I've had a recurring problem with the mounting holes in generator ears and mounting brackets wearing oblong. This problem has occured with several different generators and brackets, and experimenting with various arrangements of bolts and washers, including using one long bolt through both mounting points, failed to provide a long-term resolution to the problem. Here is a solution that I think will turn out to be "bullet-proof," even if you're starting off with worn parts.

The idea is to install sleeving through the ear and bracket at each mounting point. If you can come up with an old bracket, the metal inserts in the rubber shock-mounts make ideal sleeves, having a 3/8" OD and the proper ID to fit a 1/4" bolt. They are a little bit longer than the combined width of an ear / bracket set, which allows you to use a 3/8" ID washer on the outside end.

Work slowly with a rat-tail file to open up the holes in the mountings until you can just tap in the sleeve. Do not just drill a 3/8" hole -- one of the factors that makes this arrangement strong is that it has no play in it right from the start. The generator should be able to pivot on the sleeves with no wobble even before you install the bolts, whose sole function will now be to hold the sleeves in place.

The down side of this is that the generator and bracket must now go on and come off the car as a unit, which is slightly more trouble than just unbolting the generator from the bracket. However, I plan on having to do this far less often than before the modification.

Note: This is a good opportunity to check the generator's brushes. These are the same as used in VW Beetles and are readily available at most import parts stores. Also, how's that fanbelt?

This article originally appeared in the September/October 1995 Volvo Sports America Western States Magazine.