We helped a lady sell a T-roadster pickup that was glass and very nicely built by her late husband. The all standard 302DZ was sold separately for a very substantial price and the now dressed out 305 installed made the bucket bring low five figures. Now for the strange part; the alternator bracket was mounted onto the 9" Ford pinion flange bolts and a V belt pulley was on the pinion. Either a kit (no markings) or done by a skilled machinist. I would guess the T was of the 1970's era, was this something done then? Didn't like the idea of something as heavy as an alternator hopping up and down with the rear end so engine mounted on the 305.
I remember it being a short fad. Didn't take long when the batteries started dying under street use vs all out racing.
I think it actually started with the roundy-round racers, the high bank type of cars in particular (who knows why it started?). After all, you don't want water and such around electrical components. Saw an ad just yesterday, but I did't read it or remember who it was posted by, but it was this setup. Seems a T-Bucket would sell for more than 5K+/-, even with a 305 that could push it along just fine. Having a hidden alternator would clean up the front end of an open air car. Good of you to help a widow out!!! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Yup, kinda one of the "trick-of-the-week" deals in street rodding, to hide as many components as possible. Then came the "smoothing", etc. & hideous creations 'cause everyone wanted to start a new fad. Bleahh... Marcus...
I've seen Nascar style 9" pinion flanges with V-belt drives for sale however on a DD that installation is useless in stop start as the battery doesn't charge when stuck in traffic. On a 'T' you could use a small low [Discreet] mounted Nippon Denso or similar alternator given that you don't run too many circuits. You only need to lengthen a few wires?
Here's a similar alternator setup. It's a kit. I've used Gilmer belt pinion drive for differential/transaxle fluid cooling pumps.
It will as long as the heim joint can pivot within it's range of motion. The rear end would have to move a long ways to move that joint to its limit. There is a "center" in a heim joint around which the yoke of the heim pivots. It really doesn't matter what the angle of the through bolt is, because the ball never moves, the yoke just pivots around it.
It would swing thru it's arc (of rotation), and affect pinion- driveshaft angle. So have it level when loaded. Split the diff. then you move either side of level, 0°, up or down.