Need Recommendation for Machine Shop in N. Texas

[Bubblehead]

My alternator has been on the plane since built - 13 years and 880 hours - and the mounting lug is "waller'd out." The old one only has one mounting lug and that is not a very good design. I bought a new alternator on the internet but chose one with a different case to get one with two lugs separated by a couple of inches.

The new one is on the right. The problem is the Vans alternator mounting bracket does not have the slots in quite the right places.

Can someone recommend a machine shop with a vertical mill that can extend the slots for me? Grapevine - Mid Cities - Saginaw would be most convenient but I'll take it wherever I can get a good job done for a reasonable price.

Thanks.

[email protected]

 

[Bubblehead]

Bumping this back up. Someone in the Dallas - Fort Worth area must know of a machine shop!

 

[sf3543]

try Averys at Hicks field

 

[BillL]

Wouldn't it be easier to fab a new mount bracket so you can get an OTS (off the shelf) alternator in the future? I must be missing your change intent.

edit: seeing your picture, it makes sense this is what you ARE doing.

 

[Low Pass]

Suprised the Vans brackets don't work... Do the lugs interfere with the brackets? How much? If not, use washers on long fasteners to set proper spacing of the alternator wrt the flywheel.

 

[Bubblehead]

sf3543 - I'll go by Avery's today. Thanks for the suggestion.

BillL - I'm not sure what "OTS" means. With the modified slots I should be able to mount just about any alternator.

Low Pass - The slots in the Vans bracket are not in the right place to allow the pulley to be properly aligned with the belt. It's strictly a matter of them being in the wrong place. This drawing should help explain. I could fabricate another if I had a brake that could bend 3/16" steel, but I don't.

I do understand that removing material in those locations affects the strength and stiffness of the mounting bracket, but this is 3/16" steel, and is actually 3/8" when you have the other part on top of this one and all bolted together. If something catastrophic enough happens to bend these then I will have other big problems to handle.

 

[Low Pass]

OK - I think I'm seeing more clearly. Wasn't familiar with this type of brackets.

Would it not be easier to get an alternator that fits? I've never had this problem on two engines and having fit up 2-3 different types of alternators.

Interesting though. The one you show looks exactly like a ca. 1987 Suzuki Samurai alternator. Been using this type very successfully - and with no fit issues for 10+ yrs.

 

[Bubblehead]

That is exactly what it cross references to, along with a Toyota forklift and a few other things. When I wanted a replacement I used the "Lester number" (I don't remember it offhand) and found a bunch of them on eBay for sale. When I started looking closer there were some variations in the mounting lugs. I like the one with the two lugs spread apart better than the one that was on my plane so that is what I ordered. I think it is a better configuration. Everything else seemed to be the same, except I had to do a slight bit of trimming of the heat shield on the back so the plug would fit properly. The location of the lugs was also slightly different with respect to the pully, which necessitated the slight modification of the mounting bracket.

I found an auto repair shop today that did the modification while I waited, refused any payment, and threw in a dandy 2015 Kitten calender. Looks like my luch has turned!