Alternators

[264889socal]

I made the change to an alternator based upon reviewing posts on this subject. I used a 55 amp unit from a Suzuki/Metro Geo found in a local pick-a-part. A three wire unit with internal regulator. I took the plug from the cars wiring harness as well when I removed the alternator. Then fabricated the appropriate brackets for mounting the new alternator as illustrated in Brian Buckland's book.

In the process of rewiring for the alternator, I utilized a 84 strand wire from the alternator to the starter solenoid, sort an overkill, but mind relieving change. I also stripped back the wiring harness and re-routed all of the individual circuits to a new 10 position fuse block from an old Datsun Z car. This eliminated the two fuse block below the solenoid, and making the fuse requirements closer to the individual circuit requirements.

The new fuse block was modified internally to handle both switched and non-switched circuits. Just a matter of re-routing some of the wiring of the block. I utilized the existing threaded holes for the old voltage regulator to mount the new fuse block. Painted black, it does not look out of place and takes up less room. Using some adhesive backed labels, I made a new fuse diagram, now pasted on the inside of the fuse block cover. The fuses are now much more accessible and easier to maintain, if necessary.

When trying to figure out load requirements/wire gauge/fuse size, for indicidual circuits, I found an interesting web site, www.rbeelectronics.com.htm, under Wire Gauge Tables. These tables go a long way in determining wire gauge, load and distance. Between this site and British Wiring's site, it made short work of determining the wiring requirements. All circuits were rewired utilizing the correct wiring color scheme, including the new wiring from the alternator.

Things now seem a little brighter, faster and more stable after changing to the alternator. Seems to run a bit better, but that could be wishfull thinking on my part.

Total investment, under $50us for the entire project. Wire and wiring components made up almost half the costs, but I always over buy. Hate to get caught up short in the middle of the project, and you never know when.........

Of note, the alternator came equipped with a multi-groove pulley. This was removed and a standard "V" belt pulley was installed. A future project will be to convert the "V" pulley drive to a mulit-groove system to reduce side load on the water pump.

Rob Walker

[mikealdren]

Rob,
thanks for this but you had lost a bit of the hyperlink, I think it should be:
http://www.rbeelectronics.com/wtable.htm.

Mike

[264889socal]

Mike,

Correct you are. Looking through a jumble of papers and screwed up. The tables are interesting in that they compare different wiring gauges. Makes crossover easier to figure out. My addendum in the back of the electrical section of my workshop manual seems to grow thicker with every passing day.

Rob Walker

[mikealdren]

Rob,
I don't know what it is about Hyperlinks, we all seem to get them wrong from time to time. The wire tables will be very useful for me when I get round to re-wiring my Plus 2 which I am rebuilding next year??

I tend to cut and paste useful data into Documents or Spreadsheets and keep them in a reference folder on the computer. Only a few things like standard torque wrench settings go into the workshop manual as additional pages. We're very lucky that so much information is readily available nowadays.

Mike

[elanmac]

Is it right that modern alternators do not have brushes? I have changed brushes in alternators in the past, it's the outside one that wears, the centre one should last for many years.
Mac

[freddy22112211]

As I understand it, yes alternators also have brushes - usually referred to as slip rings. But as these rings are smooth, and the brushes carry a much smaller current than a generator, they last very much longer.
Gordon

[alan71]

Gordon is right the brushes/sliprings in an alternator only carry the current for the field windings (to create the magnetic field), unlike a dynamo where they carry the full output current.

Alan

[twincamman]

oh buggar it ---alternators just work better -- -ed

[Tonyw]

Folk's the simple reality is that generators do not charge at low revs whereas alternators do, alternators WILL charge your battery much faster.

Tony W

[worzel]

Hi All

Just some info some might find useful. I switched my sprint to alternator earlier this year.

Bought it from Lucas Service in Liverpool. Brand new, no part ex required it worked out at around ?35 or so. Very helpful firm (no connection with me)- the last time I spoke to them they had around 90 of the things- possibly because modern cars use bigger capacity ones.

Their number is 0151 236 7063.

Regards

John

[gordonlund]

The biggest culprit to any Elan electrics is the earth connection to the chassis through a rotting bobbin / rusty bolts and local chassis area. I cured 99% of my +2 electrical faults with a ring main earth. Did the same on the Sprint. A bit of extra weight in heavy duty cable but an engine earthed direct to the battery in earthing cable will never complain. Thats what all modern cars do. I converted them both to alternators. Lucas straight of a Ford Escort for pennies.

Gordon

[1964 S1]

I agree, follow Gordon's advice.
I've got an alternator on the S1, the headlights were twice as bright on that first night out after the conversion.

My plus two has a decent functioning generator but I never drive it at night.... headlight vacuum thing.
Name a current car manufacturer that uses generators.
(You can't stop progress.)

[Elanintheforest]

You can't and don't want to stop progress, but just because something is old technology doesn't mean it's not fit for purpose. Otherwise, why bother having a 30 plus year old Elan? Virtually every component is outdated compared to an Elise, and replacing one of them won't make any difference at all.
Still haven't seen anything on here that persuades me that putting an alternator on an Elan makes it a better car.
And I can't recall any of the contemporary road tests saying 'If only the Elan had an alternator to speed up the indicators and charge the battery properly'. It wasn't, and still isn't, a problem.
I'm becoming quite excitable about this originality thing now
Mark

[twincamman]

' Gentlemen don't motor after dark' Joseph Lucas --so enjoy your generator and accompanying electrical boxes and corroded connectors --ed

[reb53]

One of the best things I ever did was binning that crappy old generator and its twin sister the ever clicking control box.

Once it was gone I never again had the dubious joy of push starting my Sprint on my own, ( just possible as long as you're on less than 20 a day as I was at the time).

Then, replacement control boxes were being made in India, and lasted about a year rather than the 15 years that the original had.
I suspect the generator was spinning a lot faster than it had been designed to do, and I had a succession of poled armatures, charcoaled brushes, burnt windings, and rattling bearings.

The 75amp alternator came from the junk-yard and now if the car won't start it's because the battery is dying, not because the generator didn't like the length of the drive it had just had.

When it was done I wished I had done it years earlier.

Ralph.