1964 TR4 - Part 23 - Generator To Alternator Conversion

Let's wire the Alternator that we replaced the generator with.
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[@michaelreilly1310esq]

The owner of this beauty is a lucky guy. You have improved it tremendously. The engine runs like a Swiss watch

[@davidberlanny3308]

Very well explained, I could follow you at every step. Look forward to the next one. Good luck from Spain!!

[@pda49184]

Great stuff Elin.. That's a really great idea that even I could manage without opening the door to Mr Cockup..

[@johnfalkenstine8377]

Very well done! I drove an early TR4 in Georgia in 1972. It failed the first inspection because the driver's window was cracked. So I rolled it down and said. "This car has no side window on the driver's side." Got the inspection sticker.

[@garysweetland32]

The only thing I could add to your wonderful wiring is the spade connections on the back of the alternator are only rated at 32A. The Lucas ACR alternator pumps out a lot more under heavy load (45A-50A depending on model) and this is why it has two 32A connectors on the back. Cars of the period with the Lucas ACR alternators, normally had two 12 gauge wires (or larger) connected to the battery side of the solenoid, to get the closest connection to a heavy battery lead for the alternator. If you have a low battery and the headlights on, the single spade will most likely burn out.😵‍💫

[@RustyBeauties]

You are right, that connector is really weak. The plug came with only one though so I am thinking of ordering another one and doubling that connection.

[@barry6274]

Nice explanation thank you.

[@mechanknuckle]

Great work Elin!! Very helpful.

[@FelixBinsack]

Well done and very well explained!

[@johnmalone407]

Great video Lin. You make everything understandable. Thanks

[@peteredwards9147]

Fantastic information as usual great channel great video great guy

[@BruceBoschek]

Good, clear thinking well explained. Thanks, Elin!

[@omphaloskeptic4989]

Elin, great explanation of the proper changeover to alternator; thank you. As to the water temperature gauge mystery, I briefly went back to episode 3 to see if there was possibly a polarity issue with the temperature sensor due to the conversion; I didn't spot any discussion of that. I do however, wonder if there is still possibly an issue with a small grounding issue in the wiring harness that you may have missed? Testing the water temperature sensor out of the car may help answer that question. I'm no pro, so I don't know..... lol

[@RustyBeauties]

I am putting the temperature gauge to the side for now, so I haven't put a lot of thought in it, but as far as I know the polarity doesn't affect the old style voltage stabilizer, which is basically a bimetal switch which constantly opens and closes averaging 10v output between the open time at 0v and closed time at 13-14v In that case the polarity is irrelevant. However the after market "solid state" stabilizers are polarity affected, so if the voltage stabilizer has been changed on this car it might be the reason for the issue. I will deal with that in the future though.

[@hubertcordonnier5310]

Nice video ! Thanks I am doing the same work on my TR4 (in France). I didn’t see what you do with the brown and green wire who goes from the ignition switch to A1 .

[@andyday3571]

A alternator charges the battery up as well you can use the battery to start the car and if you take the battery away or and connect the battery away from the terminals the car will still function without the battery when you take it away when you have start it up

[@nigelbarton8350]

Good job on the alternator Elin, nice and neat and looks original. I still think you have a carb issue, during that first start up it struggled to run on more than 2 cylinders for a while and it’s doing the same now. I know you took the tops off and checked diaphragms etc, but have you taken float bowls off the bottom to check for dirt, water or old fuel residue? On the ammeter, you are right, just swap connections. Temp gauge - I still wonder if the feed is connected wrong side of the stabiliser so it’s getting 12v instead of 10.5v?

[@RustyBeauties]

I will get back to the carburetors, but I definitely have an ignition issue and will have to deal with that first. The temperature gauge was working fine before the rebuild and the voltage stabilizer hasn't been disconnected during the process, so I am sure it is connected to the right terminal. I am not sure how the reversed polarity affected the voltage stabilizer though. In theory there shouldn't be a difference as the stabilizer is simply a bi-metal switch, but who knows... I don't think I paid attention to the temperature gauge after the polarity was reversed.

[@shoxx8878]

Hey Elin great video!! I tried myself to change from generator to alternator in my GT6 MK1. But I only have one terminal each on my control box… how do I do the wiring now?

[@markrobinson8539]

What is the current rating of the big spade connector on the alternator body ? Maybe they give you two connections so that you can double the connections to the big spade connector

[@RustyBeauties]

I don't know the rating, but you are right, it looks really flimsy, so I ordered another one and I will double that connection.

