Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

Recently bought black crinkle Holley LS valve covers - 241-91. They get rid of the unsightly factory coil brackets. All went well -- except -- I have a high mount alternator and the covers supply a small bracket that moves the #1 coil rearward to clear the alternator. The bracket will relocate the coil so it clears the alternator - that's the good news. Bad news is that the coil won't fit on the supplied bracket -- significant interference between the back of the coil and the bracket.

Any of you using the Holley covers run into this? The engine is a new GM crate LS3 bought in Jan., 2016. Looks to me like the Holley bracket was designed for a different coil than the ones that come on the new crate motors. Few pics below.

Jontall

You need LS2 coils to make them work... http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...d.php?t=249970

JayTS

iTrader: (1)

Easy fix, just cut the center out of the bracket and only use the mounting holes for the coil pack.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the replies guys.

jontall - yeah, the alternator-clearing bracket was clearly designed for a different type coil. The valve covers accept the LS3 coils perfectly though. To paraphrase Meatloaf - 7 out of 8 ain't bad....LOL.

JayTS - yup, it was clear pretty quickly to me that's one solution. Just a bit irritating that a common high-alt application (Corvettes with LS3) can't use the bracket as designed. Someone dropped the ball.

No matter -- I've reached out to Holley and Jeg's just for grins. But if they don't have an alternative bracket, I'll cut this one.

snomo

Yup, ran into the same issue. I'm running the Holley Acc drive brackets with the high mount alternator - I can get the coil/plug wire on the coil but it touches the rear of the alternator. I'm worried that it's a potential issue so I'll probably modify the bracket to move it slightly.

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

^^^^This...

Andrew

Michael Yount

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Holley says 'thanks - we need to update our directions'....as we all knew.

Anyway, cut bracket, moving forward. Thanks for input guys.

1989GTA

That is the quick and easy way to the solution. Looks like it was designed that way when all said and done. IMHO that is hot rodding. I don't know how many times I have had to modify a part over the years to get it to work.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

About to enter my 5th decade of "hot rodding" --- the issue here isn't the 2 minutes it took with a Dremel and a cut-off wheel to mod the bracket. It's that a company like Holley (small part of a conglomerate of hi/po companies) can't produce a relative simple product that actually works the way they say it should. As you allude to -- most of us have had to modify parts to get them to work. It happens so often that most folks don't even bother providing feedback to the manufacturer. As I get older I find situations like this irritating at best ---- it's just poor customer service. And I always make it a point to make some noise with the vendor and the manufacturer so they can try and improve. In this case, turns out the Holley tech folks have heard about the problem, know it exists and feel it's such a small deal that they won't produce the correct bracket - which is corporate speak for it would cost too much money. They've even recommended that the directions be changed to suggest the mod many of us have made. Thus far they seem unable to do even that.

It's one of many small pieces that adds up to a sad state of affairs with many aftermarket suppliers.

Rant over.

Jontall

You should have spray painted the bracket wrinkle black to match the valve covers.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

After test fit/the pics ya'll saw above - I painted them yesterday afternoon. And the washers.... And the tan epoxy part of the coils..... And removed the GM bar code stickers..... And soon the motor comes back out so I can tidy up wiring and repaint the engine bay.... And.....it never ends....

MuhThugga

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

That graph pretty well sums up my point above.

JayTS

iTrader: (1)

what coil packs are these? Factory LS3?

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

Correct

Michael Yount

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Well - thinking about it will get you in trouble. I think I've got plenty of room for a low mount alternator. So I'm searching for a low mount alt bracket for the Corvette pulley/belt spacing - several available. And I believe, if my research is correct, that will work with the CTS-V LSA power steering bracket. I already have the short pump, and the LSA pump bracket uses the Corvette pulley spacing. Lower CG and polar moment, cleaner look under the hood - and I can mount the coil as designed. I'd contemplated the low mount before, but the Kwik bracket was easy, well designed and fit. But, perhaps not the best mouse trap for this application. We'll see. Worth it to get it the way I'd like the first time. And it won't be the first time I had to sell a brand new, perfectly good part because I decided to go another way.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

Looks like it will work. We don't need no stinkin' coil relocation bracket.

Jontall

That looks much better.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

MUCH better! Probably old news to most of you --- took me a while to figure out. Aftermarket low mount alt bracket for Corvette pulley spacing and a Caddy CTS-V/LSA PS bracket (also Corvette spacing). Works like a champ. Looks like my Kwik Perf high mount alt bracket will be for sale....