The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Swapping out generator

So I'm in the process of swapping to 12v and was going to use the pulley from the generator to put on the alternator. Anybody done this? I'm having an issue where all it wants to do is spin. I've taken it apart, but am not sure that I want to clamp it down in a vise for fear of breaking it. I would like to be able to take it to a swap meet or sell it because it still works.

I think an alternator pulley is generally quite small compared to the generator ones, they spin a lot faster - also your generator will be worth more intact

Bill

Do you still have the generator pulley on the generator armature and the pulley is spinning or the nut is spinning?

@Red: There's a difference in size, but the alternator's pulley is a different belt width. I figured by using the original pulley, everything should line up better and I don't have to replace the rest of the pulleys on the truck. And I agree completely, it's worth more in one piece, but again, I need the pulley.

@Ken: The generator is in back in one piece and the pulley spins freely. In order to separate the two, and not screw up the innards, I'm wondering how the pulley gets separated from the armature via that big nut on top.

Got another question for ya'll as well: Has anyone made their own bracket to accomodate the new alternator? Got a PDF of it or measurments?

Go to a generator/alternator/starter electrical shop because you are going down the wrong road by using the generator pulley for the alternator. The shop will advise you on the pulley size and you won't end up with dim lights and an uncharged battery.

The alternator can use the generator bracket. I used all-thread from a hardware store and six nuts, washers and lock washers. I doubled up on the nuts behind the alternator to fix it in place, also on the INNER firewall side to not over stress the generator bracket. Make sense? It goes like this NUT-LOCK WASHER-BRACKET-ALTERNATOR-DOUBLE NUT-LENGTH OF ALLTHREAD-DOUBLENUT-BRACKET-LOCK WASHER-NUT. You'll need at least a foot of all-thread and then you will carefully cut it to size after assembly. It soon will when you have the all-thread, the 6 nuts, washers and locks in hand as you put it together on your work bench. Been doing the alternator this way for a dozen years, no issues. Or there are people selling them for $75, but that is a waste of money IMHO.

REMEMBER: IF YOU USE AN ALTERNATOR THE TENSION BOLT IS METRIC, DON'T USE SAE OR YOU WILL END UP DRILLING IT OUT AND USING A NUT, BOLT AND LOCK WASHER. A LOT NEATER IF YOU JUST USE THE APPROPRIATE METRIC BOLT.

Thanks Cosmo. I'm in 100% agreement on people charging too much. I measure repair costs like they did when these were new and working the fields.