[@Markgcr]

I think that is a good move Elin. You do good work.

[@luisangelsotojimenez1257]

Elin, did you dísconnet every carburator from conector shaft, for adjusment, individualist. An then , connet 2 again when you ajusted each one apart.

[@RustyBeauties]

I disconnected them to adjust the airflow and once I was happy I connected them again. Then I adjusted the mixture on each carb as they were connected.

[@robertharrison9248]

Know people will not like this, but it is sad, after so much work to maintain the original look. Generators can be rebuilt, there are places that will keep the original case and convert the generator to an an alternator and increasing the capacity. I would hope you will consider looking into that in the future. Advantages are you get to keep the original brackets and mounting hardware. I would have kept the generator and leave it positive ground.

[@RustyBeauties]

There are alternators in a generator body available. However they are expensive and as far as I know not reliable due to overheating. This car is meant to be a summer cruiser, which will be used a lot. The owner wants it to be reliable and he is not worried about the originality that much. I appreciate that there are people who prefer their cars original, sacrificing a little bit of comfort and reliability, but I am with the people who, would do minor changes to make their cruises more comfortable and worry free. For example a passenger side mirror is a must for me and noone can convince me the originality of the car is more important. Same as for the alternator. A reliable charging system is a must for me.

[@drivewayshop]

Would this conversion work the same for a mk1 GT6? Looks to me like the wires and labels on the regulator are the same. I need to chase down where I went wrong with my conversion. Thanks!

[@RustyBeauties]

Yes, it is the exact same thing. Not sure what problems you are experiencing, but a common issue is a blown bulb on the warning dash light. If the alternator doesn't sense power through that bulb, it wont start charging. Or if that bulb was replaced with LED it would have the same effect. It needs to be incandescent so it allows current both ways or a special bypass needs to be added

[@drivewayshop]

@@RustyBeauties that makes perfect sense. I've got wired like this, alt tested good, but I didn't think of a dead build. It's not LED

[@drivewayshop]

Looks like it was burnt out bulb! And possibly low rpm on the alt at idle while I was testing it.

[@johncantone7463]

Nice work! What part number fan belt are you using?

[@RustyBeauties]

GFB40975 from Revington, which is Flennor 20 x 0900LI

[@paulresca6681]

Elin, could the various issues , coolant gauge, backwards ammeter reading even starter draw have any relation to you converting the car from positive ground to negative ground? We are usually so used to negative ground that I was just wondering if that has any possible connection. Thanks for another informative video.

[@RustyBeauties]

The ammeter is definitely related to the polarity conversion. The starter is not affected by the polarity and the temperature gauge I haven't investigated yet, but there is a slight possibility that the voltage stabilizer was replaced in the past with a solid state one and that might cause the issue. If the voltage stabilizer is the old style though, the polarity shouldn't affect it. I will investigate that in the future episodes.

[@TR4Ajim]

Elin since the charging light is part of the power “signaling” function to the generator/alternator, does that mean the filament bulb should not be replaced with an LED bulb?

[@RustyBeauties]

No, I don't think the LED bulb would be a problem. It will still close the circuit.

[@RustyBeauties]

OK, I actually have a different answer to your question now, 3 weeks later :) That bulb CAN NOT be LED, I learned that the hard way today :) So, good thinking!

[@TR4Ajim]

@@RustyBeauties 👍

[@iceman9678]

I've done a few overhauls that requires new wiring. I prefer Arctic ultraflex wire. It is resistant to cold brittleness and is rated to 105C. Check them out. I warn you though, if you try it then you may never buy any other type of wire ever again.

[@cheftush]

You lost me at “ hey guys, welcome” 😉

[@iceman9678]

Check out 3M super 88 electrical tape. It is their best electrical tape.

[@kge420]

Tesa wiring loom tape is best. Can be unraveled and leaves no adhesive residue behind. Nice tape for rewiring an engine bay.

[@Bill_9797]

Perhaps show a new wiring diagram for the alternator to depict and simplify the description of the change to the wiring.

[@RustyBeauties]

Yes, I will show a final diagram at the end. I still have more wiring to do.

[@leo2caf594]

you mention M3 electrical tape, is that 3M's better cousin ? 🙂

[@RustyBeauties]

LOL, yeah, remember I reversed the polarity of the electrical system so it is M3 tape now :)

[@Patrick-Inc]

🫡

[@stevesutton1991]

First again, whoopee