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mtwrench540 Samba Member
Joined: October 25, 2009 Posts: 351 Location: monterey,va
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:18 pm Post subject: gen r&r |
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been doing it that way a very long time!!! good tip uber!
uberautowerks wrote: |
Let me give you all a tip that makes getting a generator or alternator out of our VW's, Things and beetles, heck even busses.
Use a 36mm socket and a longish breaker bar to remove the nut holding the fan to the generator. You know the one around the back? Leave the pulley on use a screwdriver to hold the pulley(as you would while changing the belt).
Once the nut is off, and it's washer, you'll have a lot easier time removing the generator and backing plate. Leave the fan in the shroud then reattatch when reinstalling the generator.
With this tip you don't need to remove or move the intake nor do you have to remove the shroud. You may still need to lift the shroud up a bit to get to the bottom two backing plate bolts, but you only need to lift it an inch or so. |
_________________ 87 wolfsberg,74 181w/1915 and lots of patina! learned to fix vw's from hot vw mag in 1964,VWOA instructor,DSM,69 to73,service mgr at different porsche-audi dealers etc,etc,now retired!!! first vw new 64,transplanted 356 eng in 65,400characters are not enough space!! |
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DougD Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2011 Posts: 334 Location: Auburn, WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:31 am Post subject: |
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Interesting... I'll plug it in. Maybe the car will go faster |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:27 am Post subject: |
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DougD wrote: |
Thats the one. What does it ground? Is it important? |
It grounds both the generator and the voltage regulator.
VW must have thought it was important, they had it on there for many years. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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DougD Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2011 Posts: 334 Location: Auburn, WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:23 am Post subject: |
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Thats the one. What does it ground? Is it important? |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:41 am Post subject: |
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Doug, in the picture just above, if you are reffering to the screw near the fan end, (front of car end), it is a ground. If the wire that is disconnected is brown and a small gauge, that is where it goes.
The two lugs on the pulley end go to the battery and voltage regulator. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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DougD Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2011 Posts: 334 Location: Auburn, WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 10:37 am Post subject: |
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Quick question: If Im looking at my generator from the back of the car what is the wire connected to the top of the generator, centered, in the middle towards the front of the generator(front being the front of the car)? Mine is currently disconnected... |
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swhitcomb Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2003 Posts: 5673 Location: Inwood WV
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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Ian Epperson wrote: |
Ooh, have to fix those images.
Ian Epperson wrote: |
Generator:
Alternator:
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Doug4823: Do you plan on replacing the battery at some point as well? If so, (and if you don't mind that it may strand you) why don't you just run it with a gen for now and see how it goes? If you do lots of short drives or stop-and-go, it probably wont work out for you, but if you do mostly long hauls, it should be fine. Note that VW dealers did install radios in many Things prior to first sale. |
Yes except both of those are cheap Chinese versions of the correct parts. _________________ My 71 Ghia Been in my family since 1980
My Patina 66
My 74 Ghia
07 Boxster |
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Bohdan Samba Member
Joined: November 21, 2007 Posts: 143 Location: Venice, Florida
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 5:59 am Post subject: |
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I just put an entire new engine in my VW. I bought the Flame thrower spark plug wire set where you crinch on the connectors because you can cut the wires to your specified length. I had a couple of extra conntectors for the distributor cap and used them. Fit like a glove. I also used it for the oil sending unit. |
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DougD Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2011 Posts: 334 Location: Auburn, WA
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks guys! Mostly short trips but I'll see how it goes. It had a new battery so that's in my favor... |
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Semper_Dad Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 3506 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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I'm still running a generator. Have a stereo with a 200W amp (and sub) along with some Hella 181 foglights. No problems as of yet. I rarely run the lights but I have pumped up the amp quite a few times. Still no problems.
I was planning to swap over to alternator when my genny crapped out 6 months ago but got a good deal on another gererator so that was delayed. I replaced the genny myself with engine still in car. If and when this one goes it will get another chance at an alternator. _________________ Walküre Restoration Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=737492 |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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Ooh, have to fix those images.
Ian Epperson wrote: |
Generator:
Alternator:
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Doug4823: Do you plan on replacing the battery at some point as well? If so, (and if you don't mind that it may strand you) why don't you just run it with a gen for now and see how it goes? If you do lots of short drives or stop-and-go, it probably wont work out for you, but if you do mostly long hauls, it should be fine. Note that VW dealers did install radios in many Things prior to first sale. _________________ VW-181 shirts and stickers.
http://ian.epperson.com/vw |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 1:09 pm Post subject: |
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I ran 100 W radio/amps off of a generator with no problems when I was in school. I did travel a 1 hour to school each way every day so the battery did get proper charge. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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DougD Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2011 Posts: 334 Location: Auburn, WA
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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So this is an old thread but I didnt want to get the classic "do a search this has been covered response" so I thought this would be an appropriate location for a generator/alternator question...
