HELP: Small, good-looking ALTERNATORS???

This has to have been asked 100 times already, but I didn't find any with "search."

So, any suggestions for decent looking and small (but capable) alternators. One wire setup prefered.

Photos?

NEW question: What is the minumum reasonable output? Is 35 amp enough?

Thanks!

 

What about the newer ones that are 50s & 60s Mopar look-alikes (except they're smaller and put out more juice)? I believe they're Toyota or Mitsubishi - and they're cheap, too.

I wish I remembered more, but I can tell you I found the info while doing a search for something that lead me to a few articles on people going this route to avoid the infamous "low charge at idle" that happens sometimes.

~Jason

 

1990 corvette is just like the normal GM units but smaller and its 100 amp

 

Racemate is one that fits under a water pump pulley on a small block chev (and probably other) - it's stealth since nobody will know it's there unless they look hard. I believe they're only 60 amps max if I remember.

Other than that - the small import alternators are a good choice for under 100A loads, over that, well you're looking at large truck or loaded up cars. One wires aren't all they're cracked up to be - yeah they're a little cleaner, but not that it's a big deal - You can convert a Delco 10Si or 12SI to run one-wire with kits, or you can wire them up and only use a charge wire if you've got a battery cutoff switch.

 

http://jonesracingproducts.com/

http://www.racemate.com/

 

Toyota, Mitsubishi, Diahatsu most of the Jap cars have them.

Not sure if you have Kubota in the U.S. but the engines have tiny alternators.

Steve.

 

I know we have kubota tractors... same???

 

I'm using a Toyota smallternator on the '50 Burb...... polished up nice, from a '90 Tercel or something. 3 wire hookup, charges nice.

 

Sorry, no pic... they all came back as too large. I'll try to add one when I get home.

 

I looked at the ones on the Jones Racng site - what is a "switchless" alternator? They look pretty good and seem fairly small.

 

1992 or 3 Pontiac Sunbird....90 amps I think.

 

first a heater for your modified. now this. yer killin me...

 

Kirk,
Contact Stephen our Dad has a source for small one wire alternators in Gilroy. $100.00 I thought...
I'm planning to get one from this guy for my T bucket, I need something smaller than the Delco SE. I think that it is off a chevy Corsica, they will know for sure... Donn

 

Here's an old thread of mine with pics of a small Nippondenso alt ...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75168

They look similar to the smaller ones on the Jones Racing site.

 

Totally ****ing GAY! Next week I'm asking about enclosed trailers.

 

Motorcycles have small alternators that could be put into a homemade custom case.

 

I talked to a guy selling some nice little mini alternators at a swap meet. The larger of the two were older Toyota Camry ones that he had rebuilt and modified to work as a one-wire. The really tiny ones weren't one-wire, but they came out of older Suzuki Samurais. They both have v-groove pulleys, but the pulleys seemed to me to be slightly narrower than the v-grooves on American cars. He said they work fine though with normal fan belts.

 

anyone ever used the racemate?

 

I recall an articel in Street Rodder (easy now...) about a firm that was modifying small alternators to fit in the cases of generators. Very slick and looked like a generator. If I remember right the ouput was inthe 35-50 amp range but it's been awhile since I read that article.

Of course I don't remember the year or month.... sorry.

 

OK, I just ordered one from these guys - http://www.ecae.com/alt-kits.html

I got the 2025 mini alternator. It puts out 45amps, which is more than I need after talking to the guy. They were very helpful. They have some pretty clean looking kits for SBC, but didn't have any for my 194. Not a problem - I'm fabricating 90% of the car anyway - what's another bracket?