Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

[Pat L.]

I under stand how to adjust the alternator from front to back. How do you make the adjustment to move the alternator pulley towards the passenger side. Currently, the alternator is cocked towards the engine and the belt is not running straight.

[Monte M.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat,
A picture would be best. If your alternator is out of alignment in a twisting fashion, go back to basics. Check to make sure you have the correct brackets and fasteners.
If all that checks out, check everything for alignment to make sure there are no bent areas of any kind. This includes the alternator.
Make sure you have the correct spacer behind the alternator pulley too.
This should be pretty straight forward. If it is cocked to one side, first, determine what is causing that twist.
A8916.jpg

Post a picture and we can give you a better direction to go in. If you cannot post a picture to the site, send it to me and would be happy to take a look at it for you. You can send a picture to me : mbusiness@comcast.net

Best of luck

[John D.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, The 63 alternator adjusting brace aka hockey stick (don't know correct name) is 63 only you know. It's thinner than later years and I believe has a "V" on it.
Hard part to find and when you do find them they are typically bent.
But this is not your problem. JD

[David L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat,

I don't understand how the alternator can be "cocked towards the engine" but I can understand how the belt could not be in alignment. Do you have the correct alternator pulley (3 5/8" w/offset, GM # 3829193)? Can you provide a photo?

The 63 Corvette alternator brace (GM # 3825462) is an extremely rare part. I once owned a NOS 63 brace and it did have the stamped "V". I have seen repro 63 braces but they are much thicker and the edging is different, an obvious fake.

Dave

[Michael G.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, moving the alternator pulley toward the passenger side is very easy. Loosen the top bolt and bottom nut that attach the alternator to its brackets, then pull (or pry) the top of the alternator toward the passenger side. It will pivot on the axis of the bottom bolt, thus moving the pulley toward the passenger side. Travel will be limited by the belt.

As for the "belt not running straight", that has nothing whatsoever to do with the pulley being too far away from the passenger side. This is caused by fore/aft misalignment of the alternator pulley with the fan pulley or crank pulley. There are several possible causes, so, if you post a pic, someone here can probably suggest the cause.

[Monte M.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Thinking about this a little more, your problem seems very basic. If you have the wrong adjustment bracket, as was suggested earlier, it would cause what you have for a problem.
For example: If your bracket has 1/2" too small of an off-set, it would cause your alternator to twist.
To see if this is your problem, remove the adjuster bracket, (top alternator bracket). If the alternator comes in line, your top bracket is wrong.
If this is the case, eye-ball it to see if a top bracket with a different off-set would do the trick.

Best of luck,

[David L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, The 63 alternator adjusting brace aka hockey stick (don't know correct name) is 63 only you know. It's thinner than later years and I believe has a "V" on it.
Hard part to find and when you do find them they are typically bent.
But this is not your problem. JD

John,

There is one other alternator brace that has the letter "V" stamped on it, GM # 3868882, that was used on a 1965 Corvette w/P.S. & SHP 327 (exc. A.C.). I have two of these braces in my collection, one NOS and one used. The brace is identical to the 1963 brace (3825462) except that it is about 1 inch longer on the straight end.

Dave

[Pat L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Thanks guys. I will try to post some pictures so that you can see what I'm dealing with.

[Pat L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Come one John, tell me what you think he problem is.

Pat, The 63 alternator adjusting brace aka hockey stick (don't know correct name) is 63 only you know. It's thinner than later years and I believe has a "V" on it.
Hard part to find and when you do find them they are typically bent.
But this is not your problem. JD

[Pat L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Here are the picts showing the alignment problem. Sorry that some are not oriented properly

[Dan H.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, had a similar problem, my spacer was 'too long' which I ground down so the lower bolt would draw the alternator back more.
Dan

[Pat L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, had a similar problem, my spacer was 'too long' which I ground down so the lower bolt would draw the alternator back more.
Dan

I thought the lower spacer adjusts the movement of the alternator from front to back or back to front. Will your solution move the front of the alternator toward the passenger side so that the alternator pulley is in direct alignment with the water pump pulley? I'm not trying to argue with you because I want to fix this.

[Dan H.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, it will move as you need to the passenger side. Grind a little at a time.

[Pat L.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, it will move as you need to the passenger side. Grind a little at a time.

Thanks Dan. I just wanted to be sure.

[Edward J.]

Re: Alternator Alignment on 63 FI

Pat, I believe that sleeve is self adjusting sleeve for pinching the alt.to the lower bracket. and will not adjust the alternator forward as what that is what you need. try to remove tha sleeve totally and see if with sleeve out what happens this should prove my theory. Dan maybe I am looking at the situation backwards not to disagree. Ed

If I had to say I would think the alternator pulley,It has a couple of spacers maybe this is where the problem lays?? theres one between the fan & housing,and one between the fan & pulley. Maybe the AIM will show the break down.