Delco Alternator question

[bugeye88]

Hi All,

Finally tired of the old dynamo breaking down and not having the juice to power much, so switching to an alternator. Going to use Ike's brackets and probably a Delco 10-SI 63 or 72 amp. Question is should I get a single wire or 3 wire Delco 10-SI? Any other suggestions on this would be good also. I know it has been discussed many times.

Rob
68 Series 2a "Bug Eye"

[o2batsea]

Single wire is the easiest install. Just keep in mind that the wiring harness is rated for 15 amps, and there's only one fuse for the entire truck plus an auxiliary fuse (the British glass fuses blow when they reach the exact amp rating they are labeled with). If you're going to run high draw accessories you'll want a separate fused circuit from the battery that's rated for those items. Remember that fuses protect the wire, not the thing at the end of the wire.
You can set it up with a relay so that the high amp line is only on when the key is in run, or you can just run it as always hot.
Britishwiring.com has all the proper wire and fittings to give it a factory look if that's the way you want to go. They carry both braided and PVC covered wire.

[SafeAirOne]

If you want to use a charge warning lamp to tell you if the alternator has failed, get the 3 wire. If you don't care about that, get the 1 wire.

Speaking personally, I'd put in a 12si if I were going to do an XXsi conversion. Better cooling and up to 94 amp output, though you may not want to draw THAT much output on the stock wiring harness (the alternator only puts out what you demand of it).

12si Caveat: I don't know whether the larger-bodied alternators will have fit issues with Ike's setup--I just am not personally familiar with his kit nor the 2.25, so check first if you go this route.

BTW--The best 10/12si information I've found on the web is here: http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/delcoremy.shtml

Well worth reading the whole page.

[I Leak Oil]

Go with the 3 wire so you have the idiot light. Wiring is already there for it so it's no real extra effort. Run the output wire from the alt. directly to the battery to avoid running higher amperage through the harness. Go heavy....

[antichrist]

I'm pretty sure you can modify the '68 generator bracket to accept the 1x-si series alternators.
It's been 26+ years since I did one, so my memory may be tricking me.

[bugeye88]

Thanks everybody for the information. I've got the bracket from Ike on order and the 10-SI on the way. Question on wiring- I see two versions of connecting the Alternator to the truck. One has the + lead from the Alternator going directly to the battery and another wire from the #2 terminal to the charge light in the dash. Then there are other wiring diagrams taking the + wire to the old voltage regulator with some mods to the voltage regulator. Which is best? If you take the + directly to the Battery then what do you do with the various wires attached to the old voltage regulator?

Thanks Again,
Rob

[SafeAirOne]

Well, the 10si is internally regulated, so you don't need the external voltage regulator anymore. Looking at the wiring diagram, you should be able to have the power wire go from the alternator directly to the frightening ammeter or, more safely, to the lug on the manual starter switch (or solenoid, whichever you have). Have the main power feed to the 'always hot' side of the fuse box connected to the post that the + wire from the alternator is connected to. Have the feed to the ignition switch come off of the same place on the fuse panel that the last wire is connected to.


You're essentially going from this (circuit shows #2 as a starter solenoid, but you can substitute the battery side of a manual starter switch or, heaven forbid, the ammeter if that's what you have):

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7406/11756988835_dc2579d859_c.jpg

...to this:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3799/11756988995_584ee13a37_c.jpg


Note that the wire from terminal 2 on the alternator is just looped around and connected to the "+" lug on the alternator. If you wanted more accurate output from the alternator, you'd connect it to the same place the wire coming from the "+" terminal on the alternator terminates, just like it says on the Mad Electrical page I posted earlier.

[NC_Mule]

I'm pretty sure you can modify the '68 generator bracket to accept the 1x-si series alternators.
It's been 26+ years since I did one, so my memory may be tricking me.

1970 IIA 88" 2.25 gas
Anyone have any info on this? I have a single wire Delco coming in tomorrow. I removed my old generator. Just wondering if I need to set up the welder and have some material on hand to make a bracket or if I will be ok with the stock brackets. I plan on installing it in the stock location, not up high like Ike's brackets allow.
Thanks pb

edit: I have what looks like a 2 piece flat steel type bracket not the one piece that someone featured for the diesel application. That job required a spacer.

[o2batsea]

Just to add to Mark's very helpful wiring diagram above, the brown wire from the starter lug to the alternator should be fairly fat. The fattest I have found in brown is from britishwiring.com (http://www.britishwiring.com/84-Strand-PVC-Wire-p/c184.htm). Red wouldn't be wrong either, but not as britty-ish.

