New Alternator to replace old Generator

[Danwvw]

Anyone know anything about these alternators I want to replace the gen in my bus and all I have is an old Motorola that needs an external reg and am thinking about trading it in on one of these?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=671469
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[busdaddy]

Hmmm.....OG quality made by fairly paid (for the time) people who gave a damn about thier work?, or something whipped up by a guy supplied with the cheapest possible parts making .25c a day?,,,,,,hmmm.....
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[SGKent]

Dan - unless you have a need for more than 38 amps - I went 400,000 miles only using 2 38 amp generators and the one that went bad was my own fault because I drove it too far with bad brushes.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Danwvw]

Well I am going to need something for my spare engine I am building. I can try my old Motorola Alt and hope it works but I need to make some new brushes for it and buy a external voltage regulator for it. I think those cheep external universal regulators at any auto parts store will work, don't know why they wouldn't.

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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[Brionp]

[/quote]
I hate it. It's sticking its tongue out at me.
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1971 7 seat Deluxe Station Wagon

[busdaddy]

[Danwvw]

I did not know about the Bus Alternator External Regulators, Good to know. Thanks. And I found these brushes: http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/1974/volkswagen/beetle/engine_electrical/alternator_brush_set.html
So maybe I will give the old Motorola Alternator a shot. Just need to figure out a way to test it ahead of time. I have a bell housing but need to find a starter then test run the spare engine out of the Bus with the Motorola Alternator.
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[aeromech]

With the external VR it might take some creative wiring but I'll bet you could easily bench test that alternator using an electric drill to spin it up.
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[Danwvw]

Good Idea!
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[Danwvw]

[Danwvw]

Rock Auto for 1974 VW Beetle Alternator Brushes: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/volkswagen,197...brush,2424
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[Danwvw]

It's been a while the old Motorola Alternator I've been running now for 4 years and 20K miles started to flicker the lights a little. I pulled the brushes and as I always find alternator brushes one was worn down. I ordered the FX45 ones from RockAuto and found they did not fit. So I sanded them a bit and used one anyhow. Still have a bit of a flicker it happens with the RPM almost like one of the diodes in the alternator may be out. Not sure what is going on. Still making 14 volts though.
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[SGKent]

did you polish the slip rings? Make sure the brushes were loose enough the whole way not to hang a little?
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[telford dorr]

I like the external regulator alternators - the regulator is outside where you can get at it - without pulling the engine! I'd do whatever it takes to fix it.
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'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Danwvw]

Yes I sanded the brushes to fit the holder just right. No Did not polish the rings as they are almost impossible to reach for me without removing the alternator. I guess I will have to pull the alternator at some point. Those slip rings weren't in the best shape to begin with. But the flicker has a rate to it. Faster the engine revs the faster the flicker. Perhaps it's the voltage regulator that is failing or perhaps there is a connection in the alternator or in my wiring heating up and causing some kind of feedback causing it.
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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[telford dorr]

Could be the regulator - if it's a mechanical type. If so, open it up and drag a narrow strip of 400 or 60 wet-or-dry sandpaper across all of the contact points, and see if that fixes it up. If that fixes it, good. But do the slip rings anyhow. Will help keep from chewing up another set of brushes...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Danwvw]

It uses a generic solid state alternator vr.

Found these photos from when I rebuilt the alternator 4 years ago:
The rings:

The vr is visable mounted where the old generator regulator mounts in the 71 Bus:

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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[telford dorr]

OK, in that case, check to be sure the trannie ground strap is solid, and that the regulator is well grounded. If there's any voltage drop between the engine and regulator grounds, it will affect the alternator output voltage.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[mattlockwood]

[Danwvw]

About all I can do is change it out but it's working for now just don't want it to fail on a trip! I suppose there is a way to tell if all the windings are there using a scope. I'll probably just pull the whole alternator and open it and pull out those diodes and look for a broken connection with them.

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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!