Alternator question

[fred98050]

1964 s2A petrol. 12Volts.

First time land rover owner.

The PO converted the generator to a Delco 37amps alternator. The alernator needs to be changed and I was wondering, how big of and alternator can I put in my s2a without modifying the wiring harness? I found a 60 amp delco that would fit perfectly but I am concerned about the existing wire guages and ammeter...

Thanks

[scott]

You could d/c the amp meter. It'll eventually fry if ya don't. My 80 amp worked great for a long time. But then the truck sat and both batteries ran low. I started it up and the alt's internal regulator sensed a need for high ampreage (to charge 2 low bats) and the meter gave out in a big puff of smoke

[fred98050]

Thanks Scott.

Would I need to replace my harness if I go from 37A to 63A?

I was also thinking about replacing the ammeter with a voltmeter.

[mongoswede]

I am installing an alternator from a mid 80's Saab 900 (85 amp). The nice thing about these Bosch alternators is that they have a replaceable internal voltage regulator. Wiring one up is pretty simple...just run a heavy battery cable from the back of the alternator to the battery positive terminal...or you could run it to the Positive side of the starter relay as Battery positive must go there too. There is one ground wire on the case that goes to the engine block and another small wire that goes to the dash light and the exciter circuit. The alternator will self induce charging on its own if revved over 3000 rpm..otherwise it goes off the exciter circuit. I pulled the old one off and am trying to decide whether to go back in the original location or mount it up higher on the passenger side.

[I Leak Oil]

You don't need to replace the harness to use a higher amp alternator. You should (do) need to bypass the ammeter. A voltmeter is a good thing to put in. I would also recommend running the power wire from the alt. directly to the battery and not throught the original wiring harness.

You'll probably hear of people running an ammeter without issue, "I've been running it for 75 years and never had a problem......blah blah blah..." it only takes one instance where you overload it, burn it out or worse yet, burn the truck down. The ammeter is wired in series so if it goes you have no power flowing past it, unlike a voltmeter which is wired in parallel.

[scott]

yea what i leak said

[RoverForm]

What a about a generator/regulator combo? My panel light is on and the battery won't hold a charge... How do I know which is bad? Can they be tested or should I just replace?

[scott]

Cool thing about the generator set up is ya don't need a battery. My 1st car was a 63 ford falcon w.o a battery. I never put one in. Just parked on hills or near friends. To test the generator get it running then disconnect the battery. If gen is good you'll notice no difference. This doesnlt work with alts and will actual damage an alt

[RoverForm]

Good point but starting w/o a gen, hill or friends is a pain in the ass no?

[yorker]

Good point but starting w/o a gen, hill or friends is a pain in the ass no?

Not really, the Land Rover's crank handle makes it pretty easy unless you have a diesel. :thumb-up:

[scott]

yea the series would be easier cuz you can hand crank it. the falcon was a 3 on the tree. just a little roll, gravity or cursing friends and pop the clutch in 2nd

[Donnie]

1964 s2A petrol. 12Volts.

First time land rover owner.

The PO converted the generator to a Delco 37amps alternator. The alernator needs to be changed and I was wondering, how big of and alternator can I put in my s2a without modifying the wiring harness? I found a 60 amp delco that would fit perfectly but I am concerned about the existing wire guages and ammeter...

Thanks
I Leak oel has it right...........Donnie

[RoverForm]

It's a petrol. Haven't tried using the crank yet.

So just replace the generator?

[albersj51]

I just installed a Delco 12si alternator in my 67. I did as others have said and ran 10 gauge wire from the BAT terminal on the Alternator to the + Battery terminal and then a negative wire to the negative terminal (can never have too many grounds). We then wired it up to the Series voltage regulator per the instructions on LRFAQ and Terri Annes site. Basically, because the Delco 10si or 12si alternator is internally regulated you no longer need yours so you'll splice some wires together and viola, you should be good to go.

Unless you have the Pangolin 4X4 brackets you'll need to fab some of your own. I have a buddy that knows how and took some aircraft grade aluminum and made a temporary bracket (my generator died and needed to get the alternator in). Shortly we're going to custom design some to work better.

Good luck!

[RoverForm]

can someone recommend a good quality moving-coil voltmeter?

[mongoswede]

can someone recommend a good quality moving-coil voltmeter?

moving coil? You mean the old school needle type? If so...I got nothing.

I use a DVOM similar to a fluke...but not a fluke.

