Near future project: Aluminum radiator support

turtlevette said:
69427 said:
Nine mm difference isn't much when eyeballing the alternator. Is the number (121) stamped into the housing anywhere?

Thanks again.
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I tried looking at mine. I don't see any numbers. Take a ruler with.

The disadvantage of the 121 is it doesn't produce as much current at idle. I doubt you care about that.
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That's correct. I'm not losing much sleep worrying about if this alternator is going to be able to operate the electric seat warmers while I'm waiting for the stoplight to turn green.

Hopefully Delco Remy/Delphi had the good manners to keep the same shaft diameter so I can swap pulleys.
 
69427 said:
turtlevette said:
69427 said:
Nine mm difference isn't much when eyeballing the alternator. Is the number (121) stamped into the housing anywhere?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I tried looking at mine. I don't see any numbers. Take a ruler with.

The disadvantage of the 121 is it doesn't produce as much current at idle. I doubt you care about that.
Click to expand...

That's correct. I'm not losing much sleep worrying about if this alternator is going to be able to operate the electric seat warmers while I'm waiting for the stoplight to turn green.

Hopefully Delco Remy/Delphi had the good manners to keep the same shaft diameter so I can swap pulleys.
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All I can say is that the CS144 fits the early V belt pulleys, and I have a serp drive pulley on a earlier 17SI series alt...like off a '79 Seville...108 amp rating...
 
Getting the stock pulley off of a CS144 can be interesting, though.

Finally got my 144 rebuilt and I think I solved the battery drain...bad diode in the bridge rectifier. The voltage displayed on my voltmeter is a bit more sane than before, too. Those stupid things are like a jigsaw puzzle, though. Normally I'm good at putting things back together just the way they came apart. This time I had to watch the AlternatorParts.com videos on YouTube twice and take it apart about 8 times, along with a long road trip to pick up a voltage regulator that it turned out wasn't the problem. Now I could probably rebuild on in about 20 minutes... :lol:
 
Sam Cogley said:
Getting the stock pulley off of a CS144 can be interesting, though.

Finally got my 144 rebuilt and I think I solved the battery drain...bad diode in the bridge rectifier. The voltage displayed on my voltmeter is a bit more sane than before, too. Those stupid things are like a jigsaw puzzle, though. Normally I'm good at putting things back together just the way they came apart. This time I had to watch the AlternatorParts.com videos on YouTube twice and take it apart about 8 times, along with a long road trip to pick up a voltage regulator that it turned out wasn't the problem. Now I could probably rebuild on in about 20 minutes... :lol:
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Take a good size rag on the fan, stick a 1/2" impact on the nut....off she comes....no impact you are SAOL......:suicide:

edit, bad diodes are easy, anything suspect, stick an oscilloscope on the output stud....you see that waveform is screwed because the parade is gone....
 
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One of these days I need to learn to use the o-scope I have in the garage. I have some electronics projects that need serious troubleshooting.

I think I might have had to pull the fan and pulley from a dead CS130. All I remember is that one of them had a split-cone bushing inside the pulley that absolutely would not let go. Took me several hours to find a way to coax it loose, any attempts to use a puller on the pulley just made the cone tighter. :cussing:

If memory serves I ended up using a 2lb. drill hammer with a bearing driver and socking the ever-loving shit out of the pulley, which pushed it down enough to free that cone. It didn't do any favors for the rear bearing, but as the alternator was dead I really didn't care.
 
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Sam Cogley said:
Finally got my 144 rebuilt and I think I solved the battery drain...bad diode in the bridge rectifier. :
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I tracked down the same thing on my old suburban. It was only 15 milliamps drain which i throught was normal. But that's enough to drain a battery over a weeks time.
 
I just googled the number off a spare alternator that I got at my favorite junkyard years ago. (It looked small and light so I took a chance for ten bucks.) It's a CS130, which is the same weight as my stock alternator (which is why I didn't replace it). So, at least I have a CS130 size and weight reference next time I'm at the junkyard looking for a CS121.

I'll probably use this on my street rod truck so my ten dollars doesn't go to waste.

Edit: I just looked up the part number for the CS121. It appears to be 10463135. The picture on the website makes the 121 look visually identical to the 130 except for the front frame tab that is used to adjust tension on the belt (on Vee belt applications) is clocked at a different location.
 
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Got tired of breathing fiberglass dust while cutting clearance notches in the underside of the Toledo-Pro hood I put on the '84 so I took a break and did a quick simple project on the '69. I took the hood support mechanism off and weighed it, and thought about trying to do something a bit simpler and lighter. Here's what I came up with.

