Bent my alternator bracket - should I be worried?
I have tried several different Mercedes "star" alternator bolts on my '78 300D and I just can't get them to work right - they will not tighten the belt enough. So, I have replaced the star bolt with a regular steel bolt, washers, and a nut from a hardware store (about the same size).
With a little leverage applied at the right place I was able to get the belt tight to FSM specs, but... I kept tightening the bolt/nut not realizing that I was bending the bracket in with the bolt. I stopped and everything seems tight and I drove the car for 750 miles w/o any loosening of the belt at all, but I have another 1400 miles to go to get home. Should I be concerned that this 'fix' is going to give out on me? And, can you still buy this bracket, or salvage item only? ryan |
Bracket is for sale on this site. Do you have the cylindrical spacer for that top "star" bolt? I'm guessing you don't since that bracket is bent.
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Cylindrical spacer???
Wow! $122 for that bracket! I don't have time to order it online before we leave for home - I guess if it held for 750 miles already, it will get me home - I hope. ryan |
As you said. If it's lasted this long then hopefully it will get you home. I would think that you can remove the alternator and bend that bracket back into position.
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How true is the belt riding in the pulley groove? If there is not a lot of skew, causing the belt to rub or pull down on the pulley shaft, you should make it home.
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It's been a while since I've replaced my belt, but from what I remember, the bracket, only serves to give you some tension, not to hold the belt in place - if it was hard to move in the first place, you may have missed loosening a bolt somewhere. (I want to say that I remember one being hidden, because I do remembering starting to bend mine, when I stopped and looked around some more).
Good Luck! |
Is there some kind of spacer that I am possibly missing - that prevents you from over-tightening and bending the bracket?
The belt looks like its riding pretty true to the pulley and it is still tight. Also, there are only 2 bolts on this alternator - a pivot bolt at the bottom and the 'star' bolt. I don't have trouble moving the alternator- just getting the belt to tighten right while adjusting the star bolt. I finally used a pry bar and a regular steel bolt and nut to get it tight. ryan |
nope, no spacer... stupid design really.
and there are 3 bolts holding the alternator... one holds the main bracket to the block, the other two go through the alternator into this bracket they all need to be loose to adjust properly, and they ALL need to be tight after you have the adjustment out of the belt. |
But you only have to loosen 2 to adjust the alternator, right? The third just holds the bracket to the block - correct?
ryan |
sort of... the angle of the bracket needs to change as you loosen and tighten the alternator. so it's best to loosen all three.
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I had a similar problem on my 107. .I could work the star bolt to the top of the bracket and the belt wouldn't be tight enough, I replaced the bolt (as I had destroyed the star part and got a belt that was one inch smaller (I guess autozone's computer was wrong, not surprising) and that did the trick.
Be sure you bang all the bolts loose to remove any set in grime, the intracices of the tightening system foul up with oil and dirt. Be sure to loosen the non adjusting bolt first then remove the back bolt off the star bolt and lightly tap it with the nut on, it should come off without damaging the self tightening system...I learned all this the hard way. . . |
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Are you sure that section of the bracket the adjustment rod goes through is "boxed" so to speak. I think when some people replace these alternators they bend away that section of the bracket to make it easier to install the adjusting bolt and then never bend it back under. There's no way that bracket is going to bend if that box section is in place. That's what it's there for, to prevent bending. Check page 69 of a Performance Parts catalogue. The brackets facing backwards but you should be able to see what I mean.
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rgnprof, this is the spacer I was trying to describe. I hope this helps.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...ternator-1.jpg |
Do'h... sorry, I missed the 78 part...
I can take a look at my 78 and get back to you... |
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