Any lighter GM/Delco/Delphi alternators out there?

Garys 68 said:
Wow, a thread back from the dead.
If you're interested there are setups to mount the alternator running off the diff pinion. Lower and farther back might be better than lighter up front.
Or you could toss it entirely and run a magneto.
Click to expand...

I've thought about a rear mounted alternator for years, but there's just no stinking tunnel room in these cars.

I have to be able to run the headlights when needed and recharge the battery after each start, so retaining an alternator is a must.
 
If you wanted to get really creative....
There might be a small alternator for an ATV or some other small motor
 
You mean something like this?

pipework001.jpg

More than once I've done a fresh engine startup and been startled by nothing on the dash voltmeter....:D
 
Got around to checking out the alternator. Hooked it up to a spare battery and an AC motor I've had laying around for years. Spun it about 2000 RPM.

IM002242_zps05c2b097.jpg


Looked at my DVM to see if there was charging voltage, and damn if the alternator wasn't working! Hooked up a high beam bulb to the battery for a quick load, and the belt noise changed, indicating it was putting out more current. This alternator is a 42 amp piece, slightly more than the stock 37 amp alternator on the car.
So far it looks like this might be one of the better five bucks I've spent in a long while.
 
1) Have you checked out alternators designed for small aircraft? These might well be the lightest available.
2) Liked the idea of powering off the output of the trannie. No high rpm drag...Agree, there's just a space problem with a C3.
3) What about a lithium ion battery? I think for a given capacity, they're about 1/4 the weight of a lead acid. Porsche offers this option but it costs $2500. I don't think lithium batteries are that expensive. If you order a Porsche with painted calipers, it's an $2500 option also....an example of how overinflated Porsche options are. Lithium cells are 3.7 volts, so you'd end up with a 14.8 vDC electrical system. Would probably require mod'ing the alternator voltage regulator to run at the higher voltage. NiCad batteries are about 1/2 the weight of lead acid. NiCad cells run about 1.2 volts. So a 10 cell NiCal battery looks good. I think some light aircraft have NiCad batteries and alternators. Maybe check this out. I don't think any light aircraft have lithium ion batteries. Two biz jet manufacturers dropped Lithium ion battery options. Boeing is of course in a world of trouble with Lithium ion, but a car, their remote chance of burning up is not that much of a danger. (Lithium spontaneously burns in air, ...and it burns in water!!! it's a MF'r to put out. Bizarrely, it will not burn in kerosene, so pure Lithium is stored under kerosene, diesel oil, etc. Of course, once it catches on fire in air or water, spraying it with kerosene is not going to work.)
 
68/70Vette said:
1) Have you checked out alternators designed for small aircraft? These might well be the lightest available.
2) Liked the idea of powering off the output of the trannie. No high rpm drag...Agree, there's just a space problem with a C3.
3) What about a lithium ion battery? I think for a given capacity, they're about 1/4 the weight of a lead acid. Porsche offers this option but it costs $2500. I don't think lithium batteries are that expensive. If you order a Porsche with painted calipers, it's an $2500 option also....an example of how overinflated Porsche options are. Lithium cells are 3.7 volts, so you'd end up with a 14.8 vDC electrical system. Would probably require mod'ing the alternator voltage regulator to run at the higher voltage. NiCad batteries are about 1/2 the weight of lead acid. NiCad cells run about 1.2 volts. So a 10 cell NiCal battery looks good. I think some light aircraft have NiCad batteries and alternators. Maybe check this out. I don't think any light aircraft have lithium ion batteries. Two biz jet manufacturers dropped Lithium ion battery options. Boeing is of course in a world of trouble with Lithium ion, but a car, their remote chance of burning up is not that much of a danger. (Lithium spontaneously burns in air, ...and it burns in water!!! it's a MF'r to put out. Bizarrely, it will not burn in kerosene, so pure Lithium is stored under kerosene, diesel oil, etc. Of course, once it catches on fire in air or water, spraying it with kerosene is not going to work.)
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1) Hadn't thought about aircraft alternators. But like anything for aircraft I'm sure they're expensive. I'll keep an eye out in the meantime in case I run into a good deal.
2) Yup, just no space.
3)Well, you've successfully scared me away from Lithium batteries. :amused: I'm using a 17# lead-acid battery in the '69. This one was darn cheap and has been in the car for several seasons. Not very blingy, but it's done a darn good job cranking the engine over each time.
 
