In need of a small alternator

[BT]

Hello guys.

For a while now I have been meaning to research into this and thought I would pull my finger out and ask some questions.

Now here is what I have, and what i need to find to help me achive my aim.

I have a 1967 morris cooper with a Nissan Micra 1.0L engine fitted. The original convertor mounted the alternator right at the front, he had planned to fit a extended front which he never got around to and now my alternator pokes out through my grill and fouls on my lower valance which has been modified acordingly.

Now I want to change the current set up so that I can refit my early grill and not have to cut a hole in it.

Can anyone recomend me an alternator which is smaller than the one fitted to the 1.0 micra? I am hoping I can take one from a 12v J motor, a matiz or similar and mount that in the current position but with it being smaller It should sit comfortably behind the grill.

I am looking for a small alternator which is cheap, I know that I can buy very compact alternators but some are going for near on £550 which I just can not justify spending on a alternator.

If i can not find a small enough alternator then I will have to try and mount it at the back of the engine (like the matiz) between the block and the bulkhead.

any help, suggestions or pointers would be fantastic!

Thanks

[Dez]

i got one off a wagon-R for use on a zetec conversion, it was a good bit smaller than a k11 one. only cost me about £35 quid delivered (s/h with warranty) off ebay.

[benzine]

I needed a small one for my kit car and types often used with kit cars are bedford rascal, micra & charade. I found a 90's Daihatsu Move in the scrapyard and it's alternator was even smaller than those, £10 that cost and they are very easy to take off the donor car (although not the most common car to find in scrapyards, I've seen a few though)

[BT]

Thank you so very much guys, those suggestions are fantastic! infurtunately I will need to save myself around 3 - 4 inches to get my alternator behind my grill.

Either way the smaller alternator I can get the easier it will make my job, I will get on trusty old Ebay and have a hunt around.

Thanks guys!

[Mr S]

Could be worth looking at motorbike ones - some are internal but my old Kawasaki ZXR750H1 had an external one, think it was belt driven too (although most bike ones are gear driven). Not sure of the output current though....

[composimmonite]

Nov 4, 2012 17:43:54 GMT Mr S said:

Not sure of the output current though....

That is going to be the offset - small alternator MIGHT be lower output that you currently have so although OK for normal driving as soon as you start adding spot lights, high output stereo, use heater & HRW a lot then it could be struggling.
What about having a twin set up if small output ? Kubota engines used in mine diggers etc have tiny alternators.
Paul h

[BT]

thanks for the suggestion, I will have to look into it.

I have also considered genorator alternators, I have heard they are quite compact.

I have found a few, the smallest of the lot seems to be the bedford rascal. If I google this subject it does suggest the K11 micra alternator, which i have, and is to large!

The Diahtsu ones are pretty uncommon from my quick searches and when they are about they are far more than the rascalls or Wagon-R's

[BenzBoy]

Nov 4, 2012 18:09:21 GMT composimmonite said:

Kubota engines used in mine diggers etc have tiny alternators.
Paul h

I saw a car with one of those alternators on a few years ago. Can't remember the car but I just remember remarking how small the alternator was, and the owner telling me it was from a digger.

[BT]

Nov 4, 2012 18:09:21 GMT composimmonite said:

Nov 4, 2012 17:43:54 GMT Mr S said:

Not sure of the output current though....

That is going to be the offset - small alternator MIGHT be lower output that you currently have so although OK for normal driving as soon as you start adding spot lights, high output stereo, use heater & HRW a lot then it could be struggling.
What about having a twin set up if small output ? Kubota engines used in mine diggers etc have tiny alternators.
Paul h

Sorry i seemed to have totally missed your message there.

i will have a look into that.

Thing is, my "67 doesnt have a HRS, stereo, I have heater elements in the front screen so the heater isnt used and a coat in the back. The only aditional items fitted to the car are 3 spots on the front which I am considering removing. Hopefully a digger alternator would be able to cope with that.

I will have to have a look and try and find a rough size.

Cheers

[dave21478]

As mentioned above, look for Kubota or Yanmar stuff. My Yanmar garden tractor has a teeny alternator like this one.....


www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KUBOTA-K008-ALTERNATOR-/181001320207?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Tools_Construction_Tools_ET&hash=item2a2484f70f

Needs an external regulator though but that's not too hard to wire up.