IM002172.jpg

The stock part is 14 and a half ounces, and the new stuff is 6 and a half ounces. A half a pound reduction, but it's up front, up high, and ahead of the wheelbase.
A coat of paint to make it less obvious:

IM002177.jpg

And in the stored away position:

IM002178.jpg

I have some aluminum rod that I would have liked to have used for the support rod, but while pretty decent in tension, it wouldn't work out worth a crap in this compression task.
As I've mentioned before, it ain't much weight reduction, but I'm running out of ideas.
Now back to the '84.
 
The stock hood support looks like some 50's screen door technology. Also kinda dangerous. You know how you release the latch pawl by lifting the hood a little? I remember someone describing how the wind lifted the hood, released the latch and the hood slammed down. I guess thats why they put those sqiggly ends ot the prop rods in modern cars.
 
JeffP1167 said:
After all you weight reduction ideas how much does the 69 weigh now?
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It's about 2900 pounds. It was at 2910 (1/8-3/16 tank of fuel, no driver) the last time I had it on a scale. I've since taken out about 35 pounds with several items (the majority being the '79 seats that I got from Karsten). I then added about 25 pounds of aluminum sheet in the bellypan.

I'd like to take out more weight, but I'm running out of ideas to reduce weight while still keeping the car looking like a street car, not a stripped down race car.

I'm always open to legitimate suggestions if anyone has some.
 
69427 said:
JeffP1167 said:
After all you weight reduction ideas how much does the 69 weigh now?
Click to expand...

It's about 2900 pounds. It was at 2910 (1/8-3/16 tank of fuel, no driver) the last time I had it on a scale. I've since taken out about 35 pounds with several items (the majority being the '79 seats that I got from Karsten). I then added about 25 pounds of aluminum sheet in the bellypan.

I'd like to take out more weight, but I'm running out of ideas to reduce weight while still keeping the car looking like a street car, not a stripped down race car.

I'm always open to legitimate suggestions if anyone has some.
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What about making fiberglass molds of the bumpers then chrome wrapping them?
 
69427 said:
JeffP1167 said:
What about making fiberglass molds of the bumpers then chrome wrapping them?
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That's a bit too faux for me. I have kicked around trying to duplicate the front bumper in aluminum, and then polishing it to look like a chrome bumper.

Don't know if I've got the skills to do it, though.
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The polishing part easy

my parts I have just done 120grit and aluminum polish

knuckle4005.jpg
 
Had one of my many ADD moments while working on the '84, and felt like doing something more interesting on the '69. Gonna take a short break and do some aluminum fabrication on the radiator crossmember brackets.

IM002191.jpg

These things are pretty simple in shape, and the material thickness makes it easy to TIG. The weight difference won't be great, but it will still be a few less pounds in front of the wheelbase.
 
SuperBuickGuy said:
how about making the seat frames out of aluminum? lose the springs and replace with webbing...
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We think alike. I was in the process of drawing up some framework sketches when I got a good deal on some '79 seats from Karsten. The later seats are about 10-15# lighter (each), and I made some aluminum brackets which were about 3# lighter (each), for about 30# off the car.

The interior would certainly look a bit more original with the stock seats, but the later seats do have a bit more side support which is a big improvement over the flat as a board originals.
 
I thought I'd be clever and lose weight with some aftermarket seats.... which I'm sure they would save weight since they don't fit....

next on my agenda is re-engineering my seats for side support and for the harnesses
 
69427 said:
SuperBuickGuy said:
how about making the seat frames out of aluminum? lose the springs and replace with webbing...
Click to expand...

We think alike. I was in the process of drawing up some framework sketches when I got a good deal on some '79 seats from Karsten. The later seats are about 10-15# lighter (each), and I made some aluminum brackets which were about 3# lighter (each), for about 30# off the car.

The interior would certainly look a bit more original with the stock seats, but the later seats do have a bit more side support which is a big improvement over the flat as a board originals.
Click to expand...


Want lightweight seats?? These weigh next to nothing and have awesome support

250eedec5c69de.jpg

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DIY?
Here's a pic:

126950ef0250ee3ff.jpg

There is a whole thread there on covering etc. http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3214

Also, Rorty has a PDF of his seat.
http://www.rorty-design.com/files/Rorty Basic Aluminium Seat Pattern.pdf But, pdf is big to post - so just a link for you...
He has brackets there too - which I may use for my Kirkey.

You could make the "bucket" then bead-foam that and then cover. Perfect custom fit. Until you start celebrating with the beers! :drink:
Link to the DIY follow on for the pouring foam trick!: http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=152517


Cheers - Jim
 
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