Altenator upgrades
- Thread starter arthuy
- Start date
An alternator upgards is a really good plan - that fitted as standard equipment is at best marginal for use in modern day to day driving!
For S1 and early S2 cars the main hazard is that they are fitted with an AC type alternator having a sepaprate regulator fitted in the N/S glovebox area (rather than the later ACR type with integral regulator). Your replacement will be of the modern type with an integral regulator so there are some wiring mods to be done to eliminate the old regulator from circuit. The wiring diagrams contained within the manuals ought to allow a reasonably competent DiY'er to sort. Also these early cars have an alternator bracket which parks the alternator immediately in front of the cam cover. This does not give enough room for the extra length of the later type or upgraded alternators. Solution is an alternator bracket (and belt) from either a later car or an SD1. These park the alternator further outboard of the engine, more so for the SD1.
On later cars the only hazard is a likely mismatch of connectors which should be easy to fix.
There's no real problem with using any replacement alternator; you'll find lots on e bay. I've used 100A on my daily driver to cope with Kenlowe fans and the Thailand car gets 120A to cope with 4 Kenlowes and heavy use of the A/C. Simply swap your existing pulley onto the new alternator; they should be compatible!
If you really go for it on electrical power and consumption you might want to upgrade some of the wire sizes in the power circuits as well - not the battery cable to the rear - its limiting condition is starting the engine which won't have been affected!
Best of luck
Chris
For S1 and early S2 cars the main hazard is that they are fitted with an AC type alternator having a sepaprate regulator fitted in the N/S glovebox area (rather than the later ACR type with integral regulator). Your replacement will be of the modern type with an integral regulator so there are some wiring mods to be done to eliminate the old regulator from circuit. The wiring diagrams contained within the manuals ought to allow a reasonably competent DiY'er to sort. Also these early cars have an alternator bracket which parks the alternator immediately in front of the cam cover. This does not give enough room for the extra length of the later type or upgraded alternators. Solution is an alternator bracket (and belt) from either a later car or an SD1. These park the alternator further outboard of the engine, more so for the SD1.
On later cars the only hazard is a likely mismatch of connectors which should be easy to fix.
There's no real problem with using any replacement alternator; you'll find lots on e bay. I've used 100A on my daily driver to cope with Kenlowe fans and the Thailand car gets 120A to cope with 4 Kenlowes and heavy use of the A/C. Simply swap your existing pulley onto the new alternator; they should be compatible!
If you really go for it on electrical power and consumption you might want to upgrade some of the wire sizes in the power circuits as well - not the battery cable to the rear - its limiting condition is starting the engine which won't have been affected!
Best of luck
Chris
alfesti
Member
And we thought the M25 was bad. My 2000 has an alternator from a scrap Mk3 escort, has had for nearly 10 years now and works fine. However, I just bought a new refurb one for my 1973 3500, and it is missing the screw contact for the warning light - is there a bodge - sorry - modification you can do to Adapt it, or do I need to take it back?
Ta
Matt
Ta
Matt
I purchased a P6 in May which had a conversion done by a leading electics company a few months previous, it is a pity they forgot to check if the pulleys wer lined up. I had to remove it and add a 7.5 mm spacer to stop the rapid wear on the fan belt. So be warned not everyone now a days knows to check such things.
hi
just uprated my alternator today on my 2000tc removed an 18acr am i correct in thinking it should have left the factory with a 11ac type anyway my wiring wasn't modified it had been bodged badly by somebody in the past fitted a alternator from a mk2 escort works spot on 14.6 volts at 900rpm old one was 13volts max and 12.3 with the h lights on at 900rpm sorted wiring now so all is well now
ps escort alt was 45amp so standard wiring up to the job just didn't need to upgrade to bigger wiring just sorted the previous bodges
just uprated my alternator today on my 2000tc removed an 18acr am i correct in thinking it should have left the factory with a 11ac type anyway my wiring wasn't modified it had been bodged badly by somebody in the past fitted a alternator from a mk2 escort works spot on 14.6 volts at 900rpm old one was 13volts max and 12.3 with the h lights on at 900rpm sorted wiring now so all is well now
ps escort alt was 45amp so standard wiring up to the job just didn't need to upgrade to bigger wiring just sorted the previous bodges