Small Diameter Alternator

[neal1980]

Looking for a smallish Diameter alternator minimum 80amps, anyone know a car I can raid one off.

Its for an Ls1 engine which I want to mount down low tucked into the block and I need to get an exhaust down the side as well which is why a smallish diameter one would help, I dont want it up top it looks ugly!

Thanks

[Sardonicus]

Try some of the Jap units Neal like Suburu Daihatsu etc they are compact and reliable and generally come with a nice little wiring diagram sticker which is nice be careful of some very late units because the alt charge output is controlled via ECU input i.e Ford Focus etc amongst many others

[annodomini2]

Nissan Micra K11

[markiii]

What kind of size ?

[DocArbathnot]

neal1980 said:

Looking for a smallish Diameter alternator minimum 80amps, anyone know a car I can raid one off.

Its for an Ls1 engine which I want to mount down low tucked into the block and I need to get an exhaust down the side as well which is why a smallish diameter one would help, I dont want it up top it looks ugly!

Thanks

Blimey it's going to get hot down their.

[tvrolet]

The smallest you will get in terms of diameter is a Denso one. Google 'denso mini alternator' or look in eBay. Tiny little things, and also [re]branded as other makes, but underneath they're Densos. There are also folks who will modify the internals to do up to 130a, but a) they get hot even at 80a, and b) they don't like the heat! I had a cold-air duct to mine. I had one for a while on the LS on the Tuscan (but mounted high up). Note that these also don't like working in conjunction with LED charge lights - they need a proper bulb.

But if this is for the Chimaera in the profile, if its anything like the Tuscan then there's no space on the right-front of the motor low down because of the steering column/rack. OK on the left unless you want a dry sump pump (which I have); so if you do mount low and on the left you've put-paid to any chance of running a dry sump.

Although mine's mounted 'high', I tracked down a fairly 'shallow' alternator that actually fits in front of the right cylinder bank and drives off the damper, which is spaced out for the dry sump drive behind. It is big diameter and fairly heavy, but not very deep. But because it's in front of the head, it's not really that high and no higher really than the top of the throttle body and I think it looks fine. You would have to put an idler pulley on the other side to give enough belt grip round the water pump pulley...and obviously brackets to be made up.



Try out the Denso Mini Alternators, but if you want to know more about my fitment let me know and I can send more details/pics.

[anonymous-user]

tvrolet said:

The smallest producton alternator you will get in terms of diameter is a Denso one.

There are also motorsport specific Permanent Magnet alternators that are extremely compact, used in F1 and sportscar racing. Unfortunately they are also mind bendingly expensive!

[C Lee Farquar]

DocArbathnot said:

Blimey it's going to get hot down their.

Yes. I mounted one low on an Ls and it cooked twice. I used one from a 220 vv something Rover, Honda engine I think.


Now using a reversed BMW one with a cooling fan.

[the_stoat]

If you want to save some cash get a Kubota tractor denso one. Same part number as the 'light weight motorsports' ones but much cheaper.

[the_stoat]

If you want to save some cash get a Kubota tractor denso one. Same part number as the 'light weight motorsports' ones but much cheaper.