Alternator Install & Cleaning up Subframe

Ok! So before I started the alternator I figured it was time to finish the majority of the subframe. This included properly welding the main engine mount and installing gussets or plates to give the subframe a little more strength, not that it needs it. I forget in which order these were done amongst creating the centre spars, making up the alternator brackets and remaking the front spar. You can see the end results through the pictures anyway.

Now on to the alternator. I had purchased a smaller alternator from a Daihatsu Charade G100 which is one of the smallest alternators available, producing 45A. This should suffice for my project as there isn't a lot of electrical accessories other than the motor, lights and of coarse, stereo system. I was still contemplating using the standard Glanza alternator but after holding it in the position it was going to sit, which is behind the right hand headlight, it looked a little bit big and protrusive. At least compared to the Charade alternator.

Since the pulley off the Charade alternator was a single V belt type compared to the 4PK one of the Glanza, it was simply swapped but the face of the Glanza's pulley had to be lathed down (already pre-done in the above photo). With the actual alternator bracket, I first made up the plate that would bolt onto the engine's block using the existing cast iron block bracket that used to be mounted there as a template. Some left over 20mm OD pipe was then used for the main alternator mount. I cut up some little brackets that would sit on the mounting pipe and bolt through the main alternator mounting hole, and with one of the old Glanza A/C belts I aligned the alternator up with the crank pulley. From here it was simply tack welded to the bracket.

The only option in regards to the tensioning of the alternator was to use the existing tensioning bracket from the Glanza and mount that off the main engine mount. So with a bit of messing around I created the tensioning bracket.

The last step was to purchase a belt that would suit this application. An easy way of doing this is using a piece of string and wrapping it around both pulleys, or in my case, I marked the existing belt then rolled it out onto the floor. Sure enough I drove down to SuperCheapAuto and picked up 2 belts on either end of my measurement and returned the one that didn't fit. A Bosch 4PK0875 was the perfect belt.