Alternator upgrade

[stephen.]

Hi , I have a 45 amp alternator on my series 1 2+2, probably off an old ford escort. Has anyone found a bigger one off some easily available car that I can use without much modification? The shaft sizes are different on lots of them and it makes swapping the pulleys difficult without a lathe.

Steve

[Heuer]

Stephen

Be careful of using an alternator with a higher output as you will need to change some of the wiring to compensate to avoid damage. Demands on the E-Type's battery are fairly modest anyway so I would not bother with anything above 45amps.

Pop over to Jaglovers forum and do a search - the topic has been covered many times with a whole range of after market alternators from the sensible to the ridiculous (90amp!).

David

[Moeregaard]

Stephen, David's comments are correct. The E-Type's electrical requirements are very low when compared to modern iron. Both of my Es had the standard Lucas 11AC alternator and I never had problems, even with upgraded headlamps and a 12" Durale radiator fan. Going to an alternator with higher capacity will most likely give no trouble until it's asked to charge a flat battery, at which time the current-carrying capacity of your electrical system may be exceeded.

I have seen a couple of retrofits that were nicely done. On the JCNA website there is an article detailing the fitment of an alternator taken from a '86 Nissan pickup that worked well for the owner of a 3.8 OTS. The article is now several years old so you'll probably have to dig for it. If I can find it I'll post the URL.

A local friend who runs a '65 Lotus Elan and a replica Seven used the single-wire alternator from a Suzuki Swift/Chevrolet Sprint that was sold over here for many years. This unit is extremely compact and is rated for something like 60 amps, if my memory is correct. I can see this working well for any Jaguar because its small sizes gets it that much further from the hot exhaust manifold.

Although it's popular to disparage the products of Mr. Lucas--especially on this side of the pond--there is nothing inherently wrong with the 11AC alternator. In the sixteen years I owned my '65 FHC, I rebuilt the alternator only twice--the second time due to rear bearing failure from exhaust heat. My only reason for considering something Japanese is that I can obtain a replacement just about anywhere, for not much money.