walterj
walterj Dork
7/30/09 8:55 p.m.

My E30 race car killed its alternator so that I had to charge the battery between sessions this past weekend to keep it running. It is just the v-reg and I can fix the one I have but... its a race car. It does not need a giant, heavy, powerful charging system - it needs enough to crank over and run injectors, ecu, fuel pump and a fan during a weekend.

What tiny, light, little japanese alternator am I looking for?

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury Dork
7/30/09 8:58 p.m.

I remember the alternator for my toyota corolla - engine 4afe - was barely bigger than a softball...dont know any specs, but theyre all over in u pull it junk yards

Woody
Woody GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
7/30/09 9:14 p.m.

I think I've heard that Samurai alternators are pretty tiny.

stuart in mn
stuart in mn SuperDork
7/30/09 10:24 p.m.

The voltage regulator is pretty cheap, and the Bosch alternators are pretty durable and trouble free otherwise. Buying a new alternator and coming up with a bracket to hold it could be expensive. How much is it worth to drop just a few pounds?

walterj
walterj Dork
7/30/09 10:50 p.m.
stuart in mn wrote: The voltage regulator is pretty cheap, and the Bosch alternators are pretty durable and trouble free otherwise. Buying a new alternator and coming up with a bracket to hold it could be expensive. How much is it worth to drop just a few pounds?

I can whip up a bracket pretty easily and the factory unit is pretty heavy and gross overkill for a car that has no real electrical demands. Every little bit of weight helps when you don't have a lot of power to work with.

ditchdigger
ditchdigger Reader
7/30/09 11:04 p.m.

samurai and chevy sprint densos are tiny little units. 55amp and easy to wire. I replaced the generator in my fiat with one. Photobucket

At all the big hotrod swap meets I keep finding a really tiny.. Like half a fosters lager can sized bosch alternator that is 45-50 amps and a one wire unit. Always cheaper in the gaudy chrome finish though. From $125 on up depending on the vendor. look around for that one.

donalson
donalson SuperDork
7/30/09 11:41 p.m.

used an alternator from a 4afe on my 4age... had to rig it for a longer tension bracket though... the bolt location is on the other side of the alternator (inch or 2 away)... plug n play on the mr2... and I had one laying around... with a lifetime warranty to boot haha...

suprf1y
suprf1y Reader
7/31/09 12:22 a.m.

Geo Metro. Same as the Sammi/Sprint.

Don't overtighten it.

DWNSHFT
DWNSHFT Reader
7/31/09 1:59 a.m.

Go to your local alternator repair shop and ask them. They're the pros on alternators, right?

David

walterj
walterj Dork
7/31/09 8:22 a.m.
DWNSHFT wrote: Go to your local alternator repair shop and ask them. They're the pros on alternators, right? David

I thought you guys were ;)

P71
P71 GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
7/31/09 8:22 a.m.

Seriously, look at 1st Gen RX-7 alternators. Not much in the way of electronics in these cars. I just changed mine out, it was around $70 new, one wire plus a pigtail. Also you can get a double-ribbed pulley for it from Racing Beat if you need 2 belts. (The rotaries do when you pull the A/C and/or air pump).

You'll need to log in to post.

Our Preferred Partners
usaxcmfNTwNri1o17SK04GLvaDtRopXRoFkz6tbf78n009jSAh2OavDzsVfxAHWf