[bugeye88]

Just an update on my Alternator conversion. All done with help and info on this thread by our great Members! Ike's bracket works very well. The position of the Alternator up high is far better than the original placement. Ike was very helpful in all this.

Cheers Y'all,

Rob
1968 BugEye 88

[NC_Mule]

ok, I've read all 4 pages that come up when you search "alternator" and the Madmax pages. I'm about to install a one wire Delco 10si 60ish amps.
I'm going to follow the wiring diagram below and remove the VR.
My question is, if I take the hot lead from the alternator to the hot side of the started lug, then at that same point run a wire to the hot side of the fuse box....will I be introducing the full amperage into the wiring harness? May be amps don't flow the way I'm thinking and someone can explain why a potential 60 amps coming in at the starter lug will not also pass through to the fuse box when I run that connecting wire.
Thanks pb

edit: I understand that the alternator only puts out what's needed but what if it ramps up to close to max amp output?

[I Leak Oil]

It will only flow 60 amps through that part of the harness if something down stream is drawing 60 amps. Think of it as water in the pipes in your home. Amperage is the flow of the water. Higher amps = more flow. Shut the faucet off and there is no flow = no amps. Voltage is the pressure behind the flow. Shut the faucet off and you still have pressure = voltage. Just an easy way of thinking about basic DC electrics.

[NC_Mule]

Thank you so much. That was the info I was missing. Now I can proceed with confidence. I trusted the diagram I just didn't have full understanding in my head.

[NC_Mule]

OK, so I was gone for 10 days and had to halt progress on this conversion.
Back at it today.
Using the wiring diagram below as my guide.
I have my + from the Alt going to the hot side of my starter solenoid. (per diagram)
I then have a hot all the time wire running from the same side of the starter solenoid that the Alt is connected to running to the hot side of fuse (31) per diagram
My questions is this:
Do you see any issues with just hooking the two wires that I had connected to A1 of the regulator together?
One wire gets it connected to (31, hot all the time) the other wire goes to the ignition switch. Now that the ignition switch is powered it is able to feed the top half of the fuse box (32)
I just did it and everything works(headlights, heater, wipers,lights) and the truck started. I just want someone with more electrical knowledge to think about what I did and confirm that I'm not going burn anything up. Am I over loading the ignition switch?
As far as I can tell the diagram below has a the Alt powering the top half of the fuse box (32)

The wires that were attached to (A) at the regulator are capped and disconnected from the vehicle.

Thanks pb

[SafeAirOne]

Do you see any issues with just hooking the two wires that I had connected to A1 of the regulator together?

No. It accomplishes the same thing as having the one wire going from the ignition switch terminal #1 to the always-hot side of the fuse panel, just make sure the connection is insulated and secured (I'm presuming you've eliminated the external regulator completely).


Am I over loading the ignition switch?

No.

[NC_Mule]

[QUOTE=SafeAirOne;98782]No. It accomplishes the same thing as having the one wire going from the ignition switch terminal #1 to the always-hot side of the fuse panel, just make sure the connection is insulated and secured (I'm presuming you've eliminated the external regulator completely).

Yes, VR is gone. Ok cool, I'll go make a insulated final connection.
A few more things to finish my Alt bracket, measure for a belt and I will be finished. I'll post some pics when everything is completed. The bottom mount required fabrication so I figured if I'm going to be making a new bracket I'd rather stand up then lay on my back so I ended up mounting the Alt up high.

As always thanks for the info.

pb

[NC_Mule]

It's alive!
Fitted my belt yesterday and after 2 days of testing I'm ready to put this project behind me. I'm patting my self on the back for completing my first design and welding project. Homemade bracket fits perfect and pulleys align nicely. I used 3/16x3/4 flat stock and had my final bracket and welds inspected my a fab buddy of mine. He approved and said it will hold up just fine. I need a little bit longer top bracket. I didn't make it, it's off a 1930 Model A. If it were a little longer I could rotate the alternator further from the header. When I pull the trigger on a plasma cutter I'll make a longer one. Forgot to take a pic of the final bracket but the pic of it clamped together for tack weldind pretty much shows what it looks like.
Per the Madmax page you really don't know what output alternator you are going to actually receive because all the parts are mixed up during the rebuild. I ordered a 63amp but the test sheet said it rated at 87. I also learned that they seem to be 1 wire/3 wire universal. One of my pics is of a black plug on the alternator. That's actually a jumper plug. Keep that in and it's a one wire, pop it out and install the wire harness and it's a three wire. Down the road when I have high use items like heated seats and/or winch I'll make it a three wire for better current sensing. For now my stock rover is fine with the sensor jumped.

Thanks for every ones help, it's nice to have it back on the road.

pb

**having trouble loading pics my normal way. Will try again later.

9520