Randall Young wrote:
>>If you drive your generator-equipped car through the winter, and your
>>commute
>>begins and ends with darkness, you'll either need to take a spirited
>>drive over lunch
>>or attach the car to a trickle charger to keep the battery charged.
>
>
> As noted in the owner's manual !
>
> To amplify a bit on Steve's comments, the stock TR2/3 generator is rated at
> 19 amps output. I measured the load with sealed beam headlights (as
> original), heater and wipers on a 59 TR3A at 21 amps! So, with a properly
> adjusted control box, the battery literally runs down slowly, just driving
> down the road at speed. Plus of course any stops mean heavy discharge,
> especially with the added load of the brake lights.
>
> There's also the issue of putting back what it took to start the car.
> That's a bit hard to quantify, it obviously depends a great deal on things
> like how hard it is to start, how cold it is, etc. But for the sake of
> argument, let's say it takes half of the stock 40AH battery's capacity to
> start the engine twice from cold (once morning, once evening). Ignoring
> efficiency issues, that's 20AH to be replaced, with a generator that can
> only spare about 16 amps for charging even without the headlights, heater
> and wipers. So, that "spirited run" needs to last for well over an hour,
> every day you drive the car to work. Don't forget, that's no lights, heater
> or wipers ... heaven help you if it's snowing at noon!
>
> Now of course, there are very few people who drive their TRs to work every
> day; and many have expressed horror at driving them in the snow. So most
> people will likely do fine with the stock generator. But IMO cars were made
> to be driven, and I'd rather push my TR than drive a mini-van !
>
> Randall - who got thoroughly sick of having to push-start the car every
> night. Shoulda bought a crank, I guess <g>
>
Randall,
Ok if your amp calculations are correct why did the Lucas engineers
deliver a generator that could not even keep up with the load? Is 19
amps the best they could get? or was it a cost issue?
It has been posted on this list and other lists that feature Lucas
electrics that both Standard Triumph and others would not pay for the
premium or best that was available from Lucas.
Was or is there a generator that would fit on a TR3 that would produce
more than 19 amps, maybe at least 25, or is an alternator the only way
to go?
Bob Labuz
1958 TR3A
1974 T140V
1998 T-Bird T3
|