I have a generator and although I have no doubt I could handle the conversion to an alternator its about half of the way down on my to-do list. So the question is in your experience how much power can a generator support for a radio? I dont have one now but I would like to put one in. I'm thinking something basic with four low powered(25-50w) speakers. I just want some basic tunes but I also dont want to kill the generator/battery to do it... you think I'll have any problems? I'm thinking the main problem would be at idle/no charge but I was thinking I might just put in a capacitor to handle the charging peaks/lows. Thanks! |
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uberautowerks Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2005 Posts: 1600 Location: Longmont Co
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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Let me give you all a tip that makes getting a generator or alternator out of our VW's, Things and beetles, heck even busses.
Use a 36mm socket and a longish breaker bar to remove the nut holding the fan to the generator. You know the one around the back? Leave the pulley on use a screwdriver to hold the pulley(as you would while changing the belt).
Once the nut is off, and it's washer, you'll have a lot easier time removing the generator and backing plate. Leave the fan in the shroud then reattatch when reinstalling the generator.
With this tip you don't need to remove or move the intake nor do you have to remove the shroud. You may still need to lift the shroud up a bit to get to the bottom two backing plate bolts, but you only need to lift it an inch or so. _________________ --- The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair.
- Douglas Adams -
---
'74 Thing (White)
'71 Single cab (White too)
'70 Weekender (White three)
'05 Evolution VIII (White also!!!)
'68 F-250 (White over black) |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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Clearing the shroud is the tough part. Beyond that, it's just bolting on parts and reworking wiring. If you can drop your engine, you can probably do it without issue.
Putting a non-VW alternator in a Thing? THAT'S work. Custom built bracket, custom built backing tin, custom built pulley system, reworking the alternator to also turn the cooling fan, etc. _________________ VW-181 shirts and stickers.
http://ian.epperson.com/vw |
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Talosian Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2007 Posts: 266 Location: Lake Chapala, Mexico
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:15 am Post subject: |
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bucko wrote: |
Any of the major VWdub aftermarket vendors sell a kit. You'll have to change the tower as well. The generator towers are different from the alternator towers. The kits come with both pieces. You may also need to change the fuel pumps, as earlier pumps hit the alternator. Later fuel pumps are shorter, and angle to the right.
Also, on our beloved Things, it's darn near impossible to remove the old generator/fan assembly with the engine installed. Easy on Beetles though.
You'd need to remove the two side fan shroud screws in order to lift the fan shroud so that the 4 fan box screws, generator strap, generator wires (and don't forget to disconnect the thermostat rod to the "flappers) can be removed. The dual port intake boot (right side) needs to be removed along with the right side intake I believe as well. Then you can remove the fan box/generator from the fan shroud.
Problem is, the fan shroud cannot be lifted up enough in the engine compartment to clear everything.
If the engine is out, piece of cake. |
It looks like we're talking a pretty major process changing from a generator to an alternator; new stand and changing the fuel pump (mine is a 1971 Safari/Thing).
Maybe best left to a good mechanic, but don't know about getting parts here in Mexico.
Anyone ever use an alternator from other than a VW/Thing?
Thanks. |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Fun 181 Zu Geil!
Joined: October 20, 2006 Posts: 1003 Location: Connecticut
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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I've searched MidAmerica, Moore, SoCal, Jbugs, CIP1 and others (like the above link) and can not find any alternator wire covers/boots.
I found generator boots at each supplier, but nothing for alternators.
Will a generator boot fit on the alternator terminal? It doesn't look like it will. _________________
Ian Epperson wrote: |
Holy poop, that's full of awesome! |
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alg Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2006 Posts: 134 Location: Webberville, TX
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Fun 181 Zu Geil!
Joined: October 20, 2006 Posts: 1003 Location: Connecticut
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Does anyone know if there is an aftermarket or OEM cap (or boot) that covers the wire terminal on top of the alternator? It sure does set off a real nice spark if you hit it by accident. Doh!
I've seen rubber boots for the generator terminal, but I'm not sure if they will fit an alternator. I thought I had seen an aftermarket cover (insulated billet?) once, but haven't been able to find anything since. _________________
Ian Epperson wrote: |
Holy poop, that's full of awesome! |
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