THINKING ABOUT 6v. ALTERNATOR INSTALL

I have a 6v alternator installed in my car. Although my generator was in excellent shape, the alternator made a definite improvement in terms of the brightness of the lights and the horn. Obviously an alternator is not a fix to wiring and other electrical problems.

A good article on altenators versus generators can be found at http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/alternatorgeneratortheory.htm

My main hang-up with the generator was the need to fiddle with the charging rate and the potential long term effect on the battery life. I much prefer the look of the generator and am considering re-installing it with an electronic voltage regulator (I hope Tom Wesenberg still supplies these?) or alternatively going with the fun projects EVR/cutout http://www.funprojects.com/products/10505r.cfm. Perhaps Tom W can pitch in with the benefits of having an EVR and how the EVR setup would compare with the power output and reliability of an alternator.

On the alternator question, it’s an easy install. I have the one terminal 6V Nurex positive ground model. The only issue is that to get it to kick in initially you have to rev up the engine or switch on the lights. This is because the one terminal alternator "self-excites". This is not a big problem but it isn’t a perfect setup. There is a way to add an additional wire to one of the alternator terminals (terminal 1) from your ignition switch using a diode to solve this issue or purchasing an ignition switch with an accessory terminal and using that terminal to go to terminal 1 on the alternator. On the old fordbarn “Steve S” had posted an excellent review of how to deal with this.

I’m kind of at a loss as to why people are so negative about adding improvements to their cars to improve safety and system reliability. Although the Model A was state-of-the art technology 70 years ago, we all have to admit there have been significant improvements made to automibiles since. I’ve done a number of modifications to my car which haven’t reallyu changed the look (other than the alternator) but I believe make a huge difference in safety and drivability. These include the high compression head, LED tail lights, modern points, centre brake light, Mitchell overdrive, seat belts (only an idiot would not install these IMHO), shortened pitman arm, radiator overflow tank, cast iron brake drums. I’m also currently in the process of installing brake floaters.

Speaking from experience, I have jump started a 6V car off of a 12volt battery. Just make sure the polarity is correct and don’t leave the wires hooked up for a prolonged period – just touch the cable ends to the starter terminal when you turn it over.
 
The alternator puts out more current at lower engine speed because it spins faster due to the smaller pulley. I restored my powerhouse 5 years ago and added the EVR I make and haven't had the cover off since. I don't think I will have the cover off again in my lifetime, unless it's to show someone what they look like inside or to show how easy the EVR is to install. Driving home from S.D. in the dark was no problem with my stock lights with GOOD REFLECTORS and generator. My generator and 6 or more years old junk yard battery carries the lights fine at idle.

While I was at the Bradley celebration in S.D. someone left the door open on their van and the dome light killed the battery enough to not start the van. They immediately came to me assuming I have an old car and must have jumper cables. I only carry jumper cables in the newer cars.
 
I do a lot of driving at night and my lights, with the alternator, are as strong as my modern Car's headlights, and I can ahooga at the same tiem and am quite pleased with the alternator.
EXCEPT HOW IT LOOKS when people look at the engine pretty much daily.
Soooooooooooo
I plan to purchase one of Tom W's CVR's and see if its as good as an alternator when I re-install the original generator.
 
"Although the Model A was state-of-the art technology 70 years ago, we all have to admit there have been significant improvements made to automibiles since. "

The model A was far from state of the art 70 years ago. If you want to see state of the art for the 1920s and 30's you need to look at a Duesenberg. a 1932 supercharged duesy produced 320HP with 4 valves per cylinder and dual overhead cams.

a Model A was an affordable, durable, cheap and easy to fix car that most people could afford but there was absolutely nothing high tech about it.
 
"and I can ahooga at the same tiem and am quite pleased with the alternator."

You know Bruce you have a point. Being able to ahooga at night is a good benefit especially with brighter lights.

My point was if your going to upgrade to an alternator, you should upgrade to 12V as well. !2V automatically gives you the huge benefit of literally twice the power. I don't agree with going to a 6 volt alternator at all, seems like a waste. Now you have an alternator on your engine which can be physically seen, while your still running 6 volt bulbs. 12 volt bulbs and 12 volt alternators look the same as the 6 volt counterparts.

with a 12volt alt you'd have a 12 volt system, plenty of power, and can jump it from any car going by and your engine compartment still looks the same as if you put a 6 volt alt in.
 
I have a generator, I can ahoogas at night, I can drive all night,with the halogen lights on ---actually i use then in the day for my charging rate controller.

With the generator I can start the car with a dead battery by push starting, if the battery was to ever get weak there is the hand crank.

