RPI Non-AC conversion (done)

[Brett Van Sprewenburg <brett@netacc.net>]

Just got through doing a non-AC conversion, and rather then spend a lot of
time messing with pulleys, grinding, cutting, and other bracketry, I
spent the extra money and bought the conversion from RPI.

The quality of the bracket is very good, with a nice wrinkle coat finish.
The belt they sent along was the worst excuse for a new belt I've ever
seen...old age cracks everywhere.  The suprises keep coming though.
There are no instructions at all, not that it needed them, but it might
be nice to include _something_.   Ok, on to the fitting....it wouldn't

The bracket is set up to use the top four waterpump bolts as it's
mounting. Meaning that it uses the two standard double threaded
bolts that the stock bracket uses, and you have to remove the two top
bolts from the waterpump and use new significantly longer bolts which
pass through the bracket, the pump, and finally into the block.  Those
bolts were not included.  How nice.  Cheap to fix with a trip to Pep
Boys for a pair of 10.9 60mm M8 bolts, but annoying.  Oh, it still
didn't fit.

One of the bolts that holds the waterpump housing together is long
enough to pass through and stick out the back a tiny bit, and this
interfered with the RPI bracket being seated.  Once I sourced a
shorter 10mm bolt, it still wouldn't seat.  There's a tiny raised
casting on the waterpump which prevented it.  So, I had to grind out
part the backside of the RPI bracket to get it to fit.  Joy.  In
going through my various parts bits, I also happened to notice I
already owned the alternator pulley which RPI included.  Double joy.

Finally, I used a new belt and installed the alternator.  While
checking alternator fan clearance, it became apparent that the
alternator fan blades were going to hit the top alternator adjusting
arm.  Did I mention joy?  Did I mention that RPI could have suggested
some of this in any instructions?  Not only that, but the positioning
of the alternator moved it slightly away from the way the stock 16v
alternator adjustment arm bends (look at the top, on edge.  It's bent
towards the passenger side of the car).  I finally solved all this
by using the arm upside down. :)  Bent the right way, and avoids
the fan blades.

Anyway, it's all together now.  The car turns over faster during starts,
and might feel a bit lighter...I do know that front corner sits a bit
higher as since going to coilovers I'm pretty tuned into the ride
height.  Is it worth the $$$, probably not.  My advice would be to
buy the real stock 16v non-AC bracket if you want to spend that much
money as what RPI sent in addition either was junk (the belt), plain
not-included (longer waterpump bolts),  wrong (grinding the back of
their bracket), or easily attainable elsewhere (the alt. pulley). Oh,
they did include 4 nice new M8 washers for not-included M8 nuts and
bolts.

One more interesting note.  I had to remove the double 16v waterpump
pulley (the inner pulley is a freewheeling bearing) and when that
pulley was under any tension, it bound up horribly.  I pushed a bit
of grease into it, and it spins much much smoother with far less
resistance when under tension.  Might be something to check
next time the belts on the 16v are off.

==Brett
 \/  '84 Scirocco (ITB racer 2B) | "Hot VW's, take two home. They're small"
\/\/ '88 Scirocco 16v (Show), '92 Passat 16v (Winter+) | - brett@netacc.net

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