Alternator bracket keeps getting loose

[north44]

Hello,

I have this problem that has been going on for a long time already.
I have a '90 TD motor in a '96 Diesel Jetta III. The alternator and the
bracket are from this '96 Jetta (maybe the waterpump as well, not sure.)
So, the accessory belt drives the waterpump and the alternator tensioned
by a tensioner pulley. A smaller v-belt drives the P/S pump.

The problem - alternator bracket keeps getting loose from the vibration
and as the result both belts fly off. From what I saw the bracket is attached
to the engine via the waterpump with the waterpump bolts. Those bolts
got all broken off one by one by the vibrating bracket.

What is the best way to fix this w/o towing the car to a garage, if it is
at all possible? I am sort of mechanically inclined but can get help from
friends who are good at wrenching. Is it possible to get all the waterpump
bolts out and put in new ones w/o disassembling the waterpump itself?

Thank you.

[Darkness_is_spreading]

I would also try to find original 90 TD brackets,  and remove AC if not needed or non-functional. Install them instead of the 96 brackets and retension everything.

[north44]

Thanks for the reply, Darkness.

So, this car does not have A/C already. It is just the alternator and the
waterpump pulleys that are driven by a serpentine belt off the crankshaft
pulley.

If I get the original 90 TD bracket then I might have to change the
waterpump and the alternator as the bolts/holes might not match anymore.

[Darkness_is_spreading]

not sure, you may be able to use your original alternator with th ac brackets  (not neccesairly 90 TD ac brackets)  86-92 should have had the right ac brackets for you 1.6 td block