Battery life---motorcraft battery-9years, delco battery 7 years, ford script repro 3 years, used interstate -6 years, optima 14 years and still going. I have never used a batteryb maintainer, the only modification from stock is a diode in the cutout.

As for generator reliability---in the first 5 miles of driving (1972) the repro new cutout failed causing the generator to throw the solder ---i was told that I could resolder it, but that it would just be a tempoary fix, the generator has not been touched except for oiling since then, i put the original cutout (that came with the car) back on, several years later it stuck ---at about the same time I was replacing the diodes on a plymouth, i took a good one and drilled a hole in the cutout relay frame and pressed it in ---it is still there. ---no worries about a loose belt because the generator doesn't need a very tight belt to charge.

I don't see how an alternator can improve my reliability or battery life.
 
I installed a 6V positive grnd 60 amp alternator on our 31 coupe over 15 years ago and it hasn't had any problems. There was no changes to the wiring. Mine is a one wire hook up. I used a 30 amp ammeter, but the guy that I got it from said the 20 amp ammeter would work. I also installed a safety 30 amp fuse on the starter switch. You will probabaly need to use the modern front bearing and sleeve in the front of the water pump I get mine from Bratton pn 12700 cost 13.70 The alternator will put more strain on this bearing and the original style will not hold up under the strain of the alternator and tighter belt adjustment.

On the brighter side you can use the more powerful quartz halogen bulbs and that is the reason that I changed to the alternator. You have to rev the engine to exite the alternator to start to charge. I let the engine idle a bit to get the oil circulating before I blip the throttle. The needle on the ammeter will then jump over to charge for a few seconds and then settle back to about 3 or 4 amps untill more charge is needed.
 
Picture a beautiful 20 year old women. Now picture her with 8 pierced earings in each ear, one in her nose one in her tongue, pink hair and a large tatoo. Now you know how I feel about the way an alternator looks on a Model A.

Charlie Stephens
 
I'd assume the only thing you change is the starter, bulbs,horn and add a resistor to the coil when switching to 12 volts? Do they make a 12 volt authentic sounding Arooooga for the A?
 
MrTube said:
I'd assume the only thing you change is the starter, bulbs,horn and add a resistor to the coil when switching to 12 volts? Do they make a 12 volt authentic sounding Arooooga for the A?
Click to expand...


Easier and better looking, if you still care about such, to buy a 12V coil, which will have the resistor built in and look fairly authentic.

Repro 12V horns are available. Your call whether they're good enough. It's pretty easy to put a load resistor in the line and make your 6V horn sing without overdoing it. I grabbed one out of my junk box and got lucky first time--works great. I tucked it up out of sight between radiator and shell, near horn conduit hole.

Steve
 
Well I put an alternator in the 30 coupe and I will put one in the 30 tudor when I finish it this coming winter.

The A generator just doesnt put out proper voltage for today's driving in my opinion.

Also night driving is a pain with the generator as it will then have to be adjusted for day driving or you overcharge the battery.

I run dual tail lights, LED lights, directionals, and a 6 volt AM radio and I dont have all that generator noise on the radio and the Alternator costs only $65 at IOLA and installs in 5 minutes.

I am saving the generators for any subsequent owners that want to change back from the alternators.

All of this is my own opinion...some of the guys here on the site LOVE generators.

I think they and the Cut out are just a pain.

Dennis L Oberer
Green Bay WI
 
Well, everyone.; please forgive the rant.. I went through a three year stretch in grad school when I had to push start my Tudor (dead battery... and too cheap/poor to buy another) every time I came home.

I run a 100% stock charging system (oops... with a 20 amp fuse). I have a spot-on ampmeter (yep, I checked). I regulate my charging rate by turning on/off my cowl lights (after-market... separate switch), parking lamps, headlamps, and/or dash lamp. I have LED directionals and third brake light (WOW Does THAT ever get their attention!) (negligible draw). For music, I run my ipod (15 hours of music from 1920 - 1940) through D battery powered speakers. (You should SEE the looks I get at stoplights... and at the bank drive-in!) For communication, I use a mobile phone with its own battery; c'mon, everyone, are any of you really still running CB radios off your "A" circuits?

I have never been unable to drive at night, and my cheapo Sears battery is five years old. To me, fiddling with the generator draw is akin to fiddling with the GAV... just part of the joy of driving the "A" "as Henry (Edsel?) built it."

Forgive me, everyone. End of rant.

We had a great drive today, and we hope to do the same tomorrow. Hope you all fare as well.
 
To me, fiddling with the generator draw is akin to fiddling with the GAV... just part of the joy of driving the "A" "as Henry (Edsel?) built it."

As a newbe to the hobby, can you please explain what you mean by "fiddling with the generator draw"? thanks
 
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