Hmm, I would not bother to pay 10 quid for an alternator of unknown life - not
when I can get an exchange re-conditioned unit from Edmunds Walker (local
trade car parts place, similar to Partco and others) for 25 quid (more like 30
from Triumph specialists). It often surprises me how much Spit stuff you can
get from these trade places, for less than Triumph specialists - e.g. brake
pads for about 2/3 price. It is always worth calling around - and these
places are usually a lot closer to where you live/work!
The alternative Delco alternator is listed by Moss, at 76.38 exchange, but they
will not accept a Lucas alternator in exchange because the Delco unit is quite
rare. They suggest butchering an MG BGT V8 for an old one to exchange, since
they were also fitted to that! Sounds like a direct swap with no other part
changes. You could try the Graveyard for an old Delco exchage unit, according
to Moss it was fitted to 1300 cars up to FM/FH50000 (1973). Remember, you
could have got through 3 Lucas alternators before you have saved money, if
this is the price for a Delco!
It is quite possible that European GM used the same alternators as American GM,
so you could try asking for whatever the part number was at a parts store - or
you could go in with an old Lucas unit and unpack every GM alternator variant
in the store until you find one with similar fixings and pulley location!
Richard & Daffy
John wrote:
When my alternator went and I had to call the AA they, unfortunately, did
not have a spare alternator in the back of the van. I got the quick
battery charge and drove the 2 miles home. I picked up a s/h alternator
from the Spitfire Graveyard the next day for #10, although I don't trust
it too much as it's a little noisy. I expect it to fail, although it
hasn't done so yet. Hopefully before that time I will have converted to
either a Delco or GM alternator, which leads on to a number of questions
I have...:
Is a Delco alternator pretty reliable? Is it a straight swap for the
lucas (without fiddling with fabricating brackets etc)? Does it have a
higher output than the lucas? and are they available in the uk?
cheers
John
http://www.spit1500.co.uk/
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