry Alan; I don't want to appear confrontational but your criticism is well off beam on this; it's not a bolt-on like a Leven stalk nor intended or marketed as such any more than a ported cylinder head or significantly different cam grind - all need some foresight, planning, and set-up to get the best from.

7PK1580 belt should drop right on and is a common part from factors