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General Tech Alternator Conversion

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KVH

KVH

Obi Wan
Silver
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I’m having a few difficulties installing an alternator conversion kit. I’m convinced the materials are good, but I’m addressing fitment.

The instructions contain a “warning“ that it may be necessary to file down the rear flats of the alternator to achieve alignment. I took about 3/32 from an inch off the main rear flat, but I still can’t achieve proper fitment. It appears that the little shoulder ridge of my front engine plate is interfering with the alternator case, but only slightly. I can file it.

I’m just curious whether others have had this issue and whether it would be typical to have to file as much as 3/16 of an inch off that main rear flat on the alternator?
 
I put a GM alternator, 7127, (10SI?) on my 1960 TR-3a. I had to file a lot off the case and change the alternator adjusting bracket. I got a bracket off a Jag XJ6. Its worked fine for 21 years.

What alternator kit do you have and car?

Good luck, Roy
 
Tr4A and kit from British Wiring. I just got it installed finally. And I did have to file that rear flat down about 3/16 maybe a bit more. I also had to grind down that curved adjusting bracket.
 
Just a follow up that might be helpful. I used a straight edge to be sure the pulleys were in alignment. I had it easy because my water pump housing has a nice flat face to work from as a guide.

I then went to Ace Hardware and bought brass bushings because I didn’t want any play in that bolt and spacer bar/tube that come with the kits.

For the front of the old generator bracket/engine plate I used a shouldered 1/2” outer diameter bushing and then slid into that another bushing, non-shouldered, with an inner diameter of 3/8” to accept the long securing bolt. The diameter of the stock hole in the front engine plate was just shy of 1/2” so a small bit of tooling was required. But I’ve yet to see a front engine plate generator mounting hole unhindered by decades of wobbling from the stock pedestal bolt—so the tooling was worthwhile.

The rear bracket hole also required a small bit of tooling to accommodate the rear bushing with the 3/8” inner diameter.

For the front bushing I put the shoulder toward the front so that I wouldn’t keep dislodging the bushing (e.g., pushing it in) while fitting and positioning the securing bolt.

Of course, the bushings had to be cut and sanded to the correct length to match the thickness of the mounting bracket and front engine plate.

As if anyone else might do this one day . . . .


(So far, I must say it’s great to see my dash lights and turn signals working so well, to see my ignition light go out instantly when my engine starts, and to see my voltage right at 14.5 plus or minus, while running, and knowing I’ve got plenty of voltage for a hot summer day with my auxiliary cooling fan running the whole time)
 
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