GM Alternator for a Willys Flatfender Jeep

I've got a few Willys Jeeps around that don't have a charging system. In this video I install a Chevy alternator onto my CJ-2A. The most important part is getting the drive pulley right, otherwise the alternator may not charge at all when idling or at low speed. I made the brackets out of scrap parts I had lying around, and find some mud to "test" the charging system.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Since I started playing with junk snowblowers to help people that can't afford a new one I've learned a lot about belts, pulleys and how to sling snow from my driveway over the road and onto the roof of my neighbor's house. That being said I'm impressed that after years of watching YT as a retired auto mechanic it's nice seeing someone talk about how belt dimensions affect RPM and using the basic math that seems to not be taught anymore to figure out a solution.

[@LowBuckGarage]

I can just picture the snow blasting now! I'm glad you appreciated it, thank you.

[@lunchbox2784]

Mud holes and alternator testing go hand in hand. It’s science.

[@vemague]

I'm passing by to say that I really like the way you deal with problems and create tests, all done in the garage with style and solutions of things actually done in it. Your jeep's are pretty cool e kinda different from here, since they were built (late 50's)here they used 6cil original willys only when Ford bought it did they use a 4cil... Follow w the videos! Congratulations from Brazil.

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thank you very much!

[@markvisconti4507]

Got to love red jeeps. My first was a 1947 2A, fixed it on a budget in the 80's, had it painted red in Longmont, CO....and a guy from Bestop saw it. Long story short, they used it for their advertising, and I got a free Tiger top. Again, sold it for too little, out in Los Angeles. Fortunately, found an M38, red. Thank you for giving inspiration to get this person off his duff.

[@LowBuckGarage]

I remember seeing that Jeep in their ads, I really liked it! It sure is a small world...

[@markvisconti4507]

@@LowBuckGarage Thanks!. BTW, your channel is real inspiration. Excellent diagnosis info. Speaking of small world, I moved back to the area 2 years ago and was invited to a neighbor's garage night. Turns out he was the young man that sprayed the CJ 35 years prior. I guess we were all younger then..;-))

[@MLFranklin]

Yours is much nicer than the one I did. Mine was on a 1954 with an F-head. I used a ~1980 alternator from a junkyard. The mounts were broken off of the alternator so it was basically free. I made kind of a sandwich mount for it out of black plumbing pipe and 3/16" steel strap and a turnbuckle. It worked great and charged well from ~1980 until we sold the Jeep in about 1993.

[@davidbeer]

Love that last shot of the willy bumping into the tripod🇦🇺☺

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, the brakes on this thing are not anywhere close to "good", I was just glad I didn't run it over completely!

[@MrPancake0825]

James, that bracket is awesome!! I won't call myself a DIY'er anymore. You have a gift of ingenuity..

[@dustytrailscactusron]

I had this problem when I first owned my CJ3B. It was a 6 volt system, and it had a bad generator. I basically did what you did.

[@StewsChannel]

Those GM alternators work great! The mechanics at work even put them on our John Deere Gators when the factory charging systems crapped out. Popular replacement on older Goldwings when the stators crap out as well. Happy New Year, all the best in 2022 :)

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, Happy New Year to you, too!

[@deepbludude4697]

Nice, I learned alot about 12vdc power generation! which is coming in handy cause im building a wind generated 12vdc system to power my water pump setup to extract and lift water from a cistern and a pond. Wish I had a CJ2 to tinker with but itll come. Always enjoy your uploads.

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, and that sounds like a good project for wind power.

[@tomastaylor]

I like how you come up with solid solutions to problems with materials you have on hand.

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks!

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

"As a lifestyle choice" That was good. Quality hording is more than just the art form listed in the dictionary. It takes years of honing a skill that some will never master. Lets make 2022 the year that we stand and honor the practice. Tell your congressman to make February Hording month.........no wait...February gives us less days therefor less space! Space is challenging enough!

[@LowBuckGarage]

I like it! However, I'm afraid what would happen if I had more space. Its kind of like a goldfish that grows to fit their bowl, I would probably keep accumulating stuff to fill any size space!

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

@@LowBuckGarage Yes, but the things we keep are important. Unlike the guy down the street....Now he has a problem.

[@nightsailor1]

This channel is an acquired taste. But once hooked, its high brow.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Absolutely love your channel and your work. Keep it up!

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, glad you enjoy it!

