Part# question

[Tom L.]

Can someone (Joe L perhaps) identify this A/C bracket? part #3887166

thanks!!

[Tom H.]

Re: Part# question

I am far from Joe L. but I believe that should be a front compressor bracket for a 66, 427.

[William C.]

Re: Part# question

I am far from Joe L. but I believe that should be a front compressor bracket for a 66, 427.

Lynn..Tom is correct..Bill

[Joe L.]

Re: Part# question

All-------


Yes, it is the front compressor bracket applicable ONLY to 1966 Corvettes with L-36 and C-60. It had no other applications, Corvette or otherwise. It was discontinued from SERVICE without supercession in June, 1974.

[Tom L.]

Re: Part# question

So this will not work on a '72 454 w/ A/C? The repro brackets say they are applicale to all big blocks from '66 to '74. Is the repro correct?

[Joe L.]

Re: Part# question

So this will not work on a '72 454 w/ A/C? The repro brackets say they are applicale to all big blocks from '66 to '74. Is the repro correct?

Lynn------


It's very possible that all of the 1966-74 brackets carry the GM CASTING #3887166. I don't know one way or the other. However, I can tell you that only the 1966 bracket carried the GM PART #3887166. It MIGHT be that the 3887166 casting was machined differently for later applications. However, the 67-74 forward compressor bracket was GM PART #3894362.

Can anyone with a 1967-74 Corvette with big block and C-60 report on the casting number on their forward compressor bracket?

[Tom L.]

Re: Part# question

Or... can anyone confirm or dispute that the '66 a/c bracket #3887166 is NOT the same configuration as #3894362 bracket?

And, can anyone confirm or dispute that the '66 bracket is the same as the GM repro bracket that most suppliers sell?

Thanks for any help!

[Joe L.]

Re: Part# question

All-------


I have found that the GM #3894362 has that number appearing on the casting. So, there is a difference in the 3887166 casting and the 3894362 casting and it's not just a case of the 3887166 being machined differently to make it a 3894362.

The parts appear similar to me but there has to be some difference. Whether the 3887166 might be USABLE for a 1967-74, I do not know. I can say, though, that the 3887166 was never replaced for SERVICE by the 3894362 so that implies that there's enough of a difference that GM did not consider the later part usable for a 1966 and, presumably, the 3887166 would not be usable for a 67-74 (without some type of modification).

[Tom L.]

Re: Part# question

Thanks for the help Joe. The bracket in question was on Ebay for $25 and I was the only bidder until the last 1 or 2 seconds and lost it. I figured it was worth the few bucks to find out if it would work. Unfortunately, "me thinks" I may have alerted someone of the auction OR a poacher was watching and waited until the last second. I guess I have a bit to learn about that Ebay thing. No biggie, I just hope that whoever got it needed it rather than a vendor getting it to turn over.


I do have another questuion though. I was able to get a copy of the Corvette Chasis and body parts catalogue 1953-1978, effective December 1977, and wanted to look it up myself but it was at work and I wasn't. I've found that using it requires a steep learning curve for those that have never used it. When I got to it this morning I found the page for the bracket and the only one listed was the #3894362 bracket listed as used for 1967-74 as you noted. Is it typical that older discontinued parts, like the #3887166 bracket will not be in that book? Thanks for the education!

[Terry M.]

Re: Part# question

Lynn even the professional counter men have a steep learning curve with the GM parts system, and since now days it is all on computer I expect there are many pros who would find the paper book a learning experience in itself. A good counter person is hard to find, and if you do you should cultivate them like fine wine.

BTW: Joe will put even the best of them to shame -- and I have known counter people who can produce part numbers from memory -- just like Joe. Joe is one of the finest resources this board has.

[Joe L.]

Re: Part# question

Thanks for the help Joe. The bracket in question was on Ebay for $25 and I was the only bidder until the last 1 or 2 seconds and lost it. I figured it was worth the few bucks to find out if it would work. Unfortunately, "me thinks" I may have alerted someone of the auction OR a poacher was watching and waited until the last second. I guess I have a bit to learn about that Ebay thing. No biggie, I just hope that whoever got it needed it rather than a vendor getting it to turn over.
I do have another questuion though. I was able to get a copy of the Corvette Chasis and body parts catalogue 1953-1978, effective December 1977, and wanted to look it up myself but it was at work and I wasn't. I've found that using it requires a steep learning curve for those that have never used it. When I got to it this morning I found

the page for the bracket and the only one listed was the #3894362 bracket listed as used for 1967-74 as you noted. Is it typical that older discontinued parts, like the #3887166 bracket will not be in that book? Thanks for the education!

Lynn------


Yes, in the days of paper catalogs (i.e. 1993 and prior) discontinued parts were not shown as such in the catalogs. They were simply dropped from inclusion. Any part that was discontinued without supercession prior to the publish date of the particular catalog would not be shown in that particular catalog. If a part was superceded before the publish date of the catalog, the supercessive part number would be found in the catalog with no reference to the discontinued part number. Since the GM #3887166 was discontinued prior to the December, 1977 publish date of your catalog, it would not be shown, at all, in that catalog.

Beginning in 1996 GM started listing discontinued parts in the microfiche and electronic parts catalogs but only for parts discontinued after about that time. Historical discontinuations were generally not re-listed and shown as discontinued.