While looking around at stuff under the car trying to pinpoint an oil leak, I discovered my power streering/alternator bracket is cracked at the point where it attaches to the block the lower two bolts. Why would something like this happen ?!? It wasnt like that when I put it on the engine a week ago. Could it be because I never put the metal bracing in that goes between the brackets and the exhaust manifolds ? Too much vibration ? Any ideas where I could get one cheap ? ;/ Thanx

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92 Z28 L98 350
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Ported and polished heads, ported stock TPI base, ported plenum, Comp Cams XR270HR-10 cam (lift .495/.502 duration 218/224 lobe separation 110), Edelbrock TES headers, LT4 valve springs, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster catback with LT1 style tips, MSD coil & wires...

"Take that auto, drop it in first, hold the brakes, stomp the gas and grin from ear to ear! :-)

 

Any ideas guys ?

 

if you left a brace out i'd say that had a lot to do with it. metal fatigue is a strange animal and hard to figure out. stress, vibrations, or a lot of other factors could cause it. weld your bracket or replace it and use the brace.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-

 

Is aluminum "weldable" though ??

 

The braces are there for a reason. I would put them back.

Yes you can weld aluminum, a machine shop should be able to weld the bracket for you.

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ASE Mechanic/Machinist/Smog Tech

1999 NBM Trans Am
1986 Chevy 3/4 ton pick up
1981 corvette
1995 Kawi ZX6R

GO #3

[This message has been edited by Engineboy (edited October 11, 2000).]

 

Blade, I'd venture that it was a combination of fatigue and over torquing the bolts.

 

Blade,

Been there. I had one let go after locking up a power steering pump. The locked pump twisted the bracket right off.

The die-cast aluminum is repairable with a TIG welder easily enough, but the problem is that the bracket may have distorted before it finally let go. Welding the cracks where they let go may put the bracket into a permanent state of misalignment. This won't make it any easier to keep a belt on, and may affect the abiltiy of the poly 'V' belt to drive the accessories properly.

My vote would be for a replacement, either out of the parts bin of from your local auto recycler.

Fortunately, mine was on a V-6 with a steel bracket. It was fairly easy to realign it before welding a gusset in place.

I'd guess that the concensus assessment is correct - leaving the extra braces off the accessories probably contributed to a fatigue failure.

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Later,
Vader
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"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

I've been tossing that "fatigue" problem around for a while.. I removed my a/c system from my '86 V6, and it was hung on the same bracket as the p/s pump. This left a big "what went there?" space on top of the bracket. I picked up a junkyard bracket, intending to cut the a/c-holding part off, but I don't know where I can cut. Looks like everything braces everything else!

 

I had to replace my 88-92 serpentine ALT/PWR STEERING bracket, a few months back. The part that broke on mine, was the little extension that the ALT is secured to. Ultimately, I bought a bracket from a guy who didn't need his anymore, since he installed a Super Charger on his 88-92 car. I also installed (5) of the (6) braces available for this setup. The brace that goes from the intake to the ALT, the brace on the back of the ALT, to the #1 CYL front exhaust manifold bolt, the brace that goes from the back of the PWR STEERING PUMP to that same exhaust manifold bolt. On the passenger's side, I installed the one that goes from the A/C compressor to the #4 CYL front exhaust bolt, and finally the brace that goes from the AIR PUMP to the #2 CYL front exhaust manifold bolt. The only bcare I didn't install, was the one that goes from the INNER A/C compressor rear bolt to the front of the intake. If you want a good picture of where all these braces are located, you can go to your local GM parts counter and ask for a print out an 88 IROC-Z, which seems to be the only model year car that got ALL (((6))) braces. Most GTA's 88-92 got the intake to ALT. brace, but the Z-28's didn't, and all those years vary with what they were supplied with. Camaro Heaven at 1-800-CAMARO-1 sold me all of the braces for less than $30. HTHs

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88 Monte SS 355 TPI/LT-4 HOT CAM/AFR Hydra-rev/ T-56 6-Speed

[This message has been edited by 88SS6SPEED (edited October 12, 2000).]

 

I agree with the over torquing also or a combo of over torquing and no brace. Aluminum will break easily if over torqued unlike steel. When you get the new one, use a torque wrench to install the bolts. If your using a long pull handle to put the bolts on I could see where you could have over tightened them without realizing it...I made that dumb mistake when putting my bolts on for my thermostat housing and strip the threads out in the aluminum manifold. If you did use a torque wrench then go with Vader's and the others explanations. Good Luck!

 

i never put my braces back on after my motor swap 1 1/2 yrs later no prob here id jus say fatigue good luck

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1992 camaro RS
373 10 bolt rearend
ssm sfc's
87 350 TPI
bored 30 over
compucam 2032 with 1.6
482-495 LIFT 214-220 duration full roller rockers
msd6AL
1 5/8 headman headers
2 `1/2 flowmaster exuast
k&n filters gutter air box gutted maf
3 pc under drive pulleys
no emissions no egr etc
custom ED Wright chip
eddelbroc intake base and runners ported plenum
midly ported and polished stock heads
Taylor 8mm wires
B&M mega shifter
gutted maf/airbox
hotchkis lower control arms
2000 tci stall
700R4 with B&M shift kit