Generator vs Alt. Question

Wick

Wick

Well-known member
I see theres a gm alt. that bolts on to the T where the Gen. use to be.
(Expensive kit)
The question....if I grab a 1 wire gm 12v alt. from napa ($49.00) and fit the generator gear to it along with a adapter to bolt it up will this work? Or what else do I need? Just something Id like to know.

Im using one on my A speedster now.
Thanks
Wick
 
It should work fine until it burns up from no air flow. The alternators rely on the fan that is part of the pulley. You remove the fan and pulley to mount the gear. No more air flow. Besides, the alternators are way overpowered for your wiring, so you need to upgrade the wiring to handle the juice the alternator puts out or the car goes up in flames.
 
Doug, with the cost of rebuilding generators, I would not be that critical on alternators. I have alternators on four model T's with a failure on one. The one that failed was probably from overheating because of a failed regulator.
Yes, some alternators do not have air openings in the adapter plate, that is the type that failed on my car. There is room for air openings on the adapter plate and some do have these openings. The $200 to $300 repair cost is what has me going to alternators. If I could find a cheaper place to repair generators, I would continue to use them as they are correct for a T. Even if I order the parts from the vendors, it is still expensive.
 
I just looked up the kit t-3965 with this kit I can make my own bracket for the alternator to hang off the side. This is what ill do if the generator doesent work.
 
One thing to be aware of is that the one wire alternators always have a trickle of current going through them and will run your battery down after long storage. Not a problem on a daily driver, can be a problem on cars that aren't driven often.
 
I run a gear driven alternator on three Ts and all of them work great. They dont overcharge and with the electronic regulator charge just right. They only put out what amps are needed etc. All of mine are 12 volt but many guys in our club use the six volt ones.
The one thing to consider is a special seal in the front to prevent leaking oil out the alternator. For the money they have been great !!!
 
Have you looked at the alternators that are sold by L.D. Becker? They advertise in the Vintage Ford, they don't list a website (as far as I know) but you can give them a call 419-668-5986. I know a couple of guys that run their alternators and one guy that runs their starter, they couldn't be happier with them.
 
Willie, if you read his beginning statement, he mentioned a $49 alternator from Napa. That is not the alternator that Becker and others are using in their conversions. I am not "picking" on alternators. If someone wants 12 volts for modern lights or accessories then that is fine. If you are going to 12 volts to compensate for a problem with your car like poor ignition or starter condition then one is opening a can of worms. An example is, someone running 12 volts and an alternator goes to start their car and forgets to turn the key to start or some such thing that we "never" do. :) When the car does start there is a large charging current when it starts that takes place and the charging wiring is not equipped to handle that flow. The cheaper GM alternators do not have internal fans that help cool the internals when mounted in teh generators spot. If someone wants to do that, they need to use the correct alternator. Also, make sure the wiring is up to the task of what you are hooking up to it. Only 8 more weeks until driving season again. :)
 
Doug, there are some alternators available with regulators for 6V and 8V and the 12V. I have not used the Napa one for $49.
I am using a Becker alternator on one of my cars. It is hard to beat their price.
Yes you are correct that alternators go to "Maximum" charge on a low battery condition. I have observed that some of the ones I am using do not exceed 20 to 25 amps under those conditions. This is measured with an ampmeter capable of going much higher. I do not know what is done internal or with the regulator to control this???
 
I am somewhat confused in regards to the " wiring" discussion. The car has a battery like any other car. The wiring with a single wire system is simply a single wire going from the alternator to the positive battery. The alternator simply charges the battery period. Battery goes down the alternator simply charges the battery. No extra current goes thru the orginal T wiring, assuming you dont try to feed it thru the orginal amp-meter ( which you shouldnt do). , however a later amp meter will work just fine rated at the correct amps.
The bigest issue with the alternator bolted in place of the generator becomes sealing the alternator front area...
 
Bubba, what we were referring to is the amount of charge that can take place with an alternator used on a system with 12 and 14 gauge wire as the T has. That gauge wire is not designed to handle that much current. I understand that Becker was using an alternator that had an internal fan. The $49 GM alternators do not have an internal fan. There is no cooling on those particular alternators used in this particular application. That is what I meant.
 
Question: I have owned Model A's for 30 years and I just purchased a 1930 Model A all restored & beautiful. The only thing is they put a 12 volt alternator that reads 12 volt negative ground. . My question is that it appears that they put a 12 volt alt. & battery because the car spins over very fast but it seems like the wiring is correct looking for 6 volt? Could someone con...vert to 12 volt without changing the wires? and if so I assume the bulbs must be 12 volt as well. I am not good when it comes to electrical. Would the stock wiring hold up for 12 volt?

Answer: One of the reasons the auto industry converted to 12-volts in the '50's was to reduce the cost of the automobile. When the electrical system is changed to 12-volts the amount of current (amps) is reduced to maintain the same electrical power (watts). With the reduction in current in the system the size of the wire can be reduced, therefore saving money.

As the original system wiring is designed for the 6-volt system the wire size is actually heavier than necessary. This doesn't cause any problems in the system. As for the light bulbs, these would also have been changed to 12-volts. This will also affect the horn, either it has been re-wired for 12-volts or a voltage reducer has been installed to reduce the voltage to the horn to 6-volts. The ignition coil would also have been changed or a voltage reducer installed in series for it also
 
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