AC compressor bracket

[Eric Perplies]

To fix my a/c bracket I took it to a machine shop that bored the engine bracket
holes and the a/c bracket holes to a size that would clean up the hole (so they
were round once again.) They then built a new center shaft to fit the new, over
sized holes. They also made two thick washers for the end of the shaft. If I
remember right it cost me $120 a couple of years ago.

Some discussion about the design of the bracket. I believe BB designed this
massive bracket and expected the massive size of the shaft to withstand the
vibration wear of the engine. It did not work on my rig. After less than 40k
miles the bearings were out on the compressor. At 50k I did the repair. I too
found all the holes and shaft egg shaped.

I believe that the an improvement would be to tighten the "ears" on the bracket
by tightening the bolts at the end of the shaft. (Maybe that was the intention
of the design???) In any case when I reassembled my repaired bracket I tighten
the ear as firmly as I could so that the clamping action of the ears on the
engine bracket would minimize the wear on the shaft. If it could be tightened
enough, after adjusting the belt tension, there would be no relative motion
between the two brackets and the shaft, eliminating wear.

One comment: I wish I had removed the gusset from under the two "ears". That
way I could have more easily tighten the bolts at the end of the shaft that
would have clamp the "ears" on the bracket to the engine side bracket. I didn't
remove that (approx. 5/16" x 3/4") gusset. I had to stand on a wrench to
tighten the ears after I got the a/c bracket adjusted. I imagine a significant
portion of the clamping force is going into bending the ears around the gusset
rather than clamping the ears to the engine bracket. Now, I believe the bracket
is tightened as if it were one piece, rather than one support and one pivot.

Sorry for the long soliloquy. It's a complicated issue relating to what I think
was either a design problem or an incorrect BB fabrication/installation on my
bus.

Eric Perplies
96' 42' WBWL
currently in Lolo, MT