Alternator / Steering Shaft Arrangement

[Guest Dave E]

Hi there.

 

I've been jiggling this arrangement around for a day now, and don't seem to be getting anywhere...

 

Firstly, I've been putting off fitting the alternator, as I've heard all the stories of custom brackets, fitting it upside down etc. So I finally come to do it, and start by bolting it on exactly as it was in the donor, and it all seems fine. Am I missing something? It clears the steering shaft, and easily clears the exhaust manifold. All I've done is pulled it up tighter to the engine. Seems tooo easy ?

 

 

Secondly, I simply can't get the steering shaft to clear the chassis. I've tried moving the bush holder to both extremes, raising the rack up by 2", and even tried to bend the bush holder in a way which raises the shaft upwards, but it still just sits there rubbing the chassis. I am sure it won't go through an SVA like this. Any ideas? All I can think is that the pre-drilled locaters for holding the rack are too far left, and they want re-drilling to move the whole rack over a bit.

 

 

 

This might explain why the alternator clears the shaft anyway, LOL. What do you think guys? How much clearance do you get between the shaft and chassis ideally?

 

Cheers in advance

 

Dave

 

ps, its a 2001 2B.

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

dave, i made a custom bracket for my alternator(it was easy) i also had to raise the whole rack nearly 30mm, mine is a 2000 2b (its still not finished), it looks like you are using the original RH rack if you want i can have a look for my machined aluminium blocks for you to try if that helps. i have since changed my front suspenders and am now using the sierra rack. hope you can make sense of that

atb

[Guest Dave E]

Hi Andy. THanks for the reply mate.

 

I've raised me rack now by over 30mm and it still catches. The only way I can get it to clear is by angling the rack backwards, which raises the shaft, but creates a nasty joining angle. But if its the only way...

 

Are your blocks angled? If not, I'm afraid they will be no good If they are angled already, I will gladly give you a few quid for them, but I fear I may have to get some made up here.

 

Cheers for the info anyway......

[Guest Battery Bill]

Dave

Looks to me that you have a different rack than us our steering shaft ran straight up the middle of where the alternator would be. There was no way ours would fit with the original bracket, I think there is a lot of different types of bracket around as well.

We have put wedges on our rack because if we didnt the angle where it met the shaft was too great.

At least we have tons of clearance from the chassis! Only 12 mm from the exhaust though. How near is yours?

Have a look below at how we squezzed ours in.

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bill.b1/bill/.../pages/alt.html

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

the blocks i have are not angled but they could be they machined aluminum, but looking at you pictures my holes for the original rack seem to be about an inch to the right, which does cause a problem with the coloumn fouling on the fannymould. i have just last night tightend all the colomun and steering up i could post a photo of what i have done and one of the blocks to give you a better idea. but it wont be for a week as i'm going away. they are comming to take me away ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to long in a garage and not enough sunlight!!

rgds

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

oooooh one thing i have noticed before you do any more to the steering have a look at the rad !!!! try that in there are bits you have to chop of the rad to make it fit round the coloumn

[Guest Dave E]

Andy- Have a good week- I'll look forward to the pics when you get back. If you think your old blocks could be machined at an angle, then I'll take them with pleasure! It will be easier than starting from scratch.

 

bill- Very nice site you have there. I read it through a few nights ago, and you gave me the idea of wedges. Your rack looks different I agree. Mine basically runs parallel with the chassis tube. I have 0 clearance with the chassis (it rubs), and about 10mm from the manifold. This is when the rack is mounted at the normal angle. Raising it makes about 1mm difference. When I angle it however, I can get as much clearance as I need... so this is what I will do, although it will be in the opposite direction to your wedges. I will just have to live with the notchy steering it may produce, as its better than it knocking the chassis! :angry:

 

 

At least I had an easy job with the alternator

[Guest Guy]

When you start and rev your engine it rocks a lot, I suspect it will rock enough for your alternator to hit the stearing shaft.

[Guest Tony Tank]

H i Dave, some of the lads I have spoken to with similar problems have fitted tappered spacers under their racks, this lifts and kicks the shaft away from the chassis. hope this helps. Tony

[Guest mark kingston]

My car too has the alternator fitted as per the original with just a shorter belt fitted

(it is a early sliding pillar model) and i raised the rack by 25mm and every thing clears and went through SVAs ago now and has covered 1300 miles with no problems with this arrangement.

mind i did have to cut the rad lugs to clear the steering shaft and i also needed to flat the chassis tube locally by the pedal box to clear the knuckle where it joined to the steering column.

my car has the instrument cluster mounted above the steering column as it was from the first batch.

bye for now

Mark kingston

[Guest Andy Rathbone]

i'm back from my hols. North devon is nice great hood country, just wish mine was finished. steering rack blocks ive found them and i will be at Donny on sunday. if you want them still i will bring them. drop us a PM lets us know

[Guest brummy-ade]

andy hope you ok and hol was good could you bring that grill with you on sunday mate?

Are you sure you can come tho as you are wasting precious building time!!!!