Alternator Position 230SL

[dirtrack49]

I have a Kulmeister air conditioned 230SL that has a separate alternator and air conditioner bracket.

I recently removed the hood, radiator and all of the coolant hoses and thermostat and water pump housing to replace several coolant hoses.

Now, I find myself looking at either removing, or leaving the air conditioning bracket and compressor in place and simply removing the A/C belt. The problem I am running into, is that I can not get to one of the transmission cooling hoses unless I remove the bracket and compressor.

My question is, do I need to replace the alternator bracket with the original set up if I remove the A/C bracket? Or, can I just leave the current alternator bracket in place and simply remove the entire A/C unit. This would leave the alternator in the same upward position as if I never took the A/C bracket off. I understand that the original set up for a 230SL was to have the alternator positioned in the lower part of the engine compartment.

Any and all comments greatly appreciated.

[ja17]

The Dealer installed AC has the alternator mounted on the AC bracket with its own belt  running off the water pump pulley. With this arrangement, the two compressor belts drive the water pump pulley which in turn drives the single alternator belt. If you delete just the compressor you will have deleted the drive belts for the water pump and alternator. You may be able to work out a shorter belt arrangement to drive the water pump pulley via the crankshaft and AC idler/adjuster pulley.   The best advantage if deleting the AC would be to get rid of the overly complex W113 AC bracket.

[dirtrack49]

Hi Joe, thanks for the come back. However, I think we might be dealing with two different model set ups.
With my dealer installed A/C, the alternator bracket is separate of the A/C bracket. I currently have the alternator bracket removed with the A/C bracket still in place.
Unfortunately, It looks like I will need to take off the A/C bracket as well, to get at the right side transmission hose. An alternative, might be to remove the oil pan or possibly the bracket holding the positive battery cable to the oil pan to get two wrenchs on the hose fittings.
My 230SL currently is set up with a single belt running the A/C compressor, a single belt running the alternator and fan, and a single belt running the power steering pump.
If I am able to get the hose off, I am contemplating leaving the A/C bracket in place and putting everything back together. This would leave the alternator and it's bracket in the top of the engine compartment versus the bottom.
Anyone out there run into the same situation with their 230SL? Is there any reason not to run the separate alternator bracket in the upper position of the engine compartment?

[ja17]

Tom, sounds like you may have some type of aftermarket bracket?

[dirtrack49]

Joe, from the records I have on this vehicle, the Kuhlmeister air conditioner was installed by the selling dealer Simonson Schactmayer Mercedes Benz, Santa Monica CA in July of 1967.

In earlier threads, I found it somewhat confusing the descriptions that I was reading concerning the A/C bracket and the alternator bracket. I am now thinking that this dealer might of come up with a different set up versus the single bracket. However, some people have stated that their 230SL's came with a separate alternator bracket also.

[Montreal V8]

    Hi Tom. My 280SL has a Frigiking system, and it has two individual brackets. I replaced the compressor with a Sanden, which required a modified bracket. I seem to recall one of the mounting bolts being impossible to remove.  (The impossible takes a little longer !)   Cheers,  Dale.

[Shvegel]

Save everything you take off.  That stuff is getting valuable.

[George Des]

The early 230SL bracket setup was different from those used on later 250Sl/280Sl. The pulley and belt arrangement was also different. Somewhere I have the original Kuhlmeister catalog that shows what these early brackets look like. As pointed out above, the alternator bracket and the compressor brackets were indeed in two separate pieces unlike the monster one piece bracket use on later W113s like the 250 and 280Sl. I may have this catalog at my home in Florida. When I get back I'll try to find and post a pic of it

[Montreal V8]

  Oops !  Tom, I just checked my Frigiking manual, and it is indeed a "monster" one piece. My confusion, apart from old age memory lapse, was in that I had to "add" a second bracket to install the Sanden. Apologies to all.  Dale.

[dirtrack49]

Hi all and thanks for your responses. I had lost power to an electrical storm and have not been able to get on the computer as of late. Pretty amazing how we now depend upon our computers in this day and age.

George, I think you have got it. I believe the 230SL set up is different compared to the 250/280SL. Why they would have changed to one giant bracket versus two smaller ones is beyond my thinking.

I will probably be able to get back to work on the car tomorrow if the power will remain on. I am thinking that I will just leave the alternator bracket where it is and run the alternator in the upper part of the engine compartment. It is either that, or find an original bracket and relocate the alternator back to it's lower position that is currently taken up by the Kuhlmeister compressor.