Alternator Upgrade

[HotFourOk]

Well I finally got my Alternator today and decided to try and put it in.

It is an 80 amp unit that is internally regulated and is made for a 2H Landcruiser motor.

I'll do a bit of a write-up when I get some time.
Here's some pics so far..





As Rangie said, one oil line is not long enough and needs redoing, as well as fiddling around with the regulator wiring.
The post terminal goes straight to battery with thick gauge wire (Which I will run a new length due to increased output from alternator) and the plug on the unit has 3 terminals, L, S and IG.
L is the warning lamp (Yellow old old voltage reg plug)
S is the battery voltage sensing wire (Will run a new wire)
IG is the ignition wire (Red/White on old voltage reg plug).

Hopefully more info to come soon and that all goes well tomorrow.

[murcod]

Looks like a good fit.

Remote sensing is a handy feature to have. You won't need a heavy duty wire or anything because it purely provides an extremely low current voltage feedback.

I'd imagine it should be fairly easy to bypass your old external regulator?

[HotFourOk]

Looks like a good fit.

Remote sensing is a handy feature to have. You won't need a heavy duty wire or anything because it purely provides an extremely low current voltage feedback.

I'd imagine it should be fairly easy to bypass your old external regulator?

Yeah, it should make it work well... I was planning to run the sensing wire in conduit with the larger power wire. I was thinking ~4ga for power line and about 4mm for voltage sensing wire?

I was originally going to 'cheat' and put the sense wire straight onto the alternator output post, but it then I thought it defeats the purpose.
Will the voltage be much different between the alternator output and battery terminal anyway? Should be the same if the wiring is thick enough yeh?

It's easier than I thought to bypass the external reg...
I'm just using 2 wires from it's wiring loom, and leaving it unplugged. Should be fine.

[HotFourOk]

Alrighty then, the standard oil lines and vacuum lines are long enough!

Although, the rearmost fitting on the vacuum pump as you can see in the pics has a barb type fitting on it, which I will not be using. I wanted to use the banjo fittings from the stock unit, with 2 of these fitting perfectly, but this rear one does not fit. The old banjo fitting is a smaller thread than the new unit, so I will have the oil line remade tomorrow with a larger diameter banjo fitting. (Or a sleeve to adapt the thread down to the old banjo fitting size).

I have also taken into account tabrocky's experience with the OEX unit, as he said the pump was being flooded with excess oil, so I will use a washer with an inside diameter the same size as the inside diameter on the old banjo fitting. This should keep the flowrate the same as before. (If I indeed have to use the larger banjo fitting).

[murcod]

Have you kept the fusible link in the main cable to the alternator? IMHO it's very important to have some sort of fusible link in case the worst happens and the cable shorts or the alternator shorts internally. Standard you should have had some fusible wire covered in a cloth sheath connected directly to the battery positive, I just reused that section with the new wiring connected onto it.

Think of the thinnest wire used in car looms and that is the perfect size for the sense wire. There's virtually zero current flow through it so you won't get a voltage drop. I ran mine along with the main cable to the battery positive terminal- ideally it should be fused separately too.

Once you get it all posted up I'll add this into the FAQ.

[HotFourOk]

I've decided to keep the standard cable from B+ terminal on alternator to battery (The one with the fusible links) as well as a larger gauge wire from B+ output to battery. This will cater for any increase in voltage with the higher output unit, plus it keeps the standard fusible links and fusebox in tact which I don't really want to mess around with.

I will use a 100A circuit breaker on the large power line, and an inline blade fuse for the sense wire.

Hopefully it's all done about lunch time.

[tabrocky]

Alrighty then, the standard oil lines and vacuum lines are long enough!

Although, the rearmost fitting on the vacuum pump as you can see in the pics has a barb type fitting on it, which I will not be using. I wanted to use the banjo fittings from the stock unit, with 2 of these fitting perfectly, but this rear one does not fit. The old banjo fitting is a smaller thread than the new unit, so I will have the oil line remade tomorrow with a larger diameter banjo fitting. (Or a sleeve to adapt the thread down to the old banjo fitting size).

I have also taken into account tabrocky's experience with the OEX unit, as he said the pump was being flooded with excess oil, so I will use a washer with an inside diameter the same size as the inside diameter on the old banjo fitting. This should keep the flowrate the same as before. (If I indeed have to use the larger banjo fitting).

The size hole you need is dictated by the oil inlet. If you remove the bajo bolt on the old alternator the actual oil gallery is only quite small. Also the rear bearing of the alternator is an oil fed bush. The oil is forced through the bush and then into the vac pump. There are grooves in the bush (visible when the shaft is removed) which allow the oil to flow through it. This also helps to stem the flow. If the tojo alternator is like the other OEX one I purchased it uses ball bearings either end and hence doesnt have the oil fed bush to help limit the flow. You will probably find you only need quite a small hole given the 40+psi of oil pressure behind it.

Good luck.
Be intrested to hear how you go with it all.

Cheers.

[HotFourOk]

Oh My God....


It works.

I picked up the new line with 2 new banjo fittings from ENZED at 4pm, as the only fitting the right size was in the mobile truck, and they had to wait for him to get back to the depot.
The longer oil feed line and vacuum lines were an exact fit as thought with no modification needed.

It seems to be working very well, not dropping much voltage even with high beam, Ligtforce, aircon, heater fan, etc on. (Drops about 0.1-0.2V)

There seems to be no issue with the vacuum or the oil pressure, the warning light does not come on and the brakes seem to work well.

After I had bolted it all back together, I tried to kick her over, but the glow plugs weren't working, and the light on the dash was not on.
I thought 'oh crap, which bright spark at Daihatsu has combined the glow plug system into the voltage regulator' (which is now bypassed).

After cursing and some thinking, I thought to check the simple things first... Turns out it was the engine fuse located on the drivers side lower dash. It was making the glow plug relay not turn on. I must have bumped a wire in the process of pulling the old alternator out.

I'll post up some more pics tomorrow, I need sleep now though!

I still can't believe it has worked out okay in the end.
I might duck into the auto electrician who told me there is nothing I can do in regards to the alternator, for him to check over it for me.