I'm moving AC from a 1962 to a 1961 Cadillac. I didn't get to do the disassembly on the 62 so I'm not sure what came off it. I've gone through my box of brackets getting them ready to paint and found this one. I think it's a power steering bracket, but not 100% sure, but the bigger question is, do I need it? From photos I think the PS bracket I have on my 61 is the correct bracket. It looks like all the changes are on the AC/Generator side. Any help solving this mystery would be great.
The 2 holes at the bottom of those pictures mount to the water pump with the 'slide' opening at the top for belt adjustment. The compressor will go over the generator. If you do change the generator to an alternator, take the block bracket that mounts to the exhaust manifold and simply turn it around to mount a 10SI or 12 SI alternator to it. That will give you the proper belt alignment. The swing arm at the top remains the same.
I gave my spare set of 61 AC brackets to someone in New Zealand
20250323_131645.jpg
I agree it looks like a power steering bracket, but I'm not sure it's the right bracket for my application. Moving air from a 1962 390 to a 1961 390.
Here's a comparison of the bracket that came off my 61 engine next to the one I found that may or may not have come off the 62 donor.
PS-bracket-comparison.jpg
Here's my original bracket on the water pump.
PS-orig-bracket-on-pump.jpg
Here's the mystery bracket on the water pump.
PS-unk-bracket-on-pump.jpg
and on the engine.
PS-unk-bracket-on-engine.jpg
The mystery bracket has an extra mounting hole far out on the right, as you're facing it, that doesn't appear to line up with anything. I thought it might bolt the the exhaust manifold, but the alignment and hole direction aren't right. I also didn't think the PS pump sat that far outboard on a 1961 Cadillac 390, but I also wasn't going to rule out that adding AC changes the PS pump location.
Bottom line, to I keep the blue one or clean up the rusty one and use it instead?
Thanks for the help!
The P/S pump mounts down lower than your pictures and has a bracket that attaches to either the exhaust manifold or the head bolt, I can remember which. I just dug in my pictures folders and can't find the one I'm looking for. Two computer crashes lost a lot of pictures and put the rest totally out of order in so many different places.
The support bracket which looks like a pipe with flattened ends bolts to a stud on the back of the pump itself and then to I'm thinking a stud on an exhaust manifold bolt. I had a '61, 390 in my '59.
If I find the picture(s) and I may have to look on my other laptop, I'll post it. I took a lot of them on the engine removal, tear down and transmission rebuild too.
Maybe this diagram can help you.
Belts application.jpg
Great reference diagrams, thank you. What surprises me is the bracket in the diagram looks more like the rusty one I have, but the blue one I know came off my car which was an original 1961 w/o AC. Looking for PS brackets on the internet for a 1961 Cadillac turn up a bunch that look just like mine. Does anyone have any insight on the PS bracket difference?
Quote from: dbzsjones on March 25, 2025, 03:54:57 PMGreat reference diagrams, thank you. What surprises me is the bracket in the diagram looks more like the rusty one I have, but the blue one I know came off my car which was an original 1961 w/o AC. Looking for PS brackets on the internet for a 1961 Cadillac turn up a bunch that look just like mine. Does anyone have any insight on the PS bracket difference?
For those diagrams they used generic drawings to use across years.