• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

GM Alternator Conversion

Share this page

jhorton3

jhorton3

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
My alternator started giving me fits on the way to Dillard. Actually it's been doing it for a couple of months. I think it's the bearing. It starts squealing past 3200 RPM. A little WD40 and it's quiet for about 15-20 miles.

I thought I've seen some articles on converting to a GM alternator for a Saturn or Camaro. I noticed a number of people have done this to their cars. Anyone done this that can point me to Spridget specific articles? Advice on what to look for when doing the conversion?

I also noticed a lot of people are installing headlight relay kits. One car had three relays, one for headlights, one for taillights, and one for fog lights. I'm thinking about this too.
 
Just a week or so ago we actually had a fairly extensive discussion - here:

Alternator Conversion

there are a number of links in the thread. I looked quickly but didn't see this one:

Teglerizer swap

I have a delco alternator on mine and while it works wonderfully, in hindsite, I might have found a smaller alternator size wise.

I have relays on my headlights and horn - I didn't buy the kit but used the diagram here:

https://www.advanceautowire.com/

Look under headlight relay kit. I made a mini harness and ran wires from the solenoid - so they could be removed.

Good Luck!
 
Thanks for the links. That will help get the research going. The squeal is really annoying now, so it's time to get serious about the upgrade. How does the relay kit from the link above compare with the Moss kit? Is Advance Auto's kit more plug and play friendly?
 
J, In the short term if you can get it in there I believe an oil would be a better lubricant than WD40. WD40 does have <span style="font-style: italic">some</span> temporary lubricating properties but it really works best for its original purpose and that is as a water displacer. Just MHO.
CL
 
CL-WD40 was the only thing short of vegetable oil I had available at the time. I might try a different type of oil, but this is the third Lucas alternator that has given me problems on this car. My transmission is different, as well as the carb, and seats. Might as well make the alternator different too.
 
Hi J. Sounds like you were having an adventure. I just cringe when I read of people misusing WD for everything from unsticking bolts to coating frying pans. It can do these things, but in many cases there are better things to do the job.

Personally, unless the bearing is replaceable, I would ditch the Lucas and go with something else, GM, Saturn, Mazda. I even saw one that had been originally used on a Toyota forklift--they are very small. But if I was on a long trip I would not take a chance that the bearing would seize and destroy your fan belt. You need that! Good luck.
 
The Teleigirizer whatever alt is a GM 63 amp used from 73-~87 on almost everthing but caddys. Advance has it in one-wire form, the pt# is 7127SE.

The SE stands for self excite...similar to the product featured in Vermontian catalogs. :laugh:

Here is a visual aid: :banana:


....batteries not included...
 
Why does the dancing banana make me laugh so much??
 
When I installed my GM alternator I found it difficult ti get a wrench on the bottom bolt so I did this. I drilled two holes through the head and into the case then installed spring pins and cut them flush.

Now it is easy to adjust the belt tension.
 

Attachments

  • 28827.jpg
    28827.jpg
    71.2 KB · Views: 260
  • 28828.jpg
    28828.jpg
    69.9 KB · Views: 266
Another point is that Lucas alt's and gen's don't like to be run with the belt very tight. Mine are loose to the point that I can flex the belt up and down at least an inch without putting any pressure on it. Just enough tension to keep them from slipping.

Kurt
 
I ran a small Mitsubishi alternator on my Spridget racer for years (I don't bother any more since we rarely do endurance racing in the vintage clubs).

It was very small and compact. Came from a late 1980s Mazda 323. You can find this alternator on other cars, but on the Mazda it had a proper "V" belt pulley that I needed. It's three wire, but pretty simple.

WD-40 is a solvent. If you spray it on the bearings, it will wash all the real oil off.

For my next racer project, I'm looking at the tiny Kubuto permanent magnet alternators. Only 14 amps, but that's plenty for racing.
KUB1.gif
 
bugedd said:
Why does the dancing banana make me laugh so much??
Click to expand...

it has a-peel? :whistle:
 
Thanks Guys. I may have been running these Lucas alts with too tight belt tension causing the problems, but if I don't the belts squeal like they were filmed in Deliverance.

I am planning on the GM one wire alt conversion, and plan on swinging by Advanced Auto Parts on my way home tonight to pick up components. I can figure out the mechanical placement, but would like to see some close-up pics of the wiring mods on a later model chrome bumper Midget so I get it right.
 
Nial, what kind of rpm's can that little tractor alternator handle?
 
Oh... I see now. It is a generator. Those used to be on JD tractors as well. Didn't recognize it without the green paint. You'll need a regulator for that.
 
No, actually it's a permanent magnet alternator.
Two wires and Bob's Your Uncle.

I've heard other racers talk about using these too.

Here's a link to one on a Mini.

You can see some prices for them HERE

EDIT: It looks like it does need a small solid-state rectifier/regulator ($59).
I'm still intrigued by it's compact size and weight.
 
How many amps did the original Lucas generator put out?


Kurt.
 
Back
Top