Here is a Fluke.....kind of cream of the crop and pricey but very good. You can get a decent DVOM from Sears that will work just as well.

http://us.fluke.com/images/products/industrial/digital_multimeters/117main.jpg

[gudjeon]

No fancy brackets needed. I just ground/filed the big mounting ear of the alternator to fit and line up the belt and pulley. A long through bolt with some spaccer in behind it all lets you use the original dyno bracket. You only need to make the top bracket. Some don't like it this low, but, if I drown this I will have other things to worry about besides a 40 dollar rebuild kit.:thumb-up:
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d187/gudjeon/RoverPics05002.jpg

[RoverForm]

moving coil? You mean the old school needle type? If so...I got nothing.

I use a DVOM similar to a fluke...but not a fluke.

Here is a Fluke.....kind of cream of the crop and pricey but very good. You can get a decent DVOM from Sears that will work just as well.

http://us.fluke.com/images/products/industrial/digital_multimeters/117main.jpg

thanks mongo. i got my hands on a fluke. did an in situ test this morning following the directions on page 171 in the brooklands owners workshop manual.

with the engine idling the generator reading was ~6.02
battery reading before starting was 11.45
battery reading after doing the test was 7.92

and the reading on the new battery in my '07 volvo v50 was 12.6 (used as a reference).

so obviously the battery is losing charge, but I don't have a reference for the generator voltage range. so is it bad? or is there another reason why it doesn't start without a jump???

[mongoswede]

thanks mongo. i got my hands on a fluke. did an in situ test this morning following the directions on page 171 in the brooklands owners workshop manual.

with the engine idling the generator reading was ~6.02
battery reading before starting was 11.45
battery reading after doing the test was 7.92

and the reading on the new battery in my '07 volvo v50 was 12.6 (used as a reference).

so obviously the battery is losing charge, but I don't have a reference for the generator voltage range. so is it bad? or is there another reason why it doesn't start without a jump???


A battery should have a minimum of 12.6v. I don't know about a generator....but with alternators you should see voltage between 12.6 and 14.4 volts when everything is working properly.

[Sputnicker]

Unless you are trying to maintain originality, I would recommend ditching the generator and regulator and upgrading to an internally regulated alternator. They are much more reliable and readily available if you ever need a replacement. The Delco 10Si seems to be the most popular replacement. I bought the adapter kit from Pangolin and it was a simple installation. There is a good discussion and some instructions on Teri Ann's website for the conversion: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/Delco_Alternators.html

Because of the higher output, most folks bypass the ammeter, which could overload and leave you stranded. If wired correctly, the warning light will let you know whenever your battery isn't getting enough charge. Adding an in-dash voltmeter is an option that provides real-time status, or you can use your multi-tester if you suspect any charging anomalies.

One thing you should investigate before doing anything else are all the connections and wires leading to and from the generator and regulator. Also, take the cover off the regulator and check the contacts for pitting and/or debris. These can be easily cleaned with some fine sandpaper or a point file. Wiring issues are fairly common and easily remedied (usually).

[RoverForm]

thanks sputnicker! i'll take a look at the regulator and connections next.

[Cosmic88]

Just my $0.02 .....definitely ditch the generator. And unless you plan to install a winch and more than 4 Hella 1000's AND run your heater blower motor all simultaneously you can keep it all connected through your orig ammeter.

Unless your battery is dead you will most likely NOT incur an initial (startup) draw greater than 30 amps. AND if your battery is that dead you will most likely fry the regulator in the alt anyway.

I installed that very same delco 67 amp alt in my '66 88". I did however, install a 30 amp fuse between the alt and the ammeter just in case :cool:

Unless your alt is a totally different housing configuration from the one I purchased you will need to modify / change the upper adjuster bracket. I just bolted the one I made to the left engine lift eye bracket and it works perfectly thank you.

Not really worth two cents... so just keep the change.

[RoverForm]

cosmic and albers,

aside from the brackets and the addition of a potential fuse between the alt and the ammeter... what other modifications/componenets are needed for the gen to alt swap?

[JimCT]

If the fuse blows you fry the alternator. It tries to full feed. Kind of an expensive way to protect a too small amp meter. Replace the amp meter or by pass it, but do not fuse the output of the alternator.

[scott]

my amp smoked once after firing up the truck after it had sat a while. it was double batteried and both needed charged so the 80 amp alt went to work and the amp meter just couldn't hang

[RoverForm]

updates!

action:
installed rebuilt lucas generator
installed and polarized new voltage regulator
installed new (vehicle correct) interstate battery
cleaned and tightened all cable connections

results:
baby fired right up
charge light on dash is still lit up
ammeter is reading -10 to -15 on the gauge

i assume the battery is still not charging.

what am i missing (aside from upgrading to an alternator)?!