[Healeys] Mount a coil on an alternator.

Sat Dec 24 07:00:25 MST 2016

Kees,
There is never a need for additional power, except your regulator is not 
well tuned. Better to set the regulator right. The wiring in an 
Austin-Healey is not prepared to take the up to more than double output 
current of an alternator. The cables can get hot, can melt and get brittle 
inside the wiring loom. Same can happen when switched from ordinary 
headlights to H4 halogen headlights. The feeding cables are too thin for 
the current flowing through.

Josef Eckert
Konigswinter/Germany

-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: Re: [Healeys] Mount a coil on an alternator.
Datum: 2016-12-24T14:01:08+0100
Von: "Oudesluys" <coudesluijs at chello.nl>
An: "healeys at autox.team.net" <healeys at autox.team.net>

The main reason for changing to an alternator is that it produces a 
high(ish) charging current starting at low speeds, usually around 35A (e.g. 
Lucas 100). Therefore the total output is higher. Especially if you drive 
the car with headlights on all the time and/or have an electric radiator 
fan, high power radio etc. you are better of with an alternator. It also is 
easier to maintain thus more reliable than a generator plus regulator.
Most generators produce 20-25A max. at high speed but will barely cope as 
they do not charge much if at all at low speeds.
Kees Oudesluijs

Op 24-12-2016 om 4:01 schreef Bob Spidell:

    Simon,

    My knowledge of electronics is limited, but I do know the basics.  I
    can't think of any reason you couldn't fasten a coil to an alternator,
    except maybe their shape isn't as convenient for such use.  Alternators
    are generators--my 2008 Mustang's shop manual even calls them that--the
    only difference is how the unit converts alternating current to direct
    current, which is needed for charging the battery and for most other
    electrical needs in a car.  Generators physically 'commute'--the more
    contemporary term is 'rectify'--the AC with brushes and the segmented
    commutator--hence the name--while alternators commute the AC with
    diodes.  If anything, alternators produce less electromagnetic
    interference--EFI--than generators since there is less chance of
    creating a spark.  Alternators are more efficient--correct me if I'm
    wrong here--because without brushes they can be spun faster for a given
    engine speed (note alternator pulleys are usually smaller than
    generator pulleys).

    I do think a coil mounted on an alternator would look silly, but that's
    just me.

    Cheers,
    Bob

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: "Simon Lachlan" <simon.lachlan at homecall.co.uk>
    <mailto:simon.lachlan at homecall.co.uk>
    To: josef-eckert at t-online.de <mailto:josef-eckert at t-online.de> ,
    "Forum' 'Healeys" <Healeys at autox.team.net>
    <mailto:Healeys at autox.team.net>
    Sent: Friday, December 23, 2016 1:35:38 PM
    Subject: Re: [Healeys] Mount a coil on an alternator.

    Thank you for this. As ever, all advice  sought is welcome.
    However....per my comment to your answer to my (previous) BJ8
    questions, it would be really helpful if you applied your huge
    enthusiasm and knowledge to the question asked. I’m sure that your
    knowledge is encyclopaedic, but maybe, when you’re asked a simple
    question by a simple person, for once give a simple answer.

    Simon

    From: josef-eckert at t-online.de <mailto:josef-eckert at t-online.de> [
    mailto:josef-eckert at t-online.de <mailto:josef-eckert at t-online.de> ]
    Sent: 23 December 2016 21:07
    To: Simon Lachlan; Healeys, Forum
    Subject: AW: [Healeys] Mount a coil on an alternator.

    People who swap a generator for an alternator like to modify in any
    way. Anybody who knows more about electrics know there is no need for
    an alternator at all on Healeys. its only to adjust the rehulator to
    work as it should.  But that´s to difficult for most I suspect.
    those selling these alternators are quite happy to sell them as people
    like to modify and they also sell you one of these performance coils
    and they need to be kept cool and best is to put the coil in the boot
    to keep it cool. Haven´t seen that so far but can´t await to see it.

    Josef Eckert
    Konigswinter/Germany

    -----Original-Nachricht-----
    Betreff: [Healeys] Mount a coil on an alternator.
    Datum: 2016-12-23T21:57:44+0100
    Von: "Simon Lachlan" <simon.lachlan at homecall.co.uk
    <mailto:simon.lachlan at homecall.co.uk> >
    An: "'Healey Group'" <healeys at autox.team.net
    <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> >

    I’ve had an alternator in my BT7 for a while now.

    So, when I was doing the job, I looked at pictures of other people’s
    installations. Nobody’s coil was mounted on the alternator as coils
    were/are mounted on the generators.

    I didn’t mount mine on the alternator either.

    Now, I’m wondering why everybody found ingenious places to put the
    coils and nobody ingeniously adapted their brackets to fit onto their
    alternator.

    Do alternators get too hot? Do they give off some kind of magic death
    ray that fries coils or what??

    Any reasons not to do it??

    Thanks,

    Simon

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