TheSamba.com :: View topic - 110 amp alternator upgrade for your Subaru conversion CHEAP

Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:14 pm

Here is a simple upgrade to give your van real alternator power. 110 Amps!
If you have ANY 4 cylinder besides 1990-94 legacy EJ22, this is simply a bolt on deal. It will just clear the mounting brackets without modification.
If you have 1990-94 EJ22, you will need to hack the large white charge wires as well as the small green alternator plug and attached wires from the donor (or ANY 1995 and newer Subaru.) The black/ white wire on the plug closest to the main charge wire lug is for your charge light. The middle blue wire is the SENSE wire, and should go to the +12v stud in your black engine junction box.I will attach a link about that. I prefer the harness from the same vehicle as the alternator simply because the white charge wires are larger, but any 95 and newer will work as well.
On any 95 and newer conversion, you should already have all the correct connections, but I encourage you to check the sense wire hookup, as it will correctly maximize the charging if hooked up as I have explained.

The correct alternators are the following part numbers and applications:

23700AA55A - 2005-2009 Legacy and Outback 2.5 non-turbo

23700AA520 - 2005 Legacy Turbo and 2006-2009 Forester TURBO, 2007-2009 Impreza TURBO.

Either of these will work and interchange. I get these on Ebay used for 15.00! :shock: These are also super easy and cheap to replace brushes yourself and will otherwise last forever.

Here is some information on the sense wire and its proper function. This is for Toyota, but the sense wire hookup is identical. Some of the other information doesn't apply, as the Toyota uses a third IG wire that the Subaru does not.

http://wilbo666.pbworks.com/w/page/39441708/Toyota%20Alternators#AlternatorRegulatorSTerminal

Enjoy!

Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:18 pm

Well dang, 30 days too late. I just replaced the alternator on my 2002 EJ25. :evil:

Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:20 pm

Dave...
Sorry, I keep trying to get the time to write this up, I have been doing these on customer vans and Subaru cars for some time now. Awesome power for next to nothing, no custom wound alternator either.

Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:59 pm

130 amps from a '10+ tribeca and legacy with 3.6l motor.

Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:26 pm

Be very careful with this, later alternators are controlled by the ecu. I used an alternator from a 2006 Liberty(Legacy) on my 1996 EJ22 in my Syncro conversion and it put out 20 volts.

Not sure if they use pulse width modulation or some other method to control the voltage but the engine ECU is involved.

Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:37 pm

I get normal voltage, checked it several times.
Thanks for the heads up though.

Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:54 pm

Might depend on the model, alternator terminals are labeled L S C . Light Sense Computer?

Alternator also has a larger diameter and a different power steering pump bracket to suit which only takes the later style pump.

Could be the difference between U.S. and Australian models

Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:22 pm

syncrodoka wrote: 130 amps from a '10+ tribeca and legacy with 3.6l motor.

Yes Sir...gotta love the H6s.

The EG33 from the SVX has a 120 amp alt.

The EE20 diesel has a monster alt (190 amp) due to electric power steering :wink:

Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:56 pm

The C pin on the second alternator that I listed will cause no harm if left blank on a Subaru that does not have an ecu with this function. That is the basic difference between the two alternators that I referenced.

Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:57 pm

insyncro wrote: syncrodoka wrote: 130 amps from a '10+ tribeca and legacy with 3.6l motor.

Yes Sir...gotta love the H6s.

The EG33 from the SVX has a 120 amp alt.

The EE20 diesel has a monster alt (190 amp) due to electric power steering :wink:

The factory SVX alternator is 95 amp.

I only chose the Legacy alternator because I don't like the extra rib on the pulley of the H6 alternator,and they don't interchange with the 5 rib pulley.This is only cosmetic I know but Im stupid like that :shock:

Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:16 pm

With the tribeca alternator you only hook up the sense wire and idiot light wire for a EJ22 converted van, the later alt plug is used of course. The factory white wire is eliminated from the alt plug and they only feed the 12v post. 3/16" needs to be cut off of the alternator bracket and it goes right in.
My 130 amp alt doesn't put out high voltage at any rev.

I removed the 6 rib pulley off of my '11 legacy alt and put on a 5 rib pulley from a SVX because I had one around but I left the tribeca 6 rib pulley intact and run it as is since you don't see it anyways.
I paid $60 for this 20K mile 2011 tribeca unit.

Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:42 am

That looks great! :D
Good price on the alternator as well, those are generally quite a bit more. The irony is the factory early EJ22 alternator is super expensive and I could never find brushes for them, they are Hitachi and not a common rebuild. All of these Mitsubishi built alternators in this thread including yours share the same brushes and are so easy to rebuild.

I wish I could have the belt guard like yours installed, but I have no power steering (or a/c for that matter).

Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:50 am

kalispell365 wrote: All of these Mitsubishi built alternators in this thread including yours share the same brushes and are so easy to rebuild.

Good to know.
Thanks. 8)

Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:50 am

I purchased a few, brand new 130 amp alts for my EZ36r conversions.
$178 per alt, direct from Subaru.
That is with my shop discount.

Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:08 pm

kalispell365 wrote: I get these on Ebay used for 15.00! :shock:

Hey Kalispell, My 'Reman' alternator started to die after 2 months and NAPA just replaced it. Needless to say I am less than impressed with the quality....

I did an Ebay search for the used 110 amp version and couldn't find anything close to the $15 price you get them for. If you could help me by posting a link to an ebay sale?

I want to carry a spare. (Yes, I am a little OCD about spares.... these days I'd carry a tranny if I could... :wink: )

Thanks! :D

Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:47 pm

Hazle Auto Parts, Inc. USA-PA(Hazleton) 1-877-459-1415

These guys have like ten right now...$18.98 No more on ebay they all sold quickly after I posted this.

If these don't work, PM me and ill find you more easily. :D

Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:53 pm

http://car-part.com/

Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:16 pm

Also, once again I recommend that you learn how to replace brushes, It really takes the guesswork out of the dependability of an alternator. If you start out replacing brushes and polishing the copper slip ring they ride on, you will never need to carry a spare.
Such cheap and easy insurance. Ill never buy a reman/ new alternator again!

Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:17 am

kalispell365 wrote: Hazle Auto Parts, Inc. USA-PA(Hazleton) 1-877-459-1415

These guys have like ten right now...$18.98 No more on ebay they all sold quickly after I posted this.

If these don't work, PM me and ill find you more easily. :D

Cool! Just ordered one from them.

BTW, where do you get your brushes from?

Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:50 pm

Just installed a used one like these after TWO NAPA 'lifetime' alternators did not perform as spec'd (both started throwing lower voltages and a slightly glowing alternator warning light after a few months).

The used one works fine, so far. :D