More Buick 455 AC Bracket Information

by George Nenadovich

Photos by Dennis Wheeler

 

 

Here is a 71-up Buick 455 AC bracket set-up. This has the welded steel lower bracket. Notice the notch for the alternator rear case to clear the bracket.

 

 

Notice the notch to clear the valve cover with the welded steel lower bracket.

 

 

Here is the upper AC bracket with the cast aluminum lower bracket. Notice this one

does not have the clearance not to clear the back of the alternator since the bracket sits above

the alternator case.

 

 

 

Here is a shot of the lower cast aluminum bracket.

 

Notice the upper AC bracket that goes with the lower cast aluminum bracket has no notch to clear the valve cover since it sits much higher.

 

 

Notice location of alternator adjustment arm bolt hole...one sits next to the AC compressor slot and the other one sits above it(71-up) version.

 

Side by side comparison of the two upper AC brackets.....notch indicates

the later version and also notice the position of the stamped groove.......the end of the "V" sits

in the middle of the adjustment slot for the compressor while the 67-70 version has it closest to

the outside edge.

 

 

Here is the end of the 67-70 bracket AC compressor slot....notice how much further the adjustment slot extends beyond the bracket edge.

 

 

Here is the part number, 1235835, stamped on the bottom of the 71-up AC bracket...the 70 bracket did not have this number.....not all brackets will have numbers so reference the notches and stamped groove as a guide to application.

 

 

Here is the complete 71-later welded lower steel AC bracket and upper brackets.

 

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two different alternator adjustment arm brackets.....they almost look identical.

 

Upon closer inspection...often missed and causes frustration.....the longer arm has the hole for the bolt that goes into the upper AC bracket about 1/2-9/16" further away than the shorter version. The distance between holes, center-to-center, for the longer bracket is 12"

 

Here is the complete set-up with the cast aluminum bracket and long alternator adjustment arm.