Tiny Alternators? Hide one? Disguise one??

Okay, I like the technology ***ociated with alternators but had been planning on running my 12-volt generator on my Hemi. Weeeellll.... I simply ran out of room. I just have too many things in the way to mount it. It's just too long. SOOO... I'm forced to an alternator with a short body. Been thinking early MOPAR since they're not too offensive looking for a traditional car ('63 was the first year I think??) and for that matter kind of look cool since you can pretty much see all the windings and everything. Painted black might look just right!

With all this in mind and exploring other options before I start whipping up brackets for the MOPAR alt.... I've also been thinking of maybe running one of those tiny little alternators. Supposedly they come on some Ford cars/trucks. What are these and are they available for less than the price of an arm or leg or even GAS for that matter? Could it be disguised to look a little less "foreign"? Soup can maybe?? I only need 55 or 65 amps for what little electrons will be flowing through this car.

Ideas?

 

Is it possiable to mock up alternater off the drive line or something, make it run when in gear so to speak, and will keep it from being a so called " eye sore"
Just a thought?

Could enclose it but still have enough air flow across it to keep it cool and out of the elements?

still cant spell

 

Yeah, probably wouldn't get enough air to inclose it.

No chance of running it off the drive line. That's just as difficult in this case.

 

Have you thought about running off you drive shaft I have seen some car do this, I think they sell a complete kit to do this if you do not want it on the engine. Just a thought.

 

What are you trying to run??

Found a thread on it
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89519&showall=1

Think Racemate makes a water pump with a motorcycle stator in it.

 

NOt enough room back there either because of the way I have the rear suspension setup. An absolute impossibility. In fact the ONLY place I can mount one is on the drivers side down low in front of the engine, and even that is tight. Unless I want this thing to actually stick out up high and sit outside of the hood, which is just going to kill everything I have going on. I'm fine with that driver's side, lower location. A Mopar alt. will drop in there.

I've seen alternators mounted remotely on a flexible drive shaft with the alternator mounted under the floor, but last I checked those flexible drive shafts with the pulley drive were BIG bucks!! McMaster Carr carries them. It would definitely make people scrath their heads though. Anyone have a source for this type of thing that isn't big bucks?

I guess the reason for this thread is because I'm wondering if there are any other early alternators that people have experience with that aren't too bulky or offensive looking.

 

Here was a good solution:

 

What about a small Hitachi (toyota) alternator hidden inside a shortened generator case? How much too long is your gen?

 

The generator is about 4 inches too long.

 

Man, they really want to see you stick it in the driveline eh? And this flew thing, how does that work? I'm imagining one of those flexible drill bit holders for a cordless... that on the right track?

No help on a tiny alternator, but I thought I saw a thread about someone putting alternator guts into a generator case. I know your generator is too big, but maybe a smaller one with alternator inside could solve the dilemma.

Good luck.

 

If there's such a thing as a smaller generator I could run that as is. I don't have to have an alternator. A generator would be fine. I've just never seen a short 12volt generator.

Troy from HHR ran an remotely mounted one on a roadster he was building that was on display at Grand Nats this year, but he STILL had more room in his frame to mount it under the floor.

 

Lookie..... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29715

 

Look under the hood of some kubota compact tractors, you might find what you want.check your closest dealer. gh

 

I was going to say the same.I use those on vintage motorcycles.Uh,you're not running a blown motor are you?

 

Thanks for the link! I knew that was here somewhere. Cool article.

 

Could use a ram-air turbine generator once you got going fast enough..J/K
Sure you'll figure it out. How goes the reading??

 

how long does it need to be ?

I can go out a measure a VW one......

EDIT.....its 8 1/2 inches to the end of the pully shaft
this is ***uming you hack the back shaft off that holds the VW cooling fan

 

I need to print that suff out man so I don't go blind reading a computer screen! HAHA! Thanks a million for sending me the manuals! That rocks!