[@gertraba4484]

Love the look of the shop all that clutter......and the hoardieng..signs of a good mechanic!!!!

[@fricknjeep]

hi there been watching and trying to catching up and ran across this one . ran into this problem in the 70s . things were lots different back then in the ability to get things . i just took the pulley off the Jeep generator and put it on the GM alt. still working now, i think , haven't started that Jeep in maybe 25 years . did think of the low rpm problem ( your smarter ) but it worked so well . i have done it several times and even on a TO20 tractor . good show . here is one for you to try putting a tock A/C compressor on a jeep also works well . have to also make a bracket and find a small bit tank but with the electric clutch went well . i month or 2 ago i started trying to get the old beast running again . i will look for the video i think you can see it in there. found it . you can see the alt ,the compressor and my red neck compressing tester (pointer finger ) take care john

[@RobertFay]

*- Good tutorial, Great teacher, you are, James.* *- I noticed that you used the three jaw pulley and bent that pulley as a theatrical setup.* *- I know and you know that you could have probably applied heat and it might not have bent the pulley...and/or applied penetrating oil and tried that.* *- Hopefully that would have failed so you could show {with a light loading of pull from the three-jaw pulley} use a bolt and hammer to introduce a massive level of force to the corrosion with one hammer's shock-loading blow to break free the seized/frozen pulley from the corrosion on the alternator shaft.* *- But none of THAT was what was being taught ! ! !* *- The teaching was to use something Not designed for the job...a bearing puller that might keep the bent pulley from getting bent to begin with, all with great humor which is why you are a great teacher.* *- And the cunning part is you get away with never making your students wrong with the normal teaching approaches, all of which wind up making people feel dumb.* *- Good theater...! ! !*

[@larryalexander4833]

Hay low buck is back in the new year 👍🇺🇲🇺🇲👍👍🇺🇲🙏

[@kamoboko86]

Best diy mechanic channel ever

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks!

[@alexanderheling2057]

Happy New Year, Low Buck!!!!

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, Happy New Year to you, too!

[@MrJanaRobi]

You made it look pretty easy ! Good test too .

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks 👍

[@videostars9194]

Thanks for the video good start to the year Happy New Year from Scotland

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, happy new year to you, too!

[@markrandall1456]

Good stuff. I purchased the pre made bracket and had to make adjustments to the “bolt in” application. I suspect My brackets were also different than the sellers bracket on his mock up. My flathead was from a early Willys wagon installed in a M38. A few washers and bushings later and I was all set. Good information on the belt selection. I used the small belt but can definitely see the advantage of switching pulleys. Great video. Changing the hose first certainly avoids an oil soaked alternator. From the frozen south banks of the Underwood Branch, thanks for the fun. 🤠

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, glad you liked the video! Interesting to hear about the brackets, it sounds like Willys had a lot of variations on parts that look the same.

[@cmac956]

Hi , those one wire alternators are great .I used them on every thing . good job , I like the way you do things .

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@cmac956]

@@LowBuckGarage no problem

[@jmonte2811]

I just discovered your channel and am really enjoying your work on jeeps which I am a non mechanic fan of. I am impressed with your knowledge and problem resolution approaches. I am interested in what is your mechanical/technical background or training. Thanks so much for your videos.

[@muddboss3309]

another great video keep up the hard work

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, will do!

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

Good work ! After any job you have to test on it .. ENJOYED

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks 👍

[@michaelranasinghe3774]

Hell yeah more flat fender goodness

[@jeep2003]

good info about the ratios I know mine is running a 1/2" belt and it doesnt charge good at all especially with my crappy battery.

[@randymack2222]

I had a similar repair on a Farmall M, converting to 12 volt. A GM Delco alternator from a diesel (New Holland TR) combine, it fit with a couple flat washers for shims!

[@LowBuckGarage]

Nice!

[@quarry1030]

You should put both alternators on it then put a second battery on to power winches and to modernize it with what you can fit in it

[@jimmybritt9537]

Good choice , I put those GM alternators on everything 👍👍🇺🇸

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks 👍

[@b-lopez394]

I am surprised that the 6V ignition coil wasn't fried when you are road testing the Jeep. With a lathe around and your ingenuity I am also surprised that you did widen the narrow pulley by cutting the outside flange with a hole saw and weld it back to the width that you needed. Happy New Year.

