Good day, list---(I'm a long time reader, seldom poster..)
Story follows a rather embarrassing failure of my 73 TR6 to start---
slowwwwww crank, then a fail to crank--flat battery--a jump got me home.
At home, I put the battery on the charger for 5 hours--that restored
the starting ability, though the measured voltage (at the battery)
was only 12.2 volts while running. The charge indicator light did
behave normally, though--off with car off, on with the key in run
(car not running), then going out with the car running.
I decided to call my local imports place to see what they had for an
alternator (because I really, really need to drive the TR6 every
day :)--they said they had one that might work---a Bosch AL298X--so I
bought it. The "old" alternator (that had been rebuilt once, by a
Canadian company, so it had NO identifying marks on it other than the
re-builders plate) had a molded three wire connector, and a single
small spade connector. The new alternator had only the three-wire
connector. Resorting to the schematics, I found that the "extra"
wire (small brown) seemed to be an external sensing wire that
wouldn't be needed with the new alternator. (because I opened both
cases, and found that the 'old' alternator had a four wire regulator,
and the new one had only a two wire--therefore the new one was self-
sensing) ---so I tied the (small brown) sensing wire back, and
installed the new alternator.
And it ran just fine for about 8 minutes (13.8 volts at idle), then
it started to howl, and then the went to 12.2 volts. With a
wonderful smell. I assume that I've just cooked a $112 dollar
alternator. :(
Voltage drops on the cables seem ok.
And here we are. Where did I go wrong?
I see that I can buy new regulators from the usual suspects, but I
really don't want to toast more parts.
I expect that I could install a GM alternator--(when I did one on my
old Spitfire, all it took was a GM alternator, a stack of washers,
and the 2 prong GM plug) for the about 50$.
Or do the bosch/festiva conversion--another expensive alternator,
though, isn't it?
Ack. Ideas, please, Gentlemen (and Ladies).
Thanks--
Bob Hill
'73 TR6
Minnesota/USA
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