Pete,
I've had this on file for a few months now. Hope it helps...
JOE IV
TR 250
WALLINGFORD, CT. USA
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From: Tom Gentry[SMTP:tgentr@execpc.com]
Sent: Friday, September 06, 1996 4:24 PM
To: Triumphs
Cc: Steve Toth
Subject: TR-6 Bosch Alternator Installation
A while back Steve Toth mentioned that the Bosch alternator from a Ford
Fiesta was an almost direct replacement for a TR-6 alternator. I finally
got a around to doing it, but only after the voltage regulator in the Lucas
gave up completely, of course, and thought I would share the experience
with you.
The advantages of the Bosch are:
Availability - the local parts places I called never once said, "uh
whuuuut??" when I asked for a Ford Fiesta alternator
Performance - I won't bad mouth the Lucas unit here, it lasted 24 years,
but the Bosch unit is rated 55 amps versus the Lucas's wimpy 28.
Price - I got a rebuilt unit for $20 less than I could a Lucas for.
Installation is very straight forward, physically it mounts right up. The
plugs from my Lucas didn't fit, though it looked like my old TR-250 would
have. I simpley pushed the female connectors out of the plug, insulated
them with shrink tube and pluged them in without using the big plastic
plug. This was made easier by a wiring diagram drawn by Dave at Forest
City Auto Electric, (815) 874-9571. Yes, that was a gratuitous plug, but
you gotta like a guy that recognized my Lucas alternator instantly from 15
feet away, and he offered to rebuild the Lucas in 24 hours.
Epilogue:
It works great, the extra power is evident at idle, with the lights on,
when it holds steady rather than dipping into the red. Regulator response
is much quicker than was my Lucas, but that could be due to age. The only
thing I'll change is to get a little longer belt. The old one works, but a
little more length will gain me some clearance for replacing the number one
spark plug.
And finally,
Thanks, Steve, this was a great swap, and I can't imagine it being any
easier.
Tom Gentry
'72 Triumph TR-6 OD
'59 Triumph 10 Sedan
'86 Dodge Shelby Charger
'88 Sterling 825 SL
Life is too short to drive boring cars!
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