TECH home-made alternator mount

Here's my home-made alternator mount. I didn't want an ugly alternator sitting up on top of my engine or hanging out the side, so I got this little chrome 60 amp Nippondenso one that I think came originally on ~86 to ~89 cheap models of Toyota and Suzuki cars (Swift and Samurai I think). There wasn't room for a bigger one down there between my steering box and the engine block. I hung it sort of upside down from how it would normally be mounted, with the fixed bolt on top and the adjuster arm on bottom.

I just figured out where I wanted it and put it in the location where it would have the most swing for adjusting the tension on the fan belt. Then I cut up pieces of a thick manila folder to figure out how to make the brackets. Once I had a cardboard bracket that worked, I made it out of steel.

I made the main bracket out of 3/8" steel plate. I made the "cup" part at the top of it out of a slice from the side of some steel tubing with two plates on the ends. I left about .050 clearance in between the end plates and the long mounting boss on the alternator so that it would be able to swivel for adjustment at the top end. After making the main bracket, I bolted the alternator onto it and made a template for the lower bracket and cut that bracket out of 1/4" steel plate. When I figured out how far forward the lower bracket needed to stick out from the first bracket, I made some spacers out of some thick wall DOM tubing, which I welded onto the first bracket. It felt really solid, but I didn't like the idea of having just two 3/8" bolts hold the whole alternator mount to the engine, so I made a 1" x 3/16" tab that headed out the rear, and then made a separate 1" x 3/16" bar that linked that tab back to the front motor mount bolt. It's solid as a rock now. I sanded things smooth and painted it with some engine enamel.

Yeah, I know -- Nippondenso isn't exactly traditional hot rod material, but tucked down there by the steering box, it'll go pretty much unnoticed.

 

Cool, I am looking at one that mounts low like that and they cost between $60-80. I might have to make my own too.

 

That looks like it works out great,I have one of those little alts I may have to use it now.

 

Congratulations, you graduate, you found a problem, thought about it, saw a possible solution, worked it up, made the patterns, changed what needed, and now have a self-made part that works!
It's all downhill from there.

 

Yep, small block Chevy and a Vega box. The cardboard patterns already went into the trash, and I have mounted the alternator onto the engine hopefully for the last time, so sorry no patterns. But maybe those pictures will give you a head start making your own.

When I bought the alternator at a swap meet, the booth selling them just referred to it as a "mini 60 amp". It's made by NipponDenso. It's even smaller than some of the other "mini" ones that I saw in other booths.

 

I saw an article somewhere (maybe here on the HAMB) where some guy took a little alternator, stuck it in a tube with generator end cap on the back... stealth alternator.

But anyway, these alternators work pretty well; don't weigh a ton.

-bill

 

it looks like a suzuki samurai alt. i have a few, i'll go drag one up and double check for you.

 

I'd like to see that.

 

mid to late 80's Toyotas used these. Pretty durable little guys.
Yeah, you just stick em in a tube and secure them straight and true, it looks like a generator. Just make sure to keep the air flow fairly decent so they wont overheat.

 

Any body know of a store bought mount that can be used this way for this same alternator?

 

Not available in stores.

 

I like that . Small and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb .

 

I've got a similar set up.

 

Wow , you guys do great work !
Guess I will have to get rid of my rusty hack saw !