[@LowBuckGarage]

The coil was a 12V already, I've been running it for around a year now by just plugging in a battery charger after a day of driving. One thing to watch when modifying a pulley is the balance. When the motor gets up to 3500 RPM, that alternator's spinning at 7500 RPM, so you have to get the balance pretty good. The wider pulley that I swapped on was under $15, so that wasn't too bad and saved a big hassle of balancing. Happy new year to you, too!

[@motorv8N]

Happy New Year! Nice solve turning those pedal scraps into the alternator mount. Maybe you could do a second part for us electrically challenged explaining exactly how the wiring works to do a conversion like this.

[@LowBuckGarage]

Thanks, and happy new year to you, too! That's a good idea, I will do a follow up with wiring when I put in that next alternator, as it uses the stock GM style wiring. The one I installed here was a "one-wire" style alternator, which just needs one thick wire from the alternator post to the positive terminal. That's it, no other hook-ups needed for this type. Most of the time I spent getting my volt meter hooked up.

[@motorv8N]

@@LowBuckGarage So converting my 6 volt 49 3a doesn’t mean a new coil, condenser, regulator etc? I assume all bulbs and of course the battery need a 12 swap out. Starter I’d keep. The 6 volt starter on my 52 Ferguson tractor that a previous owner converted has been fine if you don’t lean on the button too long. 😎 Anyway - That’s what I meant - chapter and verse video on the entire conversion process if you’ve got one in the works.

[@LowBuckGarage]

@@motorv8N Ah, I see, I thought you were just talking about the alternator. I do have another CJ-2A that's completely rusted out but almost totally stock, so that would be a good candidate for that kind of video. I was about to start on it soon anyway... You're right about the starter, those usually work better on 12V. If you go with this type of alternator, you don't need the regulator at all, and the points work fine on 12V. You will need a new coil, and the bulbs won't last long but might work for a while.

[@motorv8N]

@@LowBuckGarage - well that right there is very useful info. Thanks!

[@kentauree]

I'm thinking, side valved engines have some advantages, and some disadvantages, on the plus side they are simple, and have love mass valve system, disadvantages are love compression, and bad airflow, but both can be eliminated by a turbo. So I think they should be perfect subjects for turbocharging. Supercharging is not super because it uses most of the extra power thus putting more strain on the engine.

[@danielstrachan8988]

😁👍👍

[@hanssundkvist]

👍

[@sledfool1972]

where did you get the aluminum radiator from and any part number?

[@LowBuckGarage]

I bought it on ebay. Just enter your jeep model and you'll get a bunch of different sellers with different part numbers for probably the exact same radiator. I sort the results by "lowest price first" and just buy whichever is cheapest at the time.

[@W4BIN]

When he said: "Chevy alternator" he really meant: "GM alternator."

[@dustytrailscactusron]

Man, you had some issues with your audio. Otherwise, another great video!

[@LowBuckGarage]

Yeah, sorry about that. I was trying out a new wireless mic to make it better, but it didn't, and then the wind today didn't cooperate at all. I did a couple of parts three or four times each, then tried to edit together the least bad sections...

[@dustytrailscactusron]

@@LowBuckGarage It's not bad, and with CC I was able to follow along on some of the more muffled parts. I sure like the way you approach repairs. Kind of reminds me of my Dad, (RIP) and, if I'm honest, myself.

[@jeffgrego2507]

Ok, where did u get the small pulley?

[@LowBuckGarage]

I bought it off ebay also, just look for a "wide belt alternator pulley" and a few different options pop up. For the Willys, you want 5/8 wide.

[@ProctorSilex]

This guy found a 5/8" pulley that works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXi0aoyklNJ7oLs Powermaster 1135 PowerGEN I also just found more searching for "wide belt alternator pulley" like LBG said.

[@mmotodad]

Is the first 3:49 in mono soundwise?

[@LowBuckGarage]

Yeah, I was trying out a new wireless mic that was supposed to make the sound better. I went back and forth depending on the background noise trying to make it decent, but it was a rough few days with rain on the metal roof and then 40 mph winds. I'll work on getting the sound better in future videos...

[@Whiterabbit124]

Why is this video only in my left ear ?

[@alwinbroeckelmann7558]

Looks awful wet for a place that never rains. Hahahahaaa.

[@BuddyThePyro]

Please show us the washing off of mud next time?

[@LowBuckGarage]

Wait, you're supposed to wash off the mud? I'll have to get to that someday...

[@grahamlamb3192]

👍