Alternator Brackets for the Y Block Ford V8 Engine
- Daniel Jessup
- May 5
- 5 min read
Updated: May 9
Both bracket kits cost the same amount of money, but which one is better?
The benefits of replacing an original generator from the 1950’s with a modern alternator charging system should be apparent. However, before we get into my history with mid-50’s Ford charging systems and make recommendations for Y Block owners, let us delve into answering the question “Why should I run an alternator?”
The Reasons
I remember as a young teenager my first foray into automobile charging systems. It happened to be with my first car – the 1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan. The previous owner had converted the whole system from 6 volt to 12 volt, and under the hood was a 12 volt, 30 amp, 1956 Ford generator. After running the car on short trips back and forth to school, mostly sitting in traffic just idling, I discovered that the battery kept needing to be recharged every few weeks. Hooking up a simple voltmeter, I noticed that at idle (and even up to 1500 rpm or so) there was little-to-no charging taking place. Driving the car longer distances would have taken care of battery charging. Driving longer distances at higher rates of speed (and therefore higher rpm) would have relieved a lot of frustration.
Running all accessories on a generator charging system left little output to charge the battery.
These days, enthusiasts turn to power-GEN alernators (basically an alternator in a generator body) or an outright alternator setup. You can find a plethora of information on the internet concerning how to replace a generator with an alternator, how to make your own bracket, how to keep your Ford charging system going with a Ford alternator, etc. I know several that have turned to the “one-wire” alternators just for simplicity.
Powermaster PowerGen units are all the rage these days...
There are many ways to get things done, and I certainly do not own the market on how to improve your charging system. However, the reasons I went with a GM 10SI alternator setup concern several factors:
1. My RebelWire harness is built upon a simple GM wiring diagram.
2. Most aftermarket brackets are fabricated for GM 10SI or 12SI cases.
3. Most autoparts stores in any emergency will have a GM 10SI or 12SI in stock.
4. GM parts are cheaper than Ford parts. (I know, I know…)
It have have seemed complicated at first, but the RebelWire harness was really simple to install.
The Reviews
To date, there have been four different alternator setups I have tried on my 292 Ford Y Block and in other Y Block applications. The first of which was a simple design from LD Becker. Long time subscribers to the Y-BlocksForever.com forum will remember this gentleman from the Midwest that offered a simple bracket and alternator combination that was guaranteed to fit, carried a lifetime warranty, and included good instructions on how to convert from using a generator. Unfortunately, I do not believe this man is still alive.
The LD Becker conversion kit was quite nice and well thought out.
The next setup I purchased from Vintage Air. The original plan for the 1955 Ford Fairlane called for air conditioning (which worked very well by the way) but it placed the alternator up pretty high. While this was wonderful for access making adjustments and servicing easy, the means of putting tension was more of an arc than an outright "pulling" the alternator mount away from the triangulated centerline. It was really difficult to keep tension on the belt when under heavy load. You can view a little more about the bracket from Vintage Air by viewing this blog post.
The Vintage Air setup mounts the compressor low and the alternator up high.
Since I removed the AC compressor some time ago and really have not had much of a need for it here in the cool air of the high desert in southern California, I really thought it was time to find a better alternator bracket. Granted, by this time I could fabricate my own setup. But with all my attention on the 342 c.i. Y Block build, my extra time rebuilding Holley 4000 carburetors for quite a few fellas, I just figured it would be best to see what was currently available and give any of it a review.
I ended up purchasing both Vintage Auto bracket (link here). And after realizing that the cast aluminum bracket kit from Mummert Machine was the same price, I ordered one from John and bolted each one to my 292 Ford on the same day.
The Vintage Auto Garage bracket kit was a consortium of welded plate and one bushing.
While bolting the Vintage Auto bracket to the block was no big deal, it was definitely "off"!
I tried the Vintage Auto bracket first. It was just a simple setup of welded play with one bushing welded to a tension arm. While there was no real issue in bolting it up to the 292, the pulley of the alternator was off a good 5 degrees or more from the alignment with the crankshaft and water pump. Awful, really... I would have been in danger of throwing the belt. I do believe I could have made some modifications to the bracket to get the alternator to "square" with the other pulleys, but when paying almost $200 shipped to my door my thought is that the part ought to be a bolt and go. When I checked the Vintage Auto website listing to read reviews I discovered that someone else had an alignment issue as well.
Next up was the unit from Mummert. You can find pictures and the listing at this link: http://www.ford-y-block.com/alternatorbrkt.htm. John's setup is cast aluminum with nice hardware. Overall, the fit and finish of all the pieces are high quality like his aluminum intake/hardware that he sells.
Since I had trouble with alignment with the Vintage Auto bracket, I decided to test fit the alternator to the Mummert bracket while everything was still on the bench. After being convinced that it looked square, I bolted the bracket to the block and then mounted the alternator. What a difference. The altnernator fit a bit tighter to the block than the Vintage Auto setup, and of course the aluminum added a nice touch. I will say that the pivot bolt for the tension arm was VERY close to the damper. The head was so close I could not use a socket - just an open end wrench.
Like the Vintage Auto bracket, John's kit had a good set of instructions and the swing on the tension arm really allowed you to get the belt as tight as you would dare to go.
The Recommendation
Without a doubt, Mummert's alternator bracket kit beats the Vintage Auto unit, especially when the cost is the same (less than $2 difference between the two). Of course, John's cast and machined aluminum is very nice and just cannot be beat. If the Vintage Auto bracket were half the cost (it is just welded plate) and IF it could put the alternator's pulley into alignment then it really would depend on what you wanted things to look like. If you were not after all the bling then you could go with the setup from Vintage Auto. At this point, I do not see Vintage Auto doing anything about it. I have contacted them with my review, but it has not posted... and it is just simple, welded plate.
I may save the Vintage Auto bracket for my engine run stand. Then again, I may find another company producing alternator brackets for the Y Block (V design pulleys) and after a review end up using something else on my run stand.
As is our custom, I do have a video that gives further details. Enjoy!
The Hot Rod Reverend
aka Daniel Jessup
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