Joesplace
Samba Member
Joined: February 18, 2006
Posts: 313
Location: Brookings, Oregon
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 Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject: Alternator Conversion Kit Question |
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| I have noticed that some alternator conversion kits for 61-72 bugs come with a new fuel pump and pushrod and some don't. Do you have to change the fuel pump out, maybe no room with new alternator stand or can I stay with the same one? |
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GeorgeL
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2006
Posts: 7346
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| Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: Alternator Conversion Kit Question |
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| Joesplace wrote: |
| I have noticed that some alternator conversion kits for 61-72 bugs come with a new fuel pump and pushrod and some don't. Do you have to change the fuel pump out, maybe no room with new alternator stand or can I stay with the same one? |
You don't _have_ to change out the fuel pump, but you'll find that you can't take your old one off when you have to! The "Alternator" pumps are low enough that they can be lifted off their studs while still clearing the alternator.
Forget the "kit". What you need to convert a bug is:
Bosch AL82N alternator
Used German alternator stand from wrecking yard. You don't want a Chinese copy, as they have a habit of breaking off at the base.
Alternator style fuel pump
Alternator style fuel pump push rod
Your old tin, pulley, generator strap, and fan hub will work fine. I've held "alternator" tin and "30A bug generator" tin side by side and I cannot see any difference. I have no idea why they include tin in the "conversion kits" except to give you the idea that it is something needed. You don't want that Taiwan tin on your bug anyway!
There is a difference between the 38A _bus_ generator tin and fan hub and the alternator parts, though!
Wiring:
Remove the rear seat, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery.
At the voltage regulator, connect the two big wires together.
At the voltage regulator, connect the small blue and green wires together
(these will all be female spade connectors. It is easy to make male-male adapters out of flat copper strip.
Cover the connections with thick plastic tubing to prevent shorts. Be very careful with this, as the big wires are always hot with 12V straight from the battery with no in-line fuse!
At the alternator, connect the brown wire to the small ground screw on the body of the alternator.
At the alternator, connect the fat wire to the big stud.
At the alternator, either switch the small ring conector on the green wire to a female push-on, or (better) make a ring-to-push-on adapter and connect the small green wire to the male push-on connection.
Reconnect the battery. Turn key on. Generator light should illuminate. Start engine. Generator light should go out. Sometimes it takes a blip of the throttle to make the generator light go out on startup. This is normal.
The generator light is required for the alternator to work. If it burns out, the alternator probably won't charge the battery, so it is important to check the alternator light every time you start the car.
HTH, George |
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