Alternator Type IV (4)

[ac78]

The fiberglass tab moves to the new alternator you are installing.
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78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI

VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle !

[Terminatez]

[ac78]

It would be worth your time to scroll up 2 posts and watch my video.

Leave the washer and for sure leave the square unless you want to do it all over again with a new harness.
_________________
78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI

VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle !

[Terminatez]

Just picked up my alternators after having them fix/rebuilt.
Not too happy with the inside being spray painted this way but as long as they work

I want to prevent my alternators from shorting..
If I'm understanding this correct

1) I remove one of the nuts and the washer, keep it as nut>terminal> directly to alt.
2) Grind off the excess as you say.
3) Use cardboard trace out the plate and place between the alt and the cover plate.

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1972 Westfalia P30 hardtop Campmobile [On-going Restoration]

[ac78]

Can't believe its been almost 2 months but I finally got around to putting my alternator back in. I did end up using the new Bus Depot harness that came last week since it was better quality than my hack job. The pic is the back side connections(some extra electrical tape for good measure) just before I put the back plate on. I did put 2 more coats of paint on the back plate too.

Jumped my battery and didn't smoke anything this time . Took her out for a good ride to quiet the lifters and it feels great to be back on the road!

_________________
78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI

VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle !

[jtauxe]

[ac78]

I hadn't had any feedback from the video, so I thought I'd try this thread. I still haven't put mine together yet so I could redo it or add content if I'm missing a critical piece of info.


Link

_________________
78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI

VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle !

[jtauxe]

After some experience installing a replacement alternator over the weekend, I've decided that the gasket is necessary, and that best way to make a gasket is to get some suitable material (thicker the better?) and simply trace the shape of the back place onto it, marking the holes. You can add a little extra material to help cover the too-wide washer. You can also rotate the plate 120 deg and retrace the pattern to get a more or less circular shape with bumpouts for the threaded posts.

I also trimmed both the washer and the B+ post with a Dremel cut-off wheel, being careful to cover all holes into the alternator with tape. Don't want any small metal bits in there!
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[lil-jinx]

That is why I used the hub cap gasket it is .050 inch thick.
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[jtauxe]

But with a thick-ish rubber gasket, there will be no touching of the back plate by the terminals. The purpose of the gasket is not to insulate the plate from the body of the alternator -- it's to move the plate farther away from the B+ terminals.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[lil-jinx]

Rubber may be a better insulator,but the cover is bolted on with steel bolts so it would still have a path to ground,
_________________
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[ac78]

What do you think about a rubber gasket instead of paper for the back plate since its a good insulator?
_________________
78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI

VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle !

[ac78]

[lil-jinx]

That is the type of gasket that i used as a back cover gasket,it is for a semi truck hub cover part # stemco 3009,it is thick and the 3 bolts on the alt fit the holes in the gasket,i trimed it after I installed the cover.
In your picture of the big washer that shorted against the cover,I see a flat side on the washer and it is facing inward,if that washer was turned toward the outside it looks like it would not touch the cover.
_________________
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[Wildthings]

If you heat your cover up nice and red where the washer is shorting out a couple of beats will a ballpeen will get you sufficient clearance. You could do the same where the studs potentially touch the cover as well.

[ac78]

[alman72]

is the plug on the end of the harness of the kind that a small pick or screwdriver will let you remove the wire and special connector? I would have gone that way if I had time and could find the metal bits that lock back into the plug. If that is even do-able.
you harness repair looks like it should function.

[ac78]

[quote="lil-jinx"]I use this to make a gasket,the holes line up and the inside diameter is the same as the alt.it's about .050 thick,it is a front hub gasket for a semi.I trimmed the out side after installing the cover.
[img]https://www.thes.com/vw/galleryquote]

Is that gasket for in between the alternator and back plate? I am really curious about this paper gasket. It seems to me that over time, it would degrade and possibly short out on either B+ terminal any way. UNLESS, the terminal boot is on the post and the little pad is covering the big washer.

I'm trying to understand this whole thing better. Not sure about names, so please advise... Both B+ terminals are connected to the "black half donut." Is it the black paint that is preventing the rest of it from shorting out?

You'll see that my old B+ post looked identical to the new one so I never even considered shaving it off. I connected it and put the boot on it.

Why the heck does the back plate have a spot that reaches so far inward touching the big washer in the first place? You can see my water line across the little rectangular piece that probably would have saved my harness and I'd be out driving right now instead of typing about an alternator harness. I am not out of the woods yet, but I sure have been learning an expensive lesson on alternators. Time and $$

What is the name of this?

Pics of the old harness

Pic of remake with 8 gauge to starter and the rest 16 gauge with butt splices. Any issues with that?

_________________
78 Westy 2.0l hydr. FI

VW Campmobile
For people who believe a family's
car should be it's castle !

[lil-jinx]

I use this to make a gasket,the holes line up and the inside diameter is the same as the alt.it's about .050 thick,it is a front hub gasket for a semi.I trimmed the out side after installing the cover.

_________________
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[CarlosZ]

Making a gasket from LeeE's design. Anyone have a pic of how its supposed to line up with the alternator? None of the pics show it installed. Thanks!