wolfbj@bellsouth.net wrote:
> What is involved in the Generator to Alternator Conversion?
I use a Mitsubitchi alternator from the junk yard. Subarus have a nice
small unit so does the Ford Festiva. But any alternator will work as
long as the mounting ears are 180* apart. Some are 270* and will not
line up. You have to get one with the old style fan belt not the modern
wide belt. be sure to get the metric bolt where the alternator mounts at
the adjustable end. You will also need a universal alternator bracket or
a junkyard curved bracket. New chrome ones are available at any parts
store.
Remove the generator, eye up the alternator pulley with the water pump
pulley, usually you have to grind about 1/8" off the water pump ear or
the inside of the front top alternator ear. Too mount the alt, get a
long 5/16" bolt to go from the generator rear mount thru the alternator
and water pump ear. Depending on the size of the hole in the alt, you
may need a 3/8 bolt and have to drill out the w/pump ear and rear
mounting bracket or fit a bushing to the alternator hole so the 5/16
bolt works. Now the bottom bracket, with the new curved bracket in hand
and your original fan belt in place, hold the bracket near it's
position, cut off the opposite of the slotted end to fit the original
mounting bolt on the front of the engine. Drill a 3/8 hole in the
bracket for that mounting bolt.
I use a piece of standard steel pipe as a spacer between the alternator
and rear mount and also as a spacer between the 2 top ears of the
alternator. 3/8 id galvanized pipe nipples from any hardware store work
fine for the spacers or a bunch of washers if you have them.
Now the wiring........................
2 ways to do it.
1) the quick simple way.
From what was the generator, take the large wire, it should be
brown/yellow and hook it to the "B" teminal (battery) of the new
alternator. Take the small generator wire and hook it to either one of
the small terminals of the "T" connection on the alternator. This wire
will work the ignition light on the dash. Most of the time it goes to
the verticle leg of the "T" shaped terminals.
Trash the regulator, connect the 3 large wires together. Brown,
brown/blue, and brown/yellow.
The small wire from the generator now gets hooked to what was the field
wire on the regulator (old terminal "F" on the regulator) usually
brown/green hooked to small brown/yellow wire.
Eliminate the black wire from the regulator.
2) keeping the regulator just for looks....
Use a bum regulator or gut your exisiting regulator but look inside,
terminals A and A1 are already connected together, keep that inner
connection.
Connect the brown and brown/blue to terminal A
Connect the heavy wire from the alternator (brown/yellow) to terminal A1
Nothing goes to terminal "D" connect the small wire from the alt AND the
small brown/yellow to terminal F and just keep the black wire to
terminal E.
Now the regulator becomes just a junction box.
You can also use a GM Delco alternator but it's 1/2 the size of an A
series engine and just looks way out of place.
--
Frank Clarici
Toms River, NJ
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