[TR] TR3 Alternator Conversion

[Randall]

> I'm likely in the minority here, but I
> question the need for an alternator
> conversion at all. 

I'd say it depends a great deal on what devices you've added, and how you use the car. 

"Back when", I used to start it, drive less than 5 miles to work, often with the headlights and wipers on; then 8 hours later do the same thing again going home. Under those conditions, the stock generator has no hope of keeping the battery charged.

More recently, I lived much farther from work and worked first shift (more or less) so I got along much better with the stock generator, even after adding an electric fan. But I still would have been out of luck with the 100 watt headlights and high power stereo I used to have.

My current alternator conversion is not as common as the old 10SI, but I had no trouble finding it at my local independent parts store, and RockAuto even had it on sale. Original application was a 1989 Suzuki Swift (but I believe it fits many other applications). I made no permanent alterations to either the alternator or the car/wiring; it's all fully reversible if I should ever get the urge. I'm quite pleased with the result.

Although I used my lathe to create the mounts from bar stock, I believe the same could be accomplished with hand tools, using a piece of pipe in the rear and a cut down original mount in the front.

The alternator is much better regulated than the original generator setup, which translates to longer battery life, and less corrosion above the battery box.

As an added bonus, it even makes it easier to change the belt!

https://i.imgur.com/X4GAP8v.jpg

-- Randall
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