Generator to alternator swap
I want to swap out the generator from my '59 CJ5 to an alternator. Is there an alternator out there that bolts right on to the old bracket; and is there a specific regulator that I need as well? Engine is the stock F134. Thanks in advance for the input.
Convert Generator to Alternstor
Quote:
Originally Posted by
scoutingranch
I've been thinking. Can the stock generator be turned into an alternator? I can't stand electric anything so I'm asking out of total ignorance.
I
Quick simple answer - No.
12 - Volt Conversion Options
When we talk about 12-volt conversions, we almost automatically think of an alternator as a power source, but the first 12-volt vehicles (about 1955 or so) were generator powered.
At this year’s Jeep festival, there was a gentleman with a beautiful little CJ -2A (?) that looked just about as original as it could be, until I spotted “12-VOLTS” on the sticker on the regulator. He had done a 12-volt conversion with a generator, but the generator kept the CJ looking original. The advantage of this approach is that it is a wire for wire change, no new wires, no rewiring – just keep track of where you disconnect the old wires.
I would suggest a 12-volt generator rather than trying to jury rig a 6-volt into a 12-volt regulator. The 12-volt field coils are different (smaller wire, higher resistance). The armature is fine-tuned as well. A typical Jeep 6-volt generator is rated at about 35-amps. Volts times amps gives about 210 watts out of the generator. If we just jury rig the generator, at 12-volts we get up to 210 watts at about 17 amps of current – not a lot of charging and load capacity. Now we know that 210 watts is not a drop dead number, but pushing that rating just isn’t a good idea.
You’re probably not going to need a lot of extra amps from your conversion – no BoomBoxBigBass stereo or racks of halogen lights, so a generator would serve you well. But, if you want lots of high amp accessories – the alternator is the way to go.
Then, there is an exotic product called a Gener-Nator which I ran across poking around on this thread. I’ve never heard of it before and I expect it’s not cheap.