Discussion
On my way home tonight and all of a sudden there was a squeel and a clunk, followed by the sound of something metallic hitting the road underneath. Pulled over at the service station only to find that the bolt has sheared from the JE alternator clamp tensioner. I'm now sitting in the BP at Dover awaiting recovery. Was looking forward to getting home and drinking a Leffe, but I've had to make do with a bag of licorice allsorts in the forecourt 
Eclipse Recovery saved the old girl with a temporary fix (see below), which beats the back of a recovery truck. Got home about 02:00 
Anyway, I'm not sure what happened to the old bolt, whether it came loose or the constant vibration caused a slight movement of the bracket. Together with the heat and pressure, the metal fatigue caused the bolt to fail and snap. I'm going to use a threaded bolt this time (like the temp fix) and secure it with locking nuts both ends and on each side of the bracket. This should reduce the small sideways vibrations on the area under load from the bracket and add a little support. I'll get a few spares too!
I was consiering removing the insert collars on the alternator, drilling the JE clamp and increasing the bolt size from 8mm to 10mm. Good/ bad/ indifferent idea?
Goaty, I'll light a candle for each modification and do 50 hail Trevors this morning! Dave on the other hand will need a 40ft container of candles, several packets of Tunes and a few weeks of hail Trevors before he can repent his mod sins!
Temp fix to bracket
Anyway, I'm not sure what happened to the old bolt, whether it came loose or the constant vibration caused a slight movement of the bracket. Together with the heat and pressure, the metal fatigue caused the bolt to fail and snap. I'm going to use a threaded bolt this time (like the temp fix) and secure it with locking nuts both ends and on each side of the bracket. This should reduce the small sideways vibrations on the area under load from the bracket and add a little support. I'll get a few spares too!
I was consiering removing the insert collars on the alternator, drilling the JE clamp and increasing the bolt size from 8mm to 10mm. Good/ bad/ indifferent idea?
Goaty, I'll light a candle for each modification and do 50 hail Trevors this morning! Dave on the other hand will need a 40ft container of candles, several packets of Tunes and a few weeks of hail Trevors before he can repent his mod sins!
Temp fix to bracket
it came loose and fell out guvor 
try another 8mm bolt and a K nut (lock nut) 
Chuffmeister said:
Okay, new bolt it and nylocs, plus Loctite it is! Thanks for the words of wisdom as always!
Put a stud fixing in the elongated part of the adjuster bracket too while your at it 
this way when you adjust the bracket you don't disturb the water-pump gasket seal 
when paper gaskets age they only need you look at them before weeping occurs 
it goes stud washer half nut washer it also get rid on the gap at the top which can be seen in your shot Chuffmeister said:
Okay, new bolt it and nylocs, plus Loctite it is! Thanks for the words of wisdom as always!
Put a stud fixing in the elongated part of the adjuster bracket too while your at it this way when you adjust the bracket you don't disturb the water-pump gasket seal when paper gaskets age they only need you look at them before weeping occurs it goes stud washer half nut washer it also get rid on the gap at the top which can be seen in your shot 
That alternator bracket appears to be fitted the other way up compared to pic. in Hedgehopper post below..........
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Hedgehopper said:
That alternator bracket appears to be fitted the other way up compared to pic. in Hedgehopper post below..........
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
you mean the wrong way in the other post http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I tried a few permutations too 
Nothing wrong with it mechanically but it's big lump, heavy, and results in the alternator being packaged less compactly than is otherwise possible. The JE replacement is very neat and minimalist (if prone to banana bracket debate) and has the added benefit of deleting the idler/tensioner pulley on non-AC cars.
Thank you. Concise and informative.
Replaced my tensioner a couple of months ago - there was play in it. But it does have the benefit for numpties like me that it sets the tension correctly in the belt. ......though I first did that on my old Mini in 1971 without the aid of a tensioner, so no reason why I couldn't do it again now.
Replaced my tensioner a couple of months ago - there was play in it. But it does have the benefit for numpties like me that it sets the tension correctly in the belt. ......though I first did that on my old Mini in 1971 without the aid of a tensioner, so no reason why I couldn't do it again now.
phazed said:
Neatness up the front end.
BTW, I like my banana bracket that way up!
I can vouch for Peters front end BTW, I like my banana bracket that way up!
seriously though both his 4.6 and 5.5 looked so tidy and bare you could almost mistake it for a V6 there is so much less clutter fit that bracket on properly though ya lazy sod Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff