• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Alternator Conversion: am I going crazy??

Share this page

B

Brian_C

Member
Offline
I'm having a hard time finding the alternator (Fiesta version) with the right mounting and pulley. All of the alternators with the right two-ear mounting, like this don't include the pulley.

The ones with mounting like this don't work unless I get creative with a grinder, but they include the pulley.


Maybe I'm expecting too much from the chain auto parts stores and just need to figure out what a ford fiesta looks like and hit the junk yard.

Has anyone else run into this and found a way around it?

I'm going to order one from Advance Auto (https://www.partsamerica.com/productdetai...11&PTSet=A_ and cross my fingers that it works.
 
You can always buy the one with matching mounting points and swap your old pulley over. Any machine shop can do that for you.
 
Isn't there a GM alternator conversion someone had a written piece about? It used an alternator from a Camaro 305 motor.
 
Another alternative (pardon the pun!) is a Nissan alternator...the one for the Datsun B210 pick-up truck! (I did have to do a little "surgery" to the cooling fins on the pulley for clearance, but I have had it in the car for over 15 years with absolutely no problems!!)
 
You can buy the Fiesta alternator from Advance Auto Parts--that's where I got the one in the picture. It included the pulley. I found it a couple of places on-line; really shouldn't be hard to find new. If you're looking for a used one, though, that might be different.
 
I used the telegerizer method. Worked like a charm.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]am I going crazy??[/QUOTE]

Of course. You're HERE aren't you?


I used a GM alternator and it was a bolt-in mod. But I have a 1500 and was able to lay hands on a Spitfire lower mount "bracket."
 
spritenut said:
The alternator is off a Ford Festiva, not a Fiesta.
Click to expand...

In 78 it was still called a Fiesta. I had one. Festiva was the same car, later version, a bit more rounded off. Its alternator may work too; I don't know, but it seems unlikely there would be major changes. I searched for mine under Fiesta.

By the way, there's a pair of Lucas alternators on ebay right now. Should do the job, unless you need a lot of power. I think these run around 35 amps, better than the generator, but not as good as the Bosch Fiesta alternator (55 amps).
 
I cant see the picture from behind the firewall at work..
Can you be more specific re "bolts right up"
What engine was this bolted to?

I have read many posts on this conversion, but am confused and uncertain. It seems many write ups are for the midget with a lucas alternator, or 1500's or MGB's or MGA's. They each have somewhat different wiring instructions and modifications.

I have a 1275 1970 with a lucas generator.
Questions that follow are
1) which alternator "bolts right up" if none
1a) which alternator requires the least amount of mods to bolt to a 1275
2) based on the model of the alternator, what are the specific wiring instructions


Notes I am in Canada so cannot go to Pep Boys or Advance Auto with a part number, I need alternator id by car make model and yr please.
 
Woodie said:
I cant see the picture from behind the firewall at work..
Can you be more specific re "bolts right up"
What engine was this bolted to?

I have read many posts on this conversion, but am confused and uncertain. It seems many write ups are for the midget with a lucas alternator, or 1500's or MGB's or MGA's. They each have somewhat different wiring instructions and modifications.

I have a 1275 1970 with a lucas generator.
Questions that follow are
1) which alternator "bolts right up" if none
1a) which alternator requires the least amount of mods to bolt to a 1275
2) based on the model of the alternator, what are the specific wiring instructions


Notes I am in Canada so cannot go to Pep Boys or Advance Auto with a part number, I need alternator id by car make model and yr please.
Click to expand...

I'd say to look at Telegerizer's site listed above. Found it to be a piece of cake to complete.
 
Woodie said:
I have a 1275 1970 with a lucas generator.
Questions that follow are
1) which alternator "bolts right up" if none
1a) which alternator requires the least amount of mods to bolt to a 1275
2) based on the model of the alternator, what are the specific wiring instructions
Click to expand...

If your 1970 is like my 1969:

On my '69 1275, I got an alternator on eBay for a 86~93 Mazda B2200/B2000, paid $21 including shipping.

I did have to remove some material from one Alt mounting "ear" in order to get the pulleys to line up; not too difficult. The red circle shows the ear which I had to thin out in order to bring the alternator rearward.

Alternator.jpg


This alt has three ears, so I also purchased a standard GM 'L' or curved alternator bracket. I had to cut it's length a bit, again not difficult. Bolted it up to the Generator lower mounting point.

Along with a couple of bolts for the upper Alt ears, and a length of "pipe" cut to fit, the Alt fits well, and uses a belt between 1 1/2" and 2" longer than stock.

This thread discusses my wiring issues:

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/u...ring#Post487640

The "test" photo, showing the wires connected with jumpers, is correct. The wires on the alternator photo are not. (I had to move the right hand wire to the post visible just below where it's connected in the pic.)

The setup works like a charm, and I only wish I had done it sooner.
 
I used the same method as Bill. Except I ground a bit off the water pump. It really is quite easy. I found the alternator lying on the ground at a wrecking yard(Pick-n-pull) $24. I had a beautiful clean newish alternator in my hand but it had the wrong pulley on it. Dropped it for the filthy one with the right pulley. Bill was kind enough to tell me what it came from. This alternator Is smaller than most conversions I've seen and has an internal fan. Looks more appropriate. You should have no trouble finding one on ebay.

Have fun
Walter

ebay item no. 330272008463 $20 + $15 shipping beats $240 kit from venders. Money better spent on fun things like headers fancy wheels and such.
 
Walter is braver than I am. I needed to remove about 1/2" of material to get the pulleys lined up, and did not have the nerve to grind on that water pump. I decided the eBay Alt was safer, as I have 'klutz' issues. Also, that Alt has three mounting points, so I'm thinking removing the material off one shouldn't be too risky.

Walter has it right about saving cash for "fun things like headers fancy wheels and such"; I am dying for a set of Revolutions...

Revolution4Spoke.jpg
 
Bill,
Due to the fact that you saved soooo much on your conversion you have justified the purchase of these fine wheels. You saved about $225 by doing this conversion yourself. That's like getting a $225 coupon for those fine wheels. You wouldn't want to waste that coupon. That would just be wrong. Enjoy the new wheels.
Btw I only took about 1/4" off the water pump which left it about the same thickness as the part that was being bolted to it. Why should the part being bolted to need to be any larger than the part being bolted to it? It's all about justification.

Have fun
Walter
 
For general knowledge and for anyone who may stumble onto this thread when searching for this info.

I tried the pulley swap because it seemed like a "why didn't I think of that" idea. The generator pulley diameter is not the right size for the alternator. It's too small.

Oh well, guess it's off to the salvage yard.

B
 
Back
Top