[alfa] Alternator conversion on Giulietta

["bokaie" <bokaie@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Guys,

I have a 59 Giulietta that has been converted from a generator to an
alternator by two owners back.  The alternator has failed recently and I
am about to replace the unit.  So far I have learned that it is a
Motorola unit (don't have the p/n handy).  In the process, I would like
to see if I can improve how the alternator is mounted.  Presently the
alternator is placed high up on the driver side of the engine.  Two
metal bars have been fabricated to hold the top and bottom portion of
the alternator (one bar is attached to lower part of the engine where I
suspect the original generator was mounted and one bar is attached below
the cam cover on the front of the engine) and a tensionor is attached to
one of bottom bar to keep the belt tight.  Ideally I would like to
position the alternator closer to the body (I believe that is where the
generator used to be) and if possible remove the tensionor.  I have
access to machining equipment so I can fabricate metal pieces if
necessary.

Searching the archives, I found the discussion below that provides hints
to the original conversion.  However I can not find the articles
mentioned in the posting.  Anyways I appreciate any help on this...

Thanks,

David
---------------------


- - -fitted an alternator to a 101 car?"

    * To: alfa-digest@domain.elided
    * Subject: "- - -fitted an alternator to a 101 car?"
    * From: JHertzman@domain.elided
    * Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 09:47:54 EDT
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    * Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
    * Reply-To: JHertzman@domain.elided
    * Sender: owner-alfa@domain.elided

In AD7-072 Bob McKeown asks "Has any digester out there ever fitted an
alternator to a 101 car? I'd like to put one on my racecar, but there is
very
limited room."

In AD1-204 (11/17/'95)- Graham Arlen had asked about fitting an
alternator to
HIS 101. Two days later Jim Hayes replied "Not easy. We've had this
thread
before. The 101's were all neg ground, I believe, but the problem with a
conversion is no room for a later alternator. I've found a racing
alternator I
plan to try in my racecars, but it has a built in regulator and rewiring
is an
issue. More as the project develops. Rebuilt the stuff and live with
it...."

I added "In the January 1963 issue of Alfa Owner Jim Gradolph wrote a
detailed
article on converting a 101 to a Motorola alternator, and in the same
issue
Ernie Feleppa wrote about converting to negative ground. It was tight,
but
there was room for the alternator and no problem converting to negative
ground..

Simon Favre added "There's no room for any  commonly available
alternator
under the hood of a Giulietta Spider. Jim Hayes commented that all 101's
were
neg ground. This is NOT the case. My 101 Giulietta Spider came with a
Lucas
regulator and generator, and was positive ground. Alfa switched back and
forth
between negative and positive ground (Bosch vs. Lucas). We all know that
Lucas
electrical systems produce only two things: darkness, and smoke. ;=) I
replaced mine with Bosch.

"There is no need to rewire anything! As Alfa was switching back and
forth,
they used instruments that accepted either + or - ground. The starter
does not
care, as all starters are actually AC/DC shunt wound, so they always
turn the
right way. The only thing that concerned me was the fuel gauge, but it
turns
out it does not care either. In fact, at one point I was getting
negative
ground out of a Lucas generator just by reversing the battery! I'm not
sure
about second hand sources of Bosch Generators, but the regulator is
still
available. The Bosch regulator from a Porsche 912 is basically the same
as the
Alfa 101 unit, but with different terminals. If you INSIST on rebuilding
the
Lucas stuff, check with an Anglophile about sources for the regulator.
All the
old British small sports cars used the same basic regulator. The
regulator is
nothing more than carefully adjusted relays.

Jim Hayes came back with a strong rebuttal to my input, to the effect
that an
alternator is a possiblity with the mild engine tilt of a single carb
101 but
absolutely impossible with a Veloce.  

In my pre-Alfa hot-rodding days I knew of cars which ran generators off
the
driveshaft, with the slight inconvenience of having to drop the
driveshaft to
change a belt- plus unsprung weight, if at the axle end- plus zip in
slow
traffic, not an issue with a transaxle car, but it would ease the space
bind. 

Somebody else may have later information, but otherwise Jim Hayes'
"Rebuilt
the stuff and live with it...." sounds like reasonable advice.

John
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