Wed, 26 Mar 1997Adam Wahler wrote:
<< I added an alternator to my 1967 TR4A from a BMW 325. It worked, however,
<< since I am finishing a rebuild, I want to address the pulley/fan belt
<< dilemma.
<< The original pulleys for the car are for 3/4" belts, while the alternator
pulley
<< is 3/8". While it works, I want to make it all consistant.
<< Any alternator conversions you can recommend would be appreciated.
Adam:
There are two aspects of alternator conversion: Mechanical and Electrical. I
can't help with the mechanical, but I can with the electrical.
I would recommend a Delco alternator from a GM car, simply because they are
cheap and easy to find, and they have an internal regulator. I think I paid
$40 for my rebuilt unit, with no exchange (55Amp). If it ever fails, take it
back and exchange for another. Since these are used in so many applications,
it should not be hard to find a pulley of the right size.
Someone on this list recommended a GM one-wire unit. I would not use this
unit for two reasons: a) they are too expensive, and b) most important, you
will lose the function of the alternator warning light on the dash. There is
nothing wrong with these units, but the only reason for using one in your
application is ease of installation (the Hot Rod crowd uses them so there are
fewer wires to hide!). As the gentleman said, they are very easy to hook up
(except you are left with a couple of wires that no longer go anywhere, which
can be a cause for concern). If you should choose to go with the standard GM
unit, drop me a note, and I will send you very detailed instructions for the
electrical swap. It is extremely easy to do, and requires no extensive
modifications to the wiring harness.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
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