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Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
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Maggie, my Morris Minor (with a A-series 1275) was converted to an alternator before I bought the car 10 years ago. Looking through the receipts I got with the car it originally had a Lucas alternator, and then when that failed a shop converted it to a GM-style alternator. The notes say it was for a Saturn SL/SW, that's all the detail I have. No obvious part number on it.
Over Memorial Day weekend I went on a long tour with my local club, from Salt Lake City, UT to Steamboat Springs, CO. About 1/4 of the way out we stopped for a little break, and Maggie would not restart (slow crank like the battery was dead). Got a jump and the car ran great for another 50 miles or so until we stopped near a parts store. Battery was too dead to test, so I bought a new one and the car fired right up. Did not have a multi-meter to test, but all seemed well and I put on at least another 500 miles that weekend.
Yesterday I took Maggie out for a spin and noticed that the engine was spinning a touch slowly on startup. Checked the battery and 11.75 volts. Started the car up and still at 11.75.
Pulled the alternator tonight (PITA given the long bolt used for the conversion, had to pull the radiator) and the local parts store tested it as OK.
So now I'm a little stumped. Could there be a loose wire somewhere making the car run OK on the alternator output, but not charge the battery? Given the number of miles I would be surprised that the new battery was only a little low and not dead again.
I did notice a wire in the mess near the alternator that was bare on one end (green/red or brown/red, hard to tell in the grime) -- might have needed to connect somewhere? The voltage regulator is long gone, alternator had one fat wire and one small one on the same single post.
Thoughts?
Over Memorial Day weekend I went on a long tour with my local club, from Salt Lake City, UT to Steamboat Springs, CO. About 1/4 of the way out we stopped for a little break, and Maggie would not restart (slow crank like the battery was dead). Got a jump and the car ran great for another 50 miles or so until we stopped near a parts store. Battery was too dead to test, so I bought a new one and the car fired right up. Did not have a multi-meter to test, but all seemed well and I put on at least another 500 miles that weekend.
Yesterday I took Maggie out for a spin and noticed that the engine was spinning a touch slowly on startup. Checked the battery and 11.75 volts. Started the car up and still at 11.75.
Pulled the alternator tonight (PITA given the long bolt used for the conversion, had to pull the radiator) and the local parts store tested it as OK.
So now I'm a little stumped. Could there be a loose wire somewhere making the car run OK on the alternator output, but not charge the battery? Given the number of miles I would be surprised that the new battery was only a little low and not dead again.
I did notice a wire in the mess near the alternator that was bare on one end (green/red or brown/red, hard to tell in the grime) -- might have needed to connect somewhere? The voltage regulator is long gone, alternator had one fat wire and one small one on the same single post.
Thoughts?
