Westfield SEiGHT alternator bracket issue

adamnreeves · Post by **adamnreeves** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:02 pm

Apparently Westfield factory produced SEiGHTs all have a distributor. I am building a later Gems 4.6 which has no distributor. No distributor means different timing cover meaning my alternator brackets do not work!

Calling any SEight owners with no dizzy setup! What did you do?

Post by **katanaman** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:26 pm

Had a look over on your site. If you mean the tensioning bracket then that's not how a serps works. The proper serps alternator bracket bolts the alternator solid and the tension in the belt is adjusted by a tensioner pulley elsewhere. With the setup you have just now you will never get enough tension in the belt. Serp belts run much more tension than the older v belts. 2 solutions come to mind. Either make a new tensioner like I did with left and right handed threads and Rose joints with a hex in the middle so when you turn the hex the adjusters length changes. Get the proper full LR bracket and pulley setup and work it like the factory does.

Post by **katanaman** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:38 pm

I should also say that's not where the serp alternator mounts either, its further across to the middle of the engine. I have a feeling but don't know for sure that this might allow the alternator to sit further back so you could be out of line. It certainly looks from your pics that your alternator is sitting too far forward to use a standard LR water pump pulley so I assume the crank pulley will be out as well. Could just be a bad angle on the pics tho so you might be ok. Remember your pump has to run off the back (smooth side) of the belt. Where your alternator is at the mo looks like your not going to have very much wrap on the pulley either.

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:11 pm

If you were to get the original serp alternator bracket, bottom pulley, plain water pump pulley and ribbed tensioner you can knurl the water pump pulley and use a shorter belt and all that will work. Phil uses that setup on his cobra i believe. You don't have much belt wrap but its enough with the tension and knurling.

Rpi even do a knurled pulley already!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RPi-Range-Rover-V ... dZViewItem

adamnreeves · Post by **adamnreeves** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 7:09 pm

Thanks for your replies. Westifield supplied the brackets and adjustor and a smaller polyv belt. The westfield solution has all the pulleys inside the belt, i.e. all have to be grooved. The alternator has to sit higher to clear a top chassis member. My picture is not straight and also the engine stand does not lock with the 'V' of the V8 straight!

I have no clue whether the alternator is in line with the other pulleys because I do not have them yet as I do not know if I need smooth or grooved because of this issue. Starting to be a catch 22 I think. I will say that the alternator cannot go further back as it touches the bolt head on the bolt that attaches the bracket to the head.

The following picture shows why the alternator has to sit up higher, however this one seems to show smooth side of the belt driving the water pump. I was probably mis-informed with this.

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:35 pm

If you run a serp water pump from the grooved side of the belt it'll be running backwards won't it?

Post by **katanaman** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:39 pm

water pump has to be smooth side or the pump would turn backwards, not good!!
Agreed with the knurled pump pulley, that would solve the lack of wrap.

adamnreeves · Post by **adamnreeves** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:55 pm

oh, checked some more installations in Westfields and they all have the pump driven by smooth side. I was told by someone at Westfield that the belt drives the water pump on the groove side, they are quite clearly wrong which is not surprising as the same person supplied the brackets for my Gems engine. So I defintely need the RPi water pump pulley not matter what, I shall order it.

katanaman wrote:water pump has to be smooth side or the pump would turn backwards, not good!!
Agreed with the knurled pump pulley, that would solve the lack of wrap.

Post by **katanaman** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:39 am

had a dig around and found this http://www.rpiv8.com/Acrobat/engine_brochure.PDF it clearly shows the proper position of the alternator and tensioner. The alternator is more to the middle and further back so I think unfortunately your alternator is out of line. You can see for yourself what I mean with the above link. As far as knurling goes its a 2 min job if you got a second hand pulley but I don't think you will need it if you move the alternator to the right place.

adamnreeves · Post by **adamnreeves** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:22 pm

Yep have that brochure as this is the engine I bought, well the short engine hence having to build up the drive pulley system which I was told that the standard rover one does not fit into the Westfield Chassis.

My and your suspecions seem correct with the pulley alignment. I took some relative measurements today from the front of the block to to the pulley on the water pump is 126mm and from front of block to alternator pulley is 160mm, now I would expect a little variance as I do not actually have the water pump pulley yet but 34mm. I beleived the depth difference between the serp dizzy front cover to dizzyless one is about 35mm, co-inicidence? I think not.

katanaman wrote:had a dig around and found this http://www.rpiv8.com/Acrobat/engine_brochure.PDF it clearly shows the proper position of the alternator and tensioner. The alternator is more to the middle and further back so I think unfortunately your alternator is out of line. You can see for yourself what I mean with the above link. As far as knurling goes its a 2 min job if you got a second hand pulley but I don't think you will need it if you move the alternator to the right place.