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5.0/302 Alternator Bracket Modification/Replacement


LARIAT 85

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The stock combination smog pump and alternator bracket used on the 1980 - 1986 trucks is one large, HEAVY piece of iron and an eyesore if the smog pump has been removed. Most of these trucks have had the smog pump removed by now, leaving that HUGE alternator/smog pump bracket in place with a big open gap right at the top front of the engine that screams something is missing. I hated the way this looked, so I decided to find a different way to mount my alternator since I don't have the smog pump anymore and I don't have emissions testing in my area.

I found this complete alternator bracket setup from a 1975 Ford F100 in the junkyard. Both the 302 and 351 engines used this setup. This was what Ford used to mount the alternator to the engine before they started using smog pumps:

alternatorbrackets.jpg.ae9f9693d030f08dfcf4c8c550f08b70.jpg

First, you will have to remove the fan and fan pulley to get to the mounting holes to mount these brackets. The top black brace bolts to existing holes on the front of the water pump. The hole on the slotted bottom black bracket bolts to the bottom hole of the top black brace and the water pump as well. This is the alternator pivot bracket. The silver aluminum bracket with four holes bolts to the front of the passenger's side head, using existing holes. Finally, the long bolt passes through the larger hole of the top black brace, through the alternator, through the spacer, and screws into the top threaded hole of the silver aluminum bracket with the spacer.

The only other thing left to get is an alternator belt from a 1975 F100, as it is shorter than the 1980 - 1986 belt because the alternator is now mounted up high and closer to the pulley. I also added a short piece of plastic convoluted tubing to cover the section of heater hose where it rests against the top of the alternator to prevent the hose from chaffing. This setup looks much neater, it places the alternator up high where you can actually get to it, and you would never know that my truck originally came with a smog pump. Best of all, there was NO cutting or drilling involved and all of these pieces are genuine FORD parts!

And this is what it looks like installed on my 1985 F150, 302 engine:

100_0267.thumb.jpg.3af1f1c28019a2530bd3476c284304b8.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

This "pre-smog" alternator bracket swap was on my radar for a long time but I could never find all the right parts together, so it fell off my priority list.

Thanks for the reminder that I still need to do this.

Here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-MERCURY-302-351-W-Alternator-Bracket-Set-Brace-D7UE10A336AA-D3AE10145CA/114011318994?hash=item1a8b9aaad2:g:x~QAAOSwF~1d8b3K

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