Alternator bracket help needed!

[resq302]

Well folks, as some of you might have seen at E-town on Sunday, I snapped the alternator pivot bolt off somehow inside the cyl. head.  I was able to drive the car the 1 1/2 hr home without the belt flying off so I lucked out there.  My question is.... this is the second time now in two years that this same bolt has snapped off.  The brackets have been on the car since I got it in 2000 and never had an issue with this before (except for last year).  The triangular alt. bracket seems to be a little warped or bent.  Almost as if it is concaved in towards the engine side.  Should this triangular bracket be perfectly flat? 

I have all of the correct spacers so I know that is not an issue with spacing.  Any suggestions would be appreciated as I hate to keep ripping it apart and then go through the same crap year after year.  Also I am driving the charger out to Carlisle this year instead of trailering it since our 70 chally vert will be given the free ride in it.  I would hate like hell to have this bolt snap again going out there or back since it is a 3 hr drive for me.

Thanks,

Brian

[resq302]

couple pics

[resq302]

two more looking down on it

[maxwellwedge]

The bracket should be flat. Something is throwing it out - such as wrong length spacers or something.

When alt. bolts snap it usually means they are a little too long. They bottom out and can fracture if over-tightening to get the bracket tight.

[resq302]

Maybe that was my problem all the long, a warped bracket and tightening it too much.

Thanks Maxwellwedge!

[Nacho-RT74]

Do you have AC ? It looks by the size of the the bracket you don't, but just wondering.

[resq302]

Oops, guess I forgot to include that.  It is a NON a/c car, 383 4 bbl, 4 spd car.

[gtx6970]

As mentioned, it's bent.

ck a few things though.
Is it the right one ?
does it have the right lower bracket ?
does it have the right spacers ?
is the hole in the head deep enough ?
double ck all pulley alignement
make sure your belt is good,
make sure the fan blade isn't bent causing a vibration in the belts +/or pulley setup , although this usually causes water pump issues long before anything else

anything or combination of the above will break the bolts

[Nacho-RT74]

yes I though on the AC deal, because they use a diff lower bracket to save the vibrations caused by the added traction

being 4 speeds car, is something to take more care about aligment

[resq302]

Bill,

I know for certain the spacers and bolts are right as I got the kit from you last year when the first bolt broke.  The thing that is really puzzling me is everything has been the same at least for the past 10 years.  The only difference is that I had to change out the alternator about 4-5 years ago.  If that is the cause, I can't see why it would wait 2-3 years before starting to cause me problems with bolts snapping.

[Dodgecharger74]

are you using grade 8 bolts