Alternator conversion

[Pete Lewis]

well maybe , its a split bush it should .......move under its own steam............it just allows for case expansion 

Pete

[PeteH]

Ahh!. Light Bulb time. I am guessing now that said owner in my quote, had NOT fitted the bush?. But was unaware of the need for allowance for thermal expansion?.

And Haynes, at least, fail to mention it?.

Pete.

[Pete Lewis]

its only on rear of 3 lug mounts  if the main is a full length solid casting it generally doesnt need one 

Pete

[jagnut66]

On 13/08/2021 at 12:22, Pete Lewis said:

do make sure the tail lug has the tube spacer midway on the suppoert lug so there is some shft allowed due to heat expansion

its an important little bush

 

3 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

yes the rea lug on this vintage alternator has a slidding tube/bush  but Robs was stuck solid 

Out of curiousity, is this the spacer you are referring to?

Best wishes,

Mike.

[NonMember]

Yes, that's the one

[jagnut66]

Also, as an update to an earlier suggestion that I remove the washers that are packing out my adjuster bracket, so that it sits comfortably in front of the alternator. Then resite the bracket on the other side of the mounting hole on the alternator casing and secure it flush to the engine block without the washers.

I unbolted it all and loosely tried this but I found that the adjuster bracket would have to be bent backwards for it to work like this, so I've reinstated it as below. It lines up and works, so it will do for me.

As an aside, I checked the adjuster bracket whilst it was off and if it appears bent or kinked in my pictures I can confirm that this is an optical illusion and it is flat.

Best wishes,

Mike.

[NonMember]

1 hour ago, jagnut66 said:

I unbolted it all and loosely tried this but I found that the adjuster bracket would have to be bent backwards for it to work like this

Interesting. My Spitfire has a dynamo-style bracket fitted that way - no packing and sits behind the alternator lug - and it's a perfect fit. How is the alignment of your pulleys? It's probably an illusion but the belt looks to be running on the front of the alternator pulley and the back of the water pump. If so, perhaps you could pack the alternator bottom fixing to move it forward a tiny bit.

[jagnut66]

2 minutes ago, NonMember said:

It's probably an illusion but the belt looks to be running on the front of the alternator pulley and the back of the water pump

Just an illusion (not the song by 'Imagination', anyone remember them? Did one very good album then...... nothing...... I digress...) the pullies seem to line up fine. 

I have a white(ish) plastic Spitfire fan fitted, that might be altering perception a bit, maybe?

Best wishes,

Mike.

[Colin Lindsay]

On 19/08/2021 at 09:24, Pete Lewis said:

come on Colin you ought to know that blindfold      Ha !

Pete

Strangely enough all of the alternators in the above photos, bar the adjustable bracket, have the adjuster in front... but if I do that with a standard Lucas alternator it sits too far back and the pulleys are not in line. I spent yesterday and this morning trying alternative solutions; it seems the best option is a cranked bracket that sits in behind the alternator. I can't move the alternator any further forward as the spacers etc are all in the correct order and I've already had to add more spacers at the front end to get the pulleys in line.

  

 

[jagnut66]

7 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I spent yesterday and this morning trying alternative solutions

I am now of the opinion that it's a case of whatever works for you. So long as the pullies line up and the belt can be adjusted as required, then that's all that matters. 

Best wishes,

Mike.

 

[Pete Lewis]

  Mike      +1 for  that  

there that old saying   All My own Work    Ha 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

Well, there's my way, and the proper way, and even the manual way... and sometimes they're not similar.

I've managed to get the pulleys more or less in line by skimming down another spacer which means that the adjuster is now definitely behind the alternator lug.

All I need to do now is identify the best fanbelt; the Herald 1025 no longer fits and I reckon the Spitfire 1050 still leaves the alternator too close to the block. Might try a 1070 or 1080 if I can find a suitable one.

 

[Peter Truman]

I think I see the sliding sleeve at the rear of the engine bracket so there is no compression/twisting or shearing load on the rear alt fixing, which could easily shear if simply clamped up. 

[Colin Lindsay]

There's about 2mm of it in there, just the angle makes it difficult to spot.

[NonMember]

I do find that the "correct" belt for a later Spitfire is really a bit short. I thought about using a GT6 one but that's a little on the long side, especially for the standard adjuster bracket.