John:
Lots of different ways to go here. You can go the Delco or Bosch
route, and get a reliable high current alternator that may require some
mods to fit. You may also end up with an extra wire on your harness,
depending on what type of alternator you purchase. Some were three wire,
some are two wire.
Getting the old one rebuilt is easy, there are lots of auto
electrics shops around. Look in the yellow pages. If you do decide to
retain stock, I recommend a complete rebuild. Our cars are 30+ years
old, and brushes, bearings, etc all wear out. If you just replace a
diode for example, the brushes will go next. It is Murphy's law in
action. It will cost you a bit more than buying a rebuilt AC Delco, but
it will fit without modifications which is always a plus.
I prefer authenticity, so it would be rebuild for me. If you
want more current, you can upgrade to the 1976 TR6 alternator. They were
good for a few more amps, as I recall.
Cheers,
Vance
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-6pack@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-6pack@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of John VanNorman
Sent: August 15, 2005 8:02 PM
To: 6pack
Subject: Rebuilt Lucas alternator or upgrade?
Just wondering what opinion others have. I believe that my alternator
on my 74 1/2 TR6 is dying out on me (ignition
light glows ever so dimly under normal use, brighter when there is a
heavier electrical load - i.e., lights, fan, turn
signals, etc. on - with a corresponding dip on the voltmeter). I need
to take it to have it tested (and if anyone has
any thoughts on what the problem might be, feel free to share them), but
if it does turn out to be a problem with the
alternator, should I purchase a rebuilt Lucas or should I go with the
Bosch/Delco route? Part of me thinks that the
increased output on the Bosch or Delco would be good. But in terms of
added electrical load, the only things that I
know that I will be adding in the future are the Pertronix ignition
conversion (with new ignition coil), a basic car
stereo (i.e., no external amp), and maybe halogen lamp kits.
Since I'm a relative newbie (although learning fast thanks to you guys),
the rebuilt Lucas is attractive if only for the
ease in replacing the unit with the minimum amount of potential
problems. Likewise, if I upgrade, based on what I have
read in the 6-pack archives, the Bosch route seems to be more attractive
since it appears it is the easier of the two to
fit to the TR6.
John V.
1974 1/2 TR6
CF28149
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