The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Proper generator brackets for 57 3100 V8

I have a 57 3100 V8 truck with a slightly newer V8 with a generator. The current engine is maybe a 62 or 63 or so 283 or even a 327 not sure.

Earlier this year I messed up my generator by not using two wrenches to remove the wires from the terminals/poles. The terminal spun before I realized what whas happening and it broke the leads in the generator!

Since they looked like they were patched earlier in life, gobs of solder and brittle wiring, I decided to get a rebuilt one from a guy that does generators for a living and got a replacement/rebuilt one identical to mine.

Now I am finishing up my whole truck wiring harness and interior strip and repaint and have gotten back around to installing the "new" generator. I see that the old one had been a bit loose on the mounting bolts and the U mount on the bottom got worn holes from the bolts that hold the generator in.
So I need a new lower 7 inch mount. I think I found one online. But I just also noticed that the top mount was bolted to the hole in the block just below the valve cover. The one toward the center of the engine. My block has two holes in it belor the driver side valve cover.

Looking at the curved bracket I see it says MOTORCRAFT on it. Ford on a Chevy, got to get rid of that!?
I guess the previous owner must have used it when they stuck the slightly later date 283 in there. It was a V8 originally but this is a later date motor. I have had it 21 years. So somewhere along the line the prior owned must have used the wrong bracket.
And being a shorter bracket they bolted it to that hole below the valve cover and then used a nut to fix it in kind of the correct distance out to align it. But it has always been a bit out of alignment.

When I took it off the bolt fell out of the hole! It did not snap, well it did at some point in life but not then. It was all dark black not a fresh break. The rest of the bolt is in the block just 1 to 2 threads showing. But it was apparently ready to fall off soon.

I see that others with 265 or 283 V8 have the top generator bracket coming off the top driver side waterpump bolt. Does that sound correct? That is great as then I do not need to try to get that old bolt out. I hate using an easy-out on blocks.

Also after looking at several other 57 3100 with a V8, it looks like some top generator brackets are curved while others have a more straight slot on the top. Some are like a hockey stick with straight slot, some curved slot, some straight with a slight bend.
Some mount with the bracket in the front of the generator mount hole some are in the back of the hole/tab. There seems to be 3 or 4 styles! I am surprized they are not all the same.


What is the correct style upper bracket for the generator for a 57 v8?
How should it be mounted in front of the generator mount hole or behind it?


Is this one really correct? It is for a car: 1955-1957 Chevy Generator Adjutment Bracket Kit, V8

Looks like the picture is flipped horizonally.

They also sell the lower bracket: 1955-1957 Chevy Generator Mounting Brackets, 7"

Also when mounting to the water pump bolt is the bolt suppose to be longer and just goes through the bracket and then to the pump using the bracket like a washer?
Does that allow the bracket to pivot or does it not need to pivit for adjustment once it is in the correct place?
Or is there suppose to be a stud there and nut each one separately?
I see I had a spacer on the other side with a longer bolt. Is that spacer suppose to be on the bolt where the generator bracket gets mounted?

I am just trying to make sure I get the correct bracket and bolt it up correctly so things are properly aligned and say put.

the Ushape 7" mount pictured is the correct one for the boss on the exhaust manifold, the front and back ears on the gen bolt to it for correct positioning, depends on the length of the gen whether between or outside, and which of the 3 holes on the bracket are used - I've seen them with the ears separately bolted [most] and a couple with one long bolt front to back with a ferrule [light tube] between

the holes in the front of the head are for accessory mounting on later models, the adjuster arm on the earlier engines came off the water pump mount bolt - the adjustment bracket pictured [the long one] is close to correct and should work, there were a number of possibilities depending on year and specific generator - I have one with more 'hook' I added cuz that's what worked with the alternator - the bolt on the water pump was originally an odd type that was a bolt with a threaded bit extending above the head that an additional nut went on, so the water pump mounting was undisturbed when the gen adjuster was moved - same thing as a stud with 2 nuts if you can't find the correct one, but it could also be mounted just under the [longer] water pump bolt, which would have to be loosened a twitch when the angle of the bracket changes with adjustment - the bracket can be in front or behind the top ear on the gen

also, if you get the casting number from the bell house flange on back of the driver side of the block it will tell you if it's a 283 or 327 and the possible year range

Bill

Mine had two bolts on the bottom to mout the gen with and the gen goes to the outside of the 7 inch separated ears.

I will need to get some new bolts for the water pump anyhow so will try to get one to fit the bracket.

Any idea what the spacer is I had on the passenger side top waterpump bolt hole? I am assuming it should go with the gen bracket if needed for spacing. One of my water pump bolts only was on with about 4 threads. Too short of a bolt.

Sounds like a stud might be best to use on the bracket with two nuts one for waterpump and one for bracket. But I might just wedge it with one bolt.

I tried to look for that flange on the back to get the ID numbers but it is not visible being crammed up under the firewall. Maybe a mirror might help me.

you shouldn't need any spacer on pump bolts, but that might be to take up the slack on a too long bolt, none needed with the aduster either .... yes a mirror does work to read that number

Bill