TR4/4A Alternator

Happy New Year everybody. I'm in the middle of changing to an alternator and have struck an unforeseen problem.
My mechanic friend got me a new Lucas alternator but I didn't realise that the post that alternator's post that's attached to the belt adjustment link is not high enough.
See attached photo.
I see that Moss Europe has fitting kits so unless I can locate an alternator with a tall enough post I'll have to order a kit.

Happy New Year.

I presume that the adjustment link is fouling on the alternator casting. I had to file a bit off my adjustment link to get the bolt to go in on my TR3.

Even having a new link made would be cheaper than shipping the kit out from Moss.

David

Yes, That's a good idea. Didn't think of that, I'll measure up and see what happens.
Thanks.
Jim

How about heating it and bending the one you have. Bend from close to the end that goes on the block.

There's a 10mm difference between the alternator and the generator which means that grinding the link is out of the question as it's not that thick.
Heating and bending is probably the only other option.

Turn the bracket upside down

I don't know the shape of the alternator or generator brackets on the TR4. However, a lot of alternator conversion articles used to mention buying the generic Chevy upper alternator bracket arm which is then cut to length and drilled out as necessary. Unfortunately, while this part is typically available at the local parts store, it will be chrome plated which may look out of place.

https://www.cfrperformance.com/v/vspfiles/photos/HZ-9079-C-2.jpg

I had to make a dog leg bend for the alternator on my TR6.

If the problem is just the gap between the bracket and the alternator case... why not add a stack of washers or a shaft collar to fill the gap?

dklawson said:

If the problem is just the gap between the bracket and the alternator case... why not add a stack of washers or a shaft collar to fill the gap?

Click to expand...

Doug,
You think like I do!!

Thankyou for the replies.
The problem is that the adjustment link is not curved enough and the alternator post is too low.
The link fouls on the alternator body.
The distance from the generator body to the middle of the hole is 10mm more than on the alternator.
The problem is not the horizontal distance between the bracket and the alternator, I should have taken a better photo.
if you look at the bottom of the photo the black bracket doesn't line up with the alternators hole as it hits the alternator body.
I think that I'll have a go at turning it upside down first.
It would never have occurred to me that the alternators lobe was lower than the generators and that a different bracket was needed.
The background to swapping to an alternator is that my generator has a loose connector and hence doesn't work, also when I had the radiator recored I was silly enough to put the crank hole back hence losing about 17% of my cooling. In stop start traffic (pre recoring) the TR used to chronically overheat, which meant that I'd have to switch the engine off whilst waiting so I added an electric fan which the generator couldn't keep up with at low revs.

Yes that Chevy bracket look like it's got a much bigger curve on it, TR4 brackets are flatter.

WHAT IF--you were to cut the existing bracket below where the slot is for the bolt and then weld it back together with that slotted end at a different more appropriate angle? With the cutting and welding you could also likely change the angle to get the bracket closer to the alternator.
By the way I really liked your part of the country when I visited a few years ago.

Well I'm going to make up a template of the correct angle for my friend to bend the bracket.
What part of New Zealand did you visit?
At the moment we're having strange very very hot weather, combined with our very high levels of UV, if you drove a convertible in Wellington you'd end up fried with sunburn and melanoma.
We're getting very few days to drive a convertible. We normally have very temperate weather.
Global warming?

jimstr4 said:

Well I'm going to make up a template of the correct angle for my friend to bend the bracket.
What part of New Zealand did you visit?
At the moment we're having strange very very hot weather, combined with our very high levels of UV, if you drove a convertible in Wellington you'd end up fried with sunburn and melanoma.
We're getting very few days to drive a convertible. We normally have very temperate weather.
Global warming?

Click to expand...

Jim,
I was very fortunate to have booked a tour that went from the very north tip to about 15 miles from the south tip of the south island. Beautiful country. If I had a bucket list, touring your country would have been at the top of it.

Charley,
It is a lovely country to tour. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

The wide belt alternator pulley I purchased from ASE-SUPPLY has a smaller diameter than the generator pulley, hence I run out of bracket when trying to tighten.
Which means that turning it upside down and heating and bending it won't work with the bracket and the Lucas 17ACR.
I've ordered an alternator bracket from Rimmers designed for fitting alternators onto TR2, 3 ,4's.
https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-142134
I then have to unscrew the front alternator posts and turn them back towards the engine as the bracket looks alot shorter than the original.
Here's hoping that this works.

Have you looked into a different size / length of belt? I have a small pulley on one of my TR4's and run a different size belt I got from a local parts dealer. The belt is from NAPA size 25-28400 . The numbers should lead you to the size of the belt. It is the wide belt the same as the original. Just a different length.

Yes I might have to go for a smaller diameter belt.

The alternator bracket from Rimmerbros works very well with the standard wide belt.