Well, it has been decided. We’re replacing the generator with a new alternator.
The reasons are not insignificant. Primarily, it means that the battery will be charged continuously, allowing us to drive longer distances (and at night!). It also means more reliability, and the ability to provide power when the engine isn’t running as fast (so the lights don’t dim when we come to a stop light, for example). Some in the Triumph Club also suggest having an alternator will make the engine run better since we’ll be providing more electricity to the spark plugs.
I’ve been looking into this for a while and have now begun the project. My biggest concern is the electrical connection setup. There are a lot of wires, and I don’t want to get it wrong.
I haven’t been too focused on the actual physical attachment of the alternator — that seems pretty straight-forward, or so I thought.
Naturally, the alternator isn’t the same size as the generator, nor are the mounting bolts in the exact same position.
The bottom attachment is fine. I have a universal bracket that I can use to mount the bottom of the alternator.
However, the top attachment is another story. Alternators (and generators) attach to an arm that has a long curved slot, allowing you to position the alternator in the spot where the the belt is tensioned just right.
The original bracket arm is the one on the bottom of the picture on the right. It’s perfect for the original generator, but it’s far too short for the new alternator.
Paul and I went to an auto parts store and picked up the only universal bracket they had, which is shown at the top of the picture on the right. Of course, it turned out to be too long — the alternator would be sitting in the wheel well if we tried to make it work.
So I did what any self-respecting do-it-yourselfer would do and I cut the long bracket down to size.
I also drilled a hole in it to create a mounting point.
In fact, in the top picture, you can see the hole and the cut (if you look closely) — I put the two pieces next to each other to show what the original long arm looked like.
I loosely fit the new (shortened) arm into the engine and it looks like it will work. It does, however, mean that the alternator will need to sit a little higher in the engine than I expected, though I don’t think it will be so high as to interfere with the hood of the car.