Nope! Just have a very narrow frame and a bunch of suspension stuff shoved in below the engine that's killing me for space.

HMMM... VW... that might be good... A Mopar is about 6 inches from back of the body to the pulley center. I'm hoping THAT isn't too big already. I have a strange pulley situation I have to work out on top off all this, so I'm trying to be a little open minded.

 

I'd just try fitting the Mopar alt.......they look the best of any alts, and were available as early as 1960 I beleive......

 

Maybe it was on a different site, but I a sure I saw someone post some pics of his project.
He took a mini alternator, did a little t*******, and put it inside a tube that made it look just like a generator.

I wish I knew how to find the pics again. It looked very convincing.

Oops, I just now noticed that I misread the first post.
No room for a Gen.

Maybe someone else would be interested in finding the pics of the alt disguised as a generator for their project. I tried Googling some Images but didn't find any yet. I know I saw it somewhere but can't find it again.

 

I'm thinking this too. Not to mention they're cheap, readily available and work well.

OH! They were offered on 1960 Imperials! Cool!

 

I'm thinking solar panels on the roof

 

What about room in FRONT of the engine?It could still be "engine" mounted,yet would not need to be "nested" in next to the engine.As in the pulley would be facing the engine.Yes,it would be turning backwards,which I don't think would matter as far as power output,only cooling fan function.Make sense?I can see it,and have seen it in a magazine before,on a driver!

 

This is a Model A. No way way do I have that much room unless I'm going to tuck up next to the drag link and headlight. It's fine mounting it normal, it's just REALLY tight. No need for anything fancy. Just the smaller the better. I would rather not run a dual or tripple pulley out front of the crank just so it will line up with the alternator. I have a feeling I will have to though.

Bottom line here, I need something small and "old" looking. I think the Mopar is looking more and more like the answer.

Thanks guys!

 

A friend had an older Ferarri that had the alt mounted from the front like that. It kept the hood very low.

I also saw a few Goldwing motorcycles with car alternators mounted on them.
A couple had mounted theirs in the "traditional" way as a car would have it mounted on top of the engine, but there was one that I saw wihich had the alternator mounted from the front, facing backwards (hidden in the fairing). That meant it had to rotate opposite from the usual rotation.

I asked at my usual parts supplier about reverse rotation alternators, and they said yes, there are different ones that are made that way for some engines with serpentine belt systems.
I haven't checked further, but they say they can find me some "reverse rotation" alts if I needed them to take the time to look.

I know this info didn't help a whole lot, but I am ***ured by the parts supplier that they are common enough to make it worthwhile checking at the parts store for them if you have a store that cooperates.

Now I just read the post that said there is no room for front mounting either.
I sure am not helping much today....

I just looked on Feebay and found a "mini alternator" that was supposed to be 4 inches diam and 4.5 inches long. Maybe that might squeeze in somewhere?

 

How about a combination alternator/starter motor? Don't really know much about them, except that they do exist.

 

What is the big deal against alternators anyway?

I know, it's trad and all that, but they work well and fit in a lot of awkward places.

Paint it black and hide it in plain sight.

Or get ballsy and stick it right up front and high.
Works for me and I have yet to have anyone complain about it.

Pinto, 65 amps, get one at NAPA.
This one cost $37.50 about 5 years back.
The one on the 32 has been there for 14 years and 48,000 miles.

Two versions of the mounts fwiw.

Two bolt model, 1/4" x 1" aluminum strap and 1" solid round drilled to match the head accessory bolt hole size.



Three bolt model, pretty much the same, drilled in a pattern to match the three head accessory holes on the big Buicks.
This one would look even cl***ier if I'd get busy and knock some official hot rod lightening holes in it and maybe even polish it.

 

What year Mopar?

JH

 

I see everyone trying to move it to the back next to the pumpkin, but what about up front at the tailshaft of the transmission? Depending on the size of the pulleys used, it could be ran around/over the exhaust if it were in the way.