Hello all, Installed new headers, and the brace that goes from the rear of the power steering pump bracket to the first stud on the drivers side exhaust manifold no longer fits. Can I run without this or should I have a new one fabricated? thanks all, Jason

I removed mine. Plus I plan to remove the PS part (have to cut it off and keep the alternator portion) of the accessory bracket and am going with KRC's kit which mounts to the block with its own bracket.

P.S. Mine was mounted from the header to my alternator. So unsure if mine was installed wrong (it was rebuilt 30k ago) or if yours may have been wrong. Or if both are okay as long as its installed.

id get one fabed. because as the rpms increase you can get a little belt rubbing on the pulley. but if you feel confident enough, id go with it.

i will think of something i'm sure.. wish i had the equipment to manipulate bar stock. this silly little 5" piece of metal is probably going to be expensive.

yes it is necessary. Reason is without that right side support all that's really left holding it is the adjusting tab and the mount in the upper left corner. What will happen over time from stress and motor vibrations is the tab on the left thats has the adjustment slide will crack because its the only thing holding it strait. This happened on mine took roughly 6 years to happen but it will happen. Im in the process of making a replacement bracket as we speak almost done. Plus your power steering belt will have a tendency to squeak without that mount on the right. I was thinking of posting my bracket in the fabrication section even though its more of its done heres the plans rather than a fabrication project per say lol. I can though if people are interested in it.

This is what I did. The original bolt that came with the motor is basically a long stud. on the threads that go into the block, thread a nut on it and then thread it into the block. this way it hold the flange against the block and then you can still utilize the bracket that the ps is bolted too, the same way as if it had manifolds.

I keep reading this but can not understand what you are referring to.

What metal tab with adjustment (alternator/power steering pump)?

Keep what straight (Alternator, PS Pump, Accessory bracket)? And by straight is that front to back straight (Front of car to rear of car) or left to right straight (Driver side to passenger side)?

So if my belt squeaks that means it is to tight. How can removing a bracket move the position of the PS Pulley in relation to make it tight and squeak, and in saying that would mean this bracket keeps the Alternator and Power Steering Accessory bracket from moving left to right. Still don't understand as its still bolted to the motor block anyway? Please explain this further, I think I am lost. I will take pictures of how mine is when I get home.

P.S. What about the passenger side bracket that connects to the AC Portion of the passenger side accessory bracket. Needed as well?

Well ill try to clear it up a bit. There are 3 mounting points for the power steering pump. One in the head (just a hole that the power steering pump bracket pivots on). Then there's a tab on the power steering pump bracket with a slot in it that slides for adjustment that bolts to the water pump for adjustment (this is what will break). Then on the right side there's the other mount where the exhaust manifold bracket bolts to. What happens is without the mount on the right side of the power steering bracket the force of the belt on the pully actaully acts like a lever and will tend to pull the right side of the bracket twords the front og the car. This twists the power steering pump (bending the bracket) and makes the power steering pump pully not strait with the other pulleys. This causes it to squeak not because its too tight but because its too loose and slipping. The solution is to adjust the powersteering pump bracket out further which will further damages the bracket causeing it to eventually weaken to the point it will snap.

Now I understand.

I am unsure if this is different for long and short and serpentine and v-belt but,

I have serpentine and my stock long water pump (bear mind the car was rebuilt 30k before I bought it) never had a mount for it (maybe removed in rebuild). Also here are pictures of where my bracket mounts (to the alternator from the header flange) which is not the power steering one mentioned by the OP (Unless this is what he is talking about). Anyway here is how mine mounts. I'll be keeping these braces on then, possibly have a nice one fab'd up.

Yea that's the difference you have the serpentine set up which is a whole different animal from the older V belt style i was describing as I was assuming that's what the OP had but after looking at his sig i see as an 88 he probably doesn't have V belts if thats the car hes talking about.

yes, i'm referring to my 88 with serpentine setup. I think my setup is a bit different from yours... my bracket went from a stud directly behind the power steering pump up to the first stud on the manifold. that stud also had a second nut on it holding the battery ground connection.

If you look at my first picture, right below the alternator gold rod (gold rod,screw going through casing, seen on the alternator), you can see a bolt/stud I guess that goes to the back of the bracket (its sticking out in the front, you can some some threads), you may have had yours mounted there or had another mount. Please get a picture of how this was mounted on your car?