110 amp alternator upgrade for your Subaru conversion CHEAP

kalispell365 · Last edited by kalispell365 on Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:36 pm; edited 4 times in total

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! Shocked

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!
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

dobryan · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:18 pm Post subject:

Well dang, 30 days too late. I just replaced the alternator on my 2002 EJ25. Evil or Very Mad

_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

kalispell365 · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:20 pm Post subject:

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.
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

syncrodoka · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:59 pm Post subject:

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

mackaymanx · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:26 pm Post subject:

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.

syncrodoka · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:37 pm Post subject:

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

mackaymanx · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:54 pm Post subject:

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

insyncro · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:22 pm Post subject:

kalispell365 · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:56 pm Post subject:

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.
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

kalispell365 · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:57 pm Post subject:

syncrodoka · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:16 pm Post subject:

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.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

kalispell365 · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:42 am Post subject:

That looks great! Very Happy

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).
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

syncrodoka · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:50 am Post subject:

insyncro · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:50 am Post subject:

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.

dobryan

kalispell365 · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:47 pm Post subject:

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. Very Happy

_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

syncrodoka · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:53 pm Post subject:

http://car-part.com/

kalispell365 · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:16 pm Post subject:

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!
_________________
1983 Diesel Vanagon Westfalia chassis with Subaru 2.2l

dobryan · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:17 am Post subject:

dobryan · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:50 pm Post subject:

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. Very Happy

_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794


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110 amp alternator upgrade for your Subaru conversion CHEAP
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