Alternator rotation?

[Hugo]

Hello - by way of introduction, my name is Hugo Miller, I live in Horsham West Sussex and I have just purchased a 1971 Series II OTS which was recently imported from the Confederate States of America, which is just about in running condition (running but not stopping that is!). I have to say the acceleration in reverse is pretty impressive – at least it was when we dropped it off (literally!) and the winch on the flatbed let go with me sitting in the car. Luckily I was prepared for this eventuality (ever the pessimist) so I already had it in gear with the clutch down, hand on handbrake and middle pedal on the floor for what that was worth. None of which made the slightest difference, & it took off backwards like a bat out of Hell. If it had a mirror I might have avoided ramming my motorcycle that was parked in the drive! Anyway, no major damage and it is now sitting on terra firma.
I am intending to first get it on the road, and then do an extensive running restoration job on it. My first task turned into a baptism of fire; the water pump rattled like anything so I am replacing that. Anybody who has removed a water pump from a car with air-con will understand why I called it a baptism of fire! The air-con equipment is not going back on the car, that's for sure, and if anybody wants to fit air-con to their car, I am open to offers for the kit of parts I have left over.
That is not my reason for posting however; The alternator as fitted goes the wrong way round. I am going to have to make up the brackets to put the alternator back where it ought to be, now that the air-con compressor is no longer squatting in its place. I initially assumed that I would need a different alternator, one that goes the right way round. But is that actually the case? It occurs to me that as we are dealing with alternating current, an alternator might just work both ways round? Does anybody know the definitive answer to that one?

[Mikael B]

Hi Hugo,
Sorry to hear about water pump issues, I guess you will soon learn that this is not the only difficult task on an E-type, some of charms you get as a bonus.
Regarding alternator it can rotate both directions without any problems however the cooling fan for the alternator is one way. This also no problem if you go from AC to non AC location since these none AC cooling fans are stock items available from the usual sources.
Suggest you bundle the old alternator fan together with the other AC stuff and it will make a complete package for someone who's interested to retrofit AC, like me.
Note that the AC version of the alternator fan is not available and is rare.
Regards

[mark10337]

oh no! I wish I had read this yesterday. I flew over to the UK today and I could have done you a swap of the parts. I've been trying to work out the parts I need to put my alternator in the aircon reverse position, along with belts and pulleys etc.

[Hugo]

Ah yes, the fan - I never thought of that! But I just looked at the fan, and to my eyes it looks the 'right' way round, i.e. it draws air in when turned clockwise. But then I looked at a conventional alternator on ebay and the vanes are opposite to mine. So I guess the fan must suck air in through the back of the alternator? Quite frankly I'm not convinced it will make that much difference - I reckon the fan will stir so much air up that it will have an effect either way. At least, if I had air-con I think I'd be happy to run a conventional alternator. As mine is the 'easy' way to change it I probably will though. Thank you!