Alternator Bracket Kit – T3 / WBX / Upgraded

Details

Words from GoWesty! (edited for the UK buyer)

The stock alternator bracket on all T3 WBX has been precarious at best, and downright destructive at its worst.

We decided to buckle down and create an entirely new bracket that will prevent your alternator from wobbling and throwing a belt, or worse, ripping the studs out of the crank case.  This easy to install cast-steel bracket replaces the original bracket and also eliminates the agonising alternator carriage bolt in favour of a simple bolt that threads in from the front of the engine.

Fits: All 1983-92 T3 WBX.

Installation Note: The fit between this heavy-duty alternator bracket and any new alternator is tight by design. Sometimes the fit necessitates a very slight filing to the aluminium front housing of the alternator where the pivot bolt slips through. The total amount of material to be removed is not more than 0.25mm max.

And a bit more…

The Problem:

The way that VW mounted the alternator on a T3 WBX was less than ideal. The lower bracket—which bears most of the load—is a simple cantilever design held to the block by two 8mm studs. Just behind these studs is the cylinder coolant jacket.

When the alternator is fresh and new, it spins nicely and with little to no vibration. However, as the bearings wear out over time, the alternator starts to vibrate. This vibration leads to a wobbling… which eventually leads to the mounting bracket loosening… which leads to severe engine block damage. When this happens, the engine block is very difficult to repair. In many cases, cracks lead into the cylinder coolant jacket. When that happens, you might as well toss the engine block into the recycling bin. It is toast!

Even an alternator that does not vibrate is very heavy, and the factory mounting is simply inadequate. VW realised there was a problem, and the very last engine blocks produced had an extra strengthening rib added. Clearly, this was not going far enough. What was needed here was a much more substantial bracket!

Our GoWesty alternator bracket is not only way beefier since it is made from thick, cast steel instead of just two flimsy stamped steel plates welded together—like the original VW bracket. In addition to that, it picks up the power steering bracket bolts in addition to the original alternator mounting bolts to support vibrating loads in all directions. As an extra added bonus, the thick casting also provides material for threads to capture the new alternator bolt provided which slips in comfortably from the front. Never again will you have to fish that long, infuriating bolt beneath the intake manifold/behind the alternator, through the hole in the bracket, and then through the alternator mounting ear! And the icing on the cake is it fits all T3 WBX engines with or without power steering!

Additional Information

4 in stock