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Tue Feb 22, 2005 5:35 pm

i have a 12v generator on my car but want to put on an alternator what do i need besides the alternator itself? is there any diagrams that show how to swap out the generator?

Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:01 pm

There's several conversion kits that include the support, sheet metal, and integrally regulated alternator. CIP1 is one of those vendors, but I'm sure there are many others.Easy conversion./

Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:11 pm

what is it going on a bug ? a bug is easy just need a alt stand too . most of them come with a wire diagram to change them over it seems . its been a will for me . type 3s are a litle more tricky i think. never done one

Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:47 pm

You'll also have to re-configure the voltage regulator wiring as the alternator will probably have an internal unit.

Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:07 am

It's actually really straightforward. I just put one on my bug. Like volkswagenut said, you just need a stand (and a filler tube with a crankase breather vent). It's easiest to do with the engine out of the car, but it may be able to be done with it in place.

First of all, remove the generator pulley nut and the rear half of the generator pulley. Take note of the 10 or so shims (really thin washers) which will be either between the pulley halves or between the rear half and the nut. Remove the fan belt. Next, remove the generator strap and take the shroud off the top of the engine while being careful not to tweak the oil cooler. Unbolt the mounting plate from the rear (with respect to the car) of the fan shroud and pull the alternator free from the shroud. Take everything off the generator and put it back on the alternator in the reverse order. You'll need an impact gun to remove the 36mm nut holding the fan on or you can hold the pulley in place with a big screwdriver and a breaker bar on the fan nut. Pull the fan off, pry the hub off carefully with a couple screwdrivers or a puller and remove the woodruff key. Take the mounting plate off of the generator and put it on the alternator. Put the woodruff key, fan hub, fan and nut back in place. Make sure to take note of the two washers. The flat one goes between the fan and the alternator and the other one goes between the fan and the nut. Pull the generator pulley half off of the generator with a puller, or it may wiggle off with your fingers like mine did. Swap the woodruff key again and put the pulley half on the alternator.

Take the old generator stand off the block and put the new one on in its place. It should bolt right in. Bolt the whole alternator assembly back into the fan shroud. Make sure everything spins freely without rubbing or scraping. Place the alternator onto the stand and ensure that all fits properly. Put the generator strap back on to hold the alternator in place. Put the fan belt and the rear alternator pulley half back in place and put the shims back where they were. Tighten the pulley nut and check the fan belt tension. If it's too tight, move one shim from the outside of the rear pulley half to between the two pulley halves. If it's too loose, move one shim from the inside to the outside. If it's just right, congratulations Goldilocks!

Now it's time to move inside the car for wiring. What you most likely have is a voltage regulator under the rear seat on the driver's side (since you say it has a 12v generator and I assume it's stock). The regulator will have 3 red wires going to it, one blue wire, and one green wire. Cut the connectors off of all 5 wires. Connect the 3 red ones together with a solid connection (connector block or solder) and connect the blue wire to the green wire. Then, insulate the wires from the chassis. When you put the engine back in, wire the red wire to the screw post with a ring connector and wire the green wire to the terminal with the provided spade connector. That should do you nicely.

Jonathan Pribble

Thu Feb 24, 2005 12:24 am

that seems pretty easy, i actually have the alternator which came w/ the car, and the voltage regulator is in the engine compartment so shouldnt be to hard. thanks

Tue May 24, 2005 12:54 pm

The alternator that i have has only one post w/ a nut and says B+ next to it. then it has 3 prongs, labeled D-, D+, and DF. what wires from the voltage regulator go to which prong?

Tue May 24, 2005 2:29 pm

Depending on what carburator you are using, you may need to grind down the left side of the alternator so that the throttle can fully open. Once everything is put back together, check and see if the throttle can freely open up completely. If not, get out the dremel tool, and grind down the side until it can.

Tue May 24, 2005 2:47 pm

Well,

I did one in my 67 beetle a while back and I left the regulator in the mount and just made it so the wires bypassed the regulator using the large tabs and new connectors on the wires. As for the Alt wire I ran a larger gage wire from the Alt terminal directly to the battery through the hole thats already in the tin. (shorter distance) The car had no indicator wire when I bought it so I had to run a wire up to the speedo. DONE!

Works great! Happy Motoring!

Tue May 24, 2005 3:54 pm

Here's how to wire it.

http://www.glenn-ring.com/temp/AlternatorWiringGuide.pdf

Tue May 24, 2005 4:46 pm

i bought one for my 63 and it was pretty simple. the local vw shop here in town has the conversion kit. its really not that bad. and the wiring part was pretty easy as well. it came with a wiring diagram. good luck!!