[Healeys] alternator query

Oudesluys coudesluijs at chello.nl
Wed Apr 24 12:09:37 MDT 2013


Simon,
To start with your ammeter is wholy inadequate, it needs to read at 
least 50A. These are available from SMITHS/Jaeger/Lucas, look at 
Ebay.co.uk regularly. I may even have one lying about. Make sure all 
current generated by the alternator is fed through the ammeter. The 
17ACR alternator is used in many UK and Swedish cars and should be 
bullet proof, however the internal control box can break down and is 
easily replaced.
Is the original control box gutted and cosmetic only?
Cheers,
Kees Oudesluijs
NL


Op 24-4-2013 18:49, Simon Lachlan schreef:
> Well, I've had my alternator in the car for a few weeks now, but hardly
> tested it. Foul weather and I've been away.
>
> Now I've installed my original ammeter and an eBay voltmeter, old fashioned
> Smith's bimetal strip.
>
> Took the car out today. Alternator was a bit noisy but may be able to fix
> that by slackening the belt a tad and bringing the alternator forward by
> another washer or two's width.
>
> But what is really puzzling/worrying me is the behaviour of the
> ammeter......
>
> The ammeter works fine at least it always did and I don't doubt it now.
> (It's a typical Smiths +30 to -30).
>
> When I start up the gauge reads minus, say 5 amps, for about 3 minutes. Then
> it kicks over to +30, ie max, for about 5 minutes. Then it settles down a
> bit.
>
> On a run the gauge maxes out at 30+ at about 1,750rpm and stays there. If I
> drop the rpm, the reading drops. At a slow idle, say 500rpm, its around 0 to
> -5.
>
> The voltmeter reads just under the red while this is going on and returns to
> about 13 with ignition on and engine off. The battery does not get hot! Or
> give off vile vapours.
>
>   
>
> Now, do all 30 to 30 ammeters hail from a generator age when 45 amps output
> was more or less unheard of? And thus are they useless over 1,750 rpm?
>
> Or, in the belief that my ammeter is accurately reporting what it's fed by
> the alternator, is the alternator playing up? I've never used an ammeter in
> conjunction with an alternator before and am unaware of what charging
> patterns to expect. (On today's trip the battery was +/- fully charged at
> the beginning and I thought the alternator's output would drop after, say, 5
> miles).
>
> It's a Lucas 17ACR with an output, I'm told, of approx 40amps.I think that
> its internal voltage regulator is easy to replace.
>
>   
>
> On a related topic........I put in an extra cable from the alternator to the
> control box as an article on the www suggested that the original might
> struggle to carry the load. Was that necessary? I only ask because - if I
> revert to a generator - I'll struggle to get the extra lead into the
> available slots on the control box.
>
> Oh yes, looking on eBay, all Smith's ammeters appear to be 30 to 30. Are
> there others? Say 50 to 50.....Or shouldn't my alternator be kicking out so
> many amps?
>
>   
>
> Simon
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