The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Generator to alternator conversion

I want to convert my stock '37 1/2 ton P.U. to an alternator and I have some questions:
What is the best type of alt. to use? 1 wire or 2 wire?
The original generator has a wire going to a stud and a wire going to a rectangle can mounted on the gen. where do these wires go when you convert to alt? Do I need to change my gauge? Any help is appreciated.
Thank you
Honk1e

If you aren't going to run anything more than a heater and a cigar lighter, a one wire alternator will work fine. A one wire alternator won't energize and create voltage until its preset RPM is exceeded. Goose the gas one time and it will kick in and charge the battery.
You won't need your voltage regulator (rectangle can), as the one wire alternator has an internal voltage regulator.
Your gas gauge will likely need some inline resistance going to the positive terminal of that gauge to read accurately. You can use a Runtz resister or a miniature 12 volt bulb. A simple pigtail type light fixture will do the job.
You will need to change all of your light bulbs to 12 volt bulbs.
Your six volt starter will turn the engine over twice as fast as it did on six volts. If your six volt starter is in good shape, you will have no problems.

Carl

Don't trash that 3-brush generator and regulator- - - -someone who wants to do a year-correct restoration will want to have it, and those units are getting a little scarce.
Jerry

Plus one on what Jerry said. I have customers looking for them all the time so dont trash it.
Ken

On my conversion from gen. to alt. I forgot to mention that I am not converting to 12 volts. I am keeping the 6 volt system and will be using a 6 volt, neg. grd. alt. I replaced the gen. on my '31 model A with a 6 volt alt. I believe that I only used 1 of the 2 existing wires. The wire not used was left in the wire loom. If I get a 6 volt, 1 wire alt., which existing wire goes to the alt?
Thank you
honk1e

Use the wire that's currently attached to the output of the "regulator". (It's actually a cutout relay) Attach it to the output of the alternator, and no other modifications should be required. Pretty soon a self-appointed "expert" will be along to tell you how the original equipment ammeter will suddenly become the source of so much heat the entire dash will melt and cause a 3-alarm fire. Ignore him.
Jerry

I was just checking this on my 52 with the 216 today. The Instructions I got with the mine said on a one wire hook up, Go from the Battery output on the alternator to the solenoid and then the battery. Since I have a stomp starter, I just ran it to the Starter switch on the starter. This seems too easy, is that all there is to it?

Thanks for the input. I only had to use one wire on my model A also. I just did not remember which wire I used. Thanks again. honk1e
P.S. Its been 10 years since I converted my "A". No fires yet.

I believe that if you wire it that way, your ammeter becomes just a pretty ornament to look at and will not show charge/discharge.

Good point. Once I get it going I will see what I have.

Just curious, what alternator are you using and where did you pick it up?

My amp meter is pretty much decoration only since I added a 8 ga. wire from the 6v alternator to the starter, by-passing the amp meter on the way to the battery.

My truck has a reproduction wiring harness which is undersized for the 12v system I still run. Hence my work to take load off the stock system where everything goes through the ampmeter.

Your plan works for me moparguy. I don't invest much faith in what my ammeter is telling me anyway. If the lights are always bright and the truck starts almost instantly, everything is just fine by me.

I have a 1959 chevy Apache 3100 that was converted to 12 volts and looking to replace the generator with an alternator. Does anyone know how the original wiring needs to be modified? What do I do with the wires (red, blue brown) going into the regulator? What do I do with the wires to the generator (blue and Brown)?

You need to buy an alternator with an internal voltage regulator. You need to lose the original generator-to-voltage regulator wires. You will need a 10 gauge wire to go from the the alternator to a terminal which is connected directly to the battery. If you select a "one wire" alternator, you will be done at this point.

Thanks, new alternator in and engine runs great....