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| | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 29 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 29 | Hello, looking to reatin the original 216 but upgrade to a gm 1 wire alternator, the 10si. The alternator pulley is too skinny for the original v-belt. Can you reuse the pulley from the generator or do you need a specialty pulley for a 17/32 wide belt? If so, where is the best place to get this pulley? Thanks, Dave | | | | | Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,094 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 1,094 | I remember reading somewhere that you can use the generator pulley.
Tommy
59 apache 1/2t
261 short stepside
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 29 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 29 | I heard that too, I was just hoping I wasnt making that up just to have an easy fix! | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 29 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 29 | believe it or not the generator pulley fit on pretty perfectly. Things never go my way! | | | | | Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 181 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 181 | cervoned,
Google up "The Filling Station" in Lebanon, Oregon. The have a full setup for this entire job and then get a pulley from them too. It really takes all of the mystery out of that job. About $50 bucks plus shipping and it is a two hour job. I have done this same conversion several times and they have all gone well. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,804 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,804 | Using the generator pulley will slow the alternator's speed down enough that it might not do a good job of keeping the battery charged at low RPM. Alternators are designed to run much faster than generators because there's no danger of throwing the windings out of the rotating assembly. Overspeeding a generator will cause the wires in the armature to break loose and drag on the field coil pole shoes. Alternators turn several times engine speed to assure a good charging current at idle.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
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| | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,644 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,644 | I have an alternator on my 52 with a 235 and use the thinner belt that fits the alternator ,I have a stock balancer and 216 water pump and have had no problems with the setup the belt never slips I've got over 3K miles on it with a trip to Kansas city and back 1200 miles.I would just install the thinner V belt.Hotrod is right the alternator needs to run at a higher speed to keep charging at an idle our engines idle at 550 RPM so you need the smaller pulley so the alternator is going a little faster.
Pete | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
Dave & Pete,
Ditto on the belt usage described by Pete. And, once you know what belt works for your truck, you should buy one or two extra belts and place them in the storage compartment under your seat.
If you every need one, you will be pleased for thinking ahead; and, this will impress your passengers.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 457 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 457 | I have converted two 216s to one wire alt. and used the old generator pulley, fan belt and brackets with success. 
1940 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup "KC"
A day without sunshine is like, well, ..... dark!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2017 Posts: 4 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jul 2017 Posts: 4 | Bump,
I am doing this conversion now. Are there any updates or issues that have arose with using the generator pulley?
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