Pulled the Delco alternator off for a test fit with the Denso part. Looks like it will fit in just about the same spot with only a little bit of shimming behind the alternator (using the same bracket). The tensioner arm will probably need a slight bit of shortening, and I think I can save a couple bucks by reusing the same v-belt. I can probably make a short 6" adapter harness to plug into the present harness that hooked up to the Delco alternator. This makes life easier as I can swap back to the Delco alternator rather quickly in case this alternator takes a dump during a track day.

Looked around for larger OD pulleys. Found a few, but there were several different shaft bore diameters listed, so I'll pull the pulley off and see what size this part is.
 
Alternator field winding source resistance?

Going to try to hook the Denso alternator up to the vehicle harness this week. I need a switched 12v to one of the alternator pins, and I believe the (brown) factory harness wire (field winding) is switched. However, I assume it's got some sort of resistor/resistance on the line somewhere. I can't find anything in the chassis service manual wiring diagram that shows a resistance in that wire. So, am I missing it somewhere (and how much is the resistance) or am I mistaken about the presence of a resistance? As a last resort I can measure the resistance in the line, but I thought I'd check here first.

Thanks,
Mike
 
69427 said:
Going to try to hook the Denso alternator up to the vehicle harness this week. I need a switched 12v to one of the alternator pins, and I believe the (brown) factory harness wire (field winding) is switched. However, I assume it's got some sort of resistor/resistance on the line somewhere. I can't find anything in the chassis service manual wiring diagram that shows a resistance in that wire. So, am I missing it somewhere (and how much is the resistance) or am I mistaken about the presence of a resistance? As a last resort I can measure the resistance in the line, but I thought I'd check here first.

Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...

U R challenging my antique memory, but it's my recollection that 150-200 ohm 1/2 watt resistor is enough to energize the brown wire, and in fact it is a sub for the idiot light in the dash....if no idiot light GM used a resistance wire, steel, if I remember right....it is of course switched off like the yellow or brown main power wires, otherwise there is a draw from the regulator that will drain the battery....because the light would be ON, saying no alt. output....so to switch the +12 off with ign......


:beer:
 
Got the alternator installed and wired up. Did a quick test earlier to see what magnitude of resistance is in the field winding source wire (brown) which I was using as my switched 12v input to the regulator. I put a pair of 75 ohm resistors (in series) from the brown wire to ground. Keyed on the system and measured the voltage divider reading. Calculated out to about 12-15 ohms in the harness. I then wired up a somewhat close resistance to my bench setup and spun the alternator. Everything looked and sounded okay so I bolted everything up on the car. A little bit of shimming and a shorter belt, and I'm five pounds less weight over the front axle.

IM002279_zps8c3702c2.jpg

Started the engine and the system voltage was fine. Trying for a track day in a couple weeks so I'll find out if the thing will put up with a bit more RPM.
 
Input please.

69427 said:
Got around to checking out the alternator. Hooked it up to a spare battery and an AC motor I've had laying around for years. Spun it about 2000 RPM.

IM002242_zps05c2b097.jpg


.....................................
So far it looks like this might be one of the better five bucks I've spent in a long while.
Click to expand...

Well, looks like the alternator is going to work out. Ran the crap out of the car yesterday and the alternator is still working.

I want to try a similar setup as above except to spin a flex fan (I can mock up a spare water pump to mount the pulley and fan). Essentially I'd like to spin the fan at about 4000 RPM and monitor the motor current to get an idea of the fan power requirements over RPM and incoming airflow. This will be a little trickier than the alternator arrangement as I obviously need to have a motor with a bit more power (don't know how much at the moment) and speed (depending on pulley combo options). I figure I can make a strobe setup so that I can verify what the fan speed is, and measure/compare the motor current to a similar speed without the fan attached.

So, any thoughts or suggestions on what I'm trying to do here?
 
All I know is that the Spals turn off at highway speed with A/C on....

after maybe a 1/4 mile.....old FI system....

:hi:
 
Dropped into a local farm&fleet type store looking at pulleys for the motor side. Found an 8" pulley to help get the fan side up to speed, but it was $35, so I'll keep looking around a bit more. Don't know if my present electric motor could drive it at max speed anyway. I know all the necessary pieces are out there, I just need to find them at a price I can justify for this short term use.
 
69427 said:
Dropped into a local farm&fleet type store looking at pulleys for the motor side. Found an 8" pulley to help get the fan side up to speed, but it was $35, so I'll keep looking around a bit more. Don't know if my present electric motor could drive it at max speed anyway. I know all the necessary pieces are out there, I just need to find them at a price I can justify for this short term use.
Click to expand...

:lol: You starting to think like ME, junkyard hotrodder.....:friends:
 
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