First Look: Alternator and A/C Compressor

Here are some pictures from the initial stages of test fitting and fabrication of the compressor mount and alternator mount. I will keep the original (Civic/D-series) alternator and compressor. I'm doing this for several reasons, but most notably to keep costs and complexity to a minimum. I just need some custom bracketry to mount them tight to the block (little room to spare...) and lined up with the new K20-sourced accessory drive pulley.

I started with a piece of 1/4" scrap and laid out the bolt pattern from a cardboard template I made. If you look closely you can see the center-punched locations for the compressor bolt pattern. I started cutting first with an angle grinder and cut-off wheel. That was making a mess of the garage and was pretty noisy so I finished up on a band saw. Then I just drilled some 10.5mm holes for the four block mounting bolts.

Here is the old compressor clamped in place with temporary bolts in place. I tacked nuts to the plate while threaded onto the bolts to be sure I have everything placed where it needs to be.

I set the alternator and adjusting bracket in place to check the fit. Nothing really clever going on here. I'm really just taking the design of the original accessories as fitted in an Accord and "reimagining" them with the smaller Civic bits. The alternator bracket will need a pivot tab at the top (right side in the above) and threaded mount tab for the adjustment bracket bolt at the bottom (left in above).

Another angle. The camera isn't perfectly aligned but the compressor pulley and crank pulley are. The alternator is propped up at the moment. The point is to identify any interferences. So far so good! if you noticed, the alternator is a 3-ribbed type from an '89 civic. The 4-ribbed alternator I'll be using is currently on my daily driver. I'll pull it off to do the final test fitting, but for now this one will do.

More to come soon on this part of the project. More welding, more grinding, more test fitting. and finally a nice coat of "blend in" black paint when it's all done.