custom AC brackets anyone?

[miketyler]

Looks like I am going to have to fab up some brackets for my AC and my upgrade alternator. If you have a passenger side offset t-stat and plan to add AC to your car you will be surprised to find the limited options you have. May be easier to replace the manifold. The guys at Bouchillon have got some excellent kits out there but they tell me they are designed to work with their pulley system. I have installed a March billet pulley system and want to retain those and use the full size Sanden 508 compressor. Anyhow I started crafting up a pair of these yesterday but have a few nagging questions.

1. load issues - my design would run the alt, water pump, and AC off of one belt. Are there any rules to play by as far as loading on one belt? I could run twin belts but I think it would require a one-off dual V-groove water pump pulley.

2. bracket material - I would really like the final system to be polished aluminum. If comparable brackets in steel are 3/16" thk, would 1/4" 2024-T3 alum be ok or possibly too soft?

3. 508 versus the "shorty" - does the shorty compressor have the same output and performance of the full size 508?

[Bullitt-]

I used to have a 98 Dakota V6 and always thought there was a lot of similarities to the 340 in my '73. Wonder if those accessory brackets would adapt easily? 

[Bullitt-]

saw this for an udated Alt. , bracket at Mancinni http://store.yahoo.com/chucker54/delialbrpk.html

[miketyler]

After some engineering and a few $$ spent on some custom cut pulleys, I did finally come up with a dual belt solution for my 340 with the Denso alt. No idler pulley involved, but the swing on the alternator is limited and just barely will accept the twin belts. 

[Robb]

Excellent !   Congrats on getting that together man!  I can appreciate how much time/thought/effort you have put in to getting it right.   

[Mopar73340]

   Nice looking job....

[miketyler]

thanks - I have the plumbing mocked up and hoses being crimped. I need to pull it apart and get the brackets chromed and get the custom pulleys clear coated so they will match the March performance pulleys.

It just never ends.

[Rev-It-Up]

  Nicely done Mike!  I know it was quite a headache for us too and we were really glad to get past that point!  Whew...now on to more fun stuff! 

[miketyler]

thanks - it was a long road but once I got the ALT and WP pulleys cut and mounted, it was a simple matter of making brackets that would make the AC comp pulleys line up with the belt circuit.  Most of it was eye-balling but I was able to set the Z-axis by using an old school protractor and setting the plane to match that of the crank pulley. I would like to know how that Bouchillion guy does his. I now see what he has to go thru in developing those turn-key kits.

At least this way I get to keep my March pulleys!!!