New clokker-inspired junkard greatness: Adjustable (FD) Alternator Bracket!
 

One thing that has always bugged me about the fc is the lazy ass alt bracket. Its like the real engineers went to lunch and let the interns design it. Lets consider its qualities:

- Weak
- Easily tweaked/deformed (which contributes to alt bearing and belt failures)
- Doesn't hold tension for shit (leads to low alt voltage, the last thing fc electrical systems need)
- Works poorly w/ the double belt alt pillows most of us consider mandatory
+ Its light and simple

I've always wondered why we didn't get an adjustable bracket like the fd, cosmo or any other well engineered car. I even inquired about obtaining a cosmo bracket from forum members, but most stay w/the long block, or the alt if that is sold separately.

The Solution:
While at the yard for other items, I found an alt that resembled an fd unit w/ bracket attached, it looked the party so I picked it up. Unfortunately, although it fit great, it was about 1cm too short even at max adjustment. (Bear in mind this is on am fd alt, I would imagine it works fine on an s4/s5 unit)

On my next trip I happened to glance into an Toyota Camry engine bay w/ alt removed, and saw a bracket that looked similar but taller...hmmm. Got it home and it was like it was meant to be!

Pics coming soon...

interesting perhaps this could work for a taurus alt as well. would definitely be better than having to make a ghetto addition to the stock bracket or a whole bracket from scratch. any chance you are able to test the fitment with the taurus alt? otherwise what year/engine camry so i can test it out?

So are you using an FD alternator? Or does it simply resemble the FD alt bracket?

lets see this thing

The OP uses an FD alternator. I'm curious to see what he has come up with.

Okay thanks, was confused a bit at first.

I'm interested. The FD alternator doesn't have a threaded hole like the FC alts, so you end having to put a nut on the back side too. I always have to get someone to hold the prybar under the alternator while I get two wrenches on it.

Would this work with the larger Taurus alternator?

I'd like to see some clokker inspired blurry, out of focus pictures.

Followed by a wordy explanation of why it seemed like a good idea but didn't quite work out.

^
Pff... just take a look at any of my threads.

Oh, that's right. For instance :

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/alternator-belt-tensioner-pictures-977947/

In the end, it still works, but kind of sucks at the same time. It needs some more clokker-style finagaling, then it'll really be out to lunch. Or, maybe it'll work better. :lol:

Sorry for the delay, apparently google+ doesn't like to let you grab pic url's via phone, but I digress...
It should, the stock bracket is plenty long enough, I won't be testing that personally because the Taurus alt is hideous and will never be a part of my engine bay :lol:

Just for you...

Stock bracket next to the camry bracket.

***Please note, the bracket was originally silver in color with a galvanized looking finish, I painted the bracket black before taking pictures, so if you go look for one, don't expect it to look like this***
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M...AE/s884/12+-+5

Installed.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-U...DA/s884/12+-+4

Side view.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-p...yQ/s663/12+-+2

Back side attachment. I wasn't using the stock bolt, because as RotaryRocket pointed out the FD alt does not have a threaded hole, so it was long enough to fit, however if the bolt you are currently using is just barely long enough to fit through the stock bracket and FD mounting ear you will need to source a longer one....no biggie.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g...k4/s884/12+-+1

Fitment is close to the front mounting bolt, but not dangerous. Not sure if you can see in this pic, but I added two 5/16 (iirc) washers between the waterpump and the back side of the bracket to space it out a little. In retrospect, I don't know if this is really necessary.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X...mk/s884/12+-+3

bracket
 

My late fd alternator bracket sits a little closer 2 that bolt :(
and it did not clear my strut bar without some mods.

Very cool, one more thing to put on the shopping list.

looks good what year and model camry did you find this in so i can grab one to test with a taurus alt

One additional note:
In stock form the bracket fits fine (although it sits a little higher than stock). I have a sexy style vented hood and the adjustment bolt on top hit the lip of the vent which dips down above the alt.

I remedied this by re-drilling the bracket mounting hole roughly 1" higher and .5" further outside. This dropped the bracket to the height of the alt and clears my vented hood. This would not be necessary w/ a stock hood, but some might prefer the asthetic appeal of a lower bracket.
pics to follow....
I am currently refinishing my Infini strut bar, so I havent tested that yet, it looks like it will be very close indeed. Not that it matters much since the infini bar doesn't clear the hood....yet:wink:

Don't recall exactly, but im pretty sure it was a mid 90's 4cyl, because there was a lot of room in the engine bay and the bracket was pretty far forward on the pass side.

I think I may have found it in the Camry '92-'96 parts catalog. It looks like it's the right shape.

Brkt, Alternator Adj., PN 12514-74012, $7.29

I'm guessing it was 7 bucks in 1996, but maybe it's still cheap. I'll call up the local Toyota parts dept. to see. I don't have any junkyards nearby.

http://www.turboninjas.com/camry/gen3_part_list.pdf

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1337881402

http://www.toyotapartseast.com/parts...ator-belt.html

i found it and its still cheap 8.20 brand new. they probably would charge just as much from a junk yard.

I just ordered one from Toyota for $14 w/ tax. Not quite the $8.20 you found it for, but at least I don't have to pay for shipping (picking up on Saturday). If it's wrong, I'll just return it on the spot.

Time to hijack this thread!

I tried to fit an fd alternator to my s5 na... Its not stock i bought a reman from aap. The back of the alternator is hitting the front housing hook. Is it the alternator or i did something wrong or it fits turbo model perfectly but not na?

I am going to send my stock s5 alternator for a rebuild and upgrade soon, and i already returned the aap alternator. Just curious thats all.

I could see it hitting there. The engine lift point on an S5 NA does have to sit forward a good amount to clear the UIM. S4 NA sits back more and the TIIs have the intercooler bracket instead.

Nice finds! hopefully that's the right one, it certainly looks the part. I actually paid $10 for mine from the junk yard, but that particular yard is run by a bunch of rip off artists. It would have been $2-5 at the yard I prefer to patronize.

As promised, here are pics of the OPTIONAL modifications I made to my bracket to clear my vented hood:

Its hard to tell here but I scored the top portion of the bracket to figure out how much adjustment range I could afford to chop off. I don't remember exactly how much it was but it was more than 1".
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O...RM/s884/12+-+1

I then took that measurement and marked that far up from the top of the standard mounting hole, I also moved the hole about a 1/4" outboard to make sure the bracket didn't hit the CAS since the curved portion of the bracket would sit lower.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-b...Ts/s884/12+-+2

I mounted it up and it fit fine just like that, but I went back and cut off the bottom portion of the bracket because it just looked silly.

I really like this solution. Beautiful find. This will come in handy when my car is back on the road someday, lol.

Update.

I just picked up my bracket, and it is indeed the same one. But I found that Toyota, in their infinite wisdom, sells the slider piece and adjuster screw separately.

Bolt: 90080-10223, $1.48
Slider: 16385-20010, $8.83

So now I'll have to wait for those to ship in. The guy also told me that the bolt has been discontinued, so there is a limited supply still available. But from the look of it, it's one that could easily be found at a hardware store.

I Dig it! Doing this when my engine comes back.=)