DIY: GD Alternator/Belt Cover on GC8
 

Bit of fun for anyone wanting to tidy their GC8's engine bay up. Excuse how much of a mess mine is :o

This isn't a difficult task but having the right tools will make this much less time consuming and neater.

You will need:
[LIST][*]10 mm socket and spanners[*]12mm spanner[*]Plastic Alternator/Belt cover off a GD WRX/STI[*]Assorted 6mm x 1.0 bolts (will need a longer one than what is currently on the car)[*]Section of bracket/steel bar[*]Hacksaw or Renovator tool[*]Dremel[/LIST][IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/ComparisonResized_zps77d73e3e.png[/IMG]

New and old. The GD cover isn't a direct fit to the GC8 as the power steering fluid tank moved with the chassis switch. The left hand side bolt hole moves and the cover makes contact with the tank, so these will need to be adjusted.

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/BoltHoleComparoResized_zps56041daf.png[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/ReservoirOverlapResized_zps47edb0d8.png[/IMG]

Start by removing the old two-piece cover (the plastic section is only there on A/C equipped models). There are 4 fasteners; a 10mm nut on the right hand side facing the front of the car, two 10mm bolts on the top face of the metal cover, and the 12mm bolt which also holds the alternator down.

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/AltBoltResized_zps8446849f.png[/IMG]

This bolt might be tight, but you'll need to back this off to unhook the bracket holding the metal cover down. Screw it right back in once it's off, you don't want this left loose and it's not needed for the new cover install.

Next, lay the new cover over the front of the belt area - slide the hole on the right hand side over it's bolt and gauge where you need to cut out to clear the power steering fluid tank. This can be done by eye reasonably well.

Take a series of cuts and refit it every time to check how it's going - you can always cut more plastic out, but putting it back on will prove difficult. Below is one of the cuts I tested; I ended up taking it to the drawn line. A dremel with a sanding tool on the end does the curved section pretty well!

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/CutOutGuideResized_zps7de6596e.png[/IMG]

Some final measurements if you want an idea how far to go. You want a bit of a gap between the tank and the cover.

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/VerticalHeightResized_zpsefe2719a.png[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/HorizontalLengthResized_zpscf959348.png[/IMG]

The final position of the cover will be higher than the tank, and you won't need to cut into the circular bolt recess - I had my cut more or less flush with the edge looking from underneath.

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/SittingHeightResized_zps9cf0bab5.png[/IMG]

An adapter bracket will need to be made up so the left hand side of the cover has something to attach to. I took the base of a metal L bracket I hacked up for another project and drilled it to suit the new bolt hole position.

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/AdapterBracketResized_zpsf4c16994.png[/IMG]

(No, the bracket isn't touching my accessory belt :p)
I had to use a nut to hold this bolt in place as the threaded hole had stripped. Keep in mind this cover does need to be removed for accessory belt changes, so don't use fasteners that are going to drop away every time the bolt is undone (or flip them like I have here). I used a Rivet Nut on the right side of the bracket so the cover has something to screw into.

To secure the cover to the bracket, you'll need a longer M6x1.0 bolt - the one I got was about 40mm long. Put the cover on with the nut on the right hand side and this new bolt on the left and you're done! The hooped clips on the cover hold the throttle cables so you can use one like I have here.

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/FinishedResized_zpsc6965675.png[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/Revvhead/Finished2Resized_zpsc14e73a6.png[/IMG]

looks good