[E-Type] Alternator conversion suddenly overcharging

E-Type
1

Fellow listers, I solicit help from those intrepid fellows
who have trod this path before.

I converted my pos. ground (early) 1964 E-type to neg.
ground and converted the generator to a Hitachi alternator
almost three years ago. It went well, following
instructions on this forum. Three blissful years of no
maintenance!

Last Saturday, I started driving towards Aliso Viejo for a
car meet-up. Once on the freeway, I noticed the ammeter was
pegged on ‘‘Charge’’ so far you couldn’t see the needle. A
little field testing showed:

Idle speed = 13V on ammeter
2,500 rpm (freeway speed) ammeter pegged

I turned around and drove the car home. This morning I
hooked my multi-meter to the battery and confirmed my
suspicion:

Idle speed = 14.1V
2,000 rpm = 17.8V

Do I assume the internal regulator bit the dust? Should I
just figure it was a defective unit, and replace it, or is
there some underlying reason I’m burning out alternators?

Dave–
1957 XK140MC OTS, 1964 E-type OTS, 1973 Maserati Bora 4.9L
Orange/CA, United States
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2

Sure sounds like a regulator went south to me. But the alternator is working just fine!!!
LLoyd

“What terrifies religious extremists like the Taliban are not American tanks or bombs or bullets, it’s a girl with a book.”
Malala Yousafzai----- Original Message -----
Fellow listers, I solicit help from those intrepid fellows
who have trod this path before.

I converted my pos. ground (early) 1964 E-type to neg.
ground and converted the generator to a Hitachi alternator
almost three years ago. It went well, following
instructions on this forum. Three blissful years of no
maintenance!

Last Saturday, I started driving towards Aliso Viejo for a
car meet-up. Once on the freeway, I noticed the ammeter was
pegged on ‘‘Charge’’ so far you couldn’t see the needle. A
little field testing showed:

Idle speed = 13V on ammeter
2,500 rpm (freeway speed) ammeter pegged

I turned around and drove the car home. This morning I
hooked my multi-meter to the battery and confirmed my
suspicion:

Idle speed = 14.1V
2,000 rpm = 17.8V

Do I assume the internal regulator bit the dust? Should I
just figure it was a defective unit, and replace it, or is
there some underlying reason I’m burning out alternators?

Dave

–
1957 XK140MC OTS, 1964 E-type OTS, 1973 Maserati Bora 4.9L
Orange/CA, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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3

Yep, I think the internals are shot!On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 2:38 PM, Dave Shaw davenlori@hotmail.com wrote:

Fellow listers, I solicit help from those intrepid fellows
who have trod this path before.

I converted my pos. ground (early) 1964 E-type to neg.
ground and converted the generator to a Hitachi alternator
almost three years ago. It went well, following
instructions on this forum. Three blissful years of no
maintenance!

Last Saturday, I started driving towards Aliso Viejo for a
car meet-up. Once on the freeway, I noticed the ammeter was
pegged on ‘‘Charge’’ so far you couldn’t see the needle. A
little field testing showed:

Idle speed = 13V on ammeter
2,500 rpm (freeway speed) ammeter pegged

I turned around and drove the car home. This morning I
hooked my multi-meter to the battery and confirmed my
suspicion:

Idle speed = 14.1V
2,000 rpm = 17.8V

Do I assume the internal regulator bit the dust? Should I
just figure it was a defective unit, and replace it, or is
there some underlying reason I’m burning out alternators?

Dave

–
1957 XK140MC OTS, 1964 E-type OTS, 1973 Maserati Bora 4.9L
Orange/CA, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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–
Les…'68 S1.5 2+2

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4

In reply to a message from Dave Shaw sent Sat 20 Jun 2015:

I happen to know of an entire set up if your interested …contact
me…pete in Laguna Niguel–
Pjwilletts 62 ots, 60 Bugeye sprite
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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5

In reply to a message from Dave Shaw sent Sat 20 Jun 2015:

Dave, I am running a Hitachi 60 Amp one wire on my Ser 2
also. It is a trouble free unit, does not need or use the
old Lucas regulator (removed) and as mentioned you have
had 3 ‘‘blissful years’’… I have made 8 years so far with
mine.

They cost about 65 bux from Napa, and are worth
installing / keeping. My suggestion is to pick up another,
bench the old one and use it for a rainy night autopsy
project, it could be just a diode gone south.

Of note, I have imagineered a stainless heat shroud for my
exhaust manifold, with keeps the searing heat from being
sucked into the back of the Hitachi, you might want to do
the same. I have pictures if interested, contact me. best
regards. Brian,/ Mytype–
The original message included these comments:

I converted my pos. ground (early) 1964 E-type to neg.
ground and converted the generator to a Hitachi alternator
almost three years ago. It went well, following
instructions on this forum. Three blissful years of no
maintenance!

–
mytype
Kelowna, B.C., Canada
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–

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