SJVWC Forums
Archive => Archive board => Engine Shop => Topic started by: 6T5 square on June 23, 2008, 07:57:49 pm
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Went out to look at the alternator tonight and got into a little geometry.
My motor sits at +6 degrees from perfect level while my alternator is sitting on top of the motor at -1 degree. This is why she is screaming.
God, I hope Ramone has that part!`
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one word...
shims ?
can it be done ?
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I have a double shim I welded together a while back but its too thick. The problem is getting the shims to sit in the right place with out moving around. With the two different year fan housings I have, there is a step down on the back half. This is why I'm hoping on Ramone. He has a complete fan housing inlet. Otherwise, yeah, I'll be shimming away this week end
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Just a thought, too bad you can't have somebody machine a tapered hunk of steel with any of the contours you need to make them match up.
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They would need air holes. The alternator sits on top of the fan housing so the air can come up through the bottom and cool off the alternator
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They would need air holes. The alternator sits on top of the fan housing so the air can come up through the bottom and cool off the alternator
With the right set up that might be easy. I don't mean you should do this right now but in the future if there was a way to mock it up and get it made cheaply I bet you could make a few bucks from other T-3 owners with a similar problem. I'll have to check my links in the office computer but someplace I have a link for a machine shop in China that will make things really cheap. They work off the internet from plans you send and they will make 1 or 10,000 of something. Just a thought.
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Went to Ramones today. He had the part that I needed but it was on what he said was a running motor. I felt guilty so I didn't take it. So it looks like I'll be spending my weekend in the garage cursin and shimming and fabricating whatever the hell I can to get this thing to sit still and level.
BTW- I went to Franks garage also. I saw the sample colors he sprayed on the fast back he is doing for his wife. That car, in those colors are going to look SWEET!!!
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You should have taken it so you can fix that POS the right way, save yourself lots of aggravation, and then keep an eye out for another one to give back to him.
I agree, that fastback is going to be sweet.
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You should have taken it so you can fix that POS the right way, save yourself lots of aggravation, and then keep an eye out for another one to give back to him.
Yeah, but think about it. Would you want me taking apart a working motor from your garage?
I think you need to spend more time in the love bus cause I'm not seeing the love here.
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That motor will sit there and rot and if he ever does use it, he will probably put in a T-1 and junk the T-3 stuff. I'm sure you will find a replacment for it one of theses days, and if he said you could have it, why not. Shhhhh.
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Well, I think I got it going. I removed the air intake and the bellows so i could get a full on shot at the generator mounting area. I ground down some of the supports on the old half of the fan housing so now the alternator will sit lower. I shimmed the front of the alternator but my problem still seems to be getting enough tension on the belt.
I saw a used assembly on the samba for $30. Both halfs, so at least I know they match. Maybe wednesday, Ill buy it.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=607210
Trying to get weezer together for the 4th of July show over at silver diner in Cherry hill. Anyone else going?
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Hey Jack,
to continue our discussion about switching pulleys on my alternator...
The shaft on the old generator is 7/16". The shaft on the alternator is 1/2" ( yes I used the micrometer) Meaning there is only a difference of 1/16 of an inch. So this must mean I can bore out the old pulley 1/16" more and then it should fit on the shaft. The only question is how can I put machine in a woodruff key?
I'm not going to take all of this apart until after next weekend (Merchantville) But is this something we can do at your shop?
Thanks for the info and help.
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We can do it at my cousins, no problimbo.
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Check that!
I forgot about the collar under the threads on the original genny. When I take out the alternator, I'll get better measurements of both.
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Hay Johnny, whats up with alternator?
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I'll bring it with me saturday morning- You look at the alternator and I'll look at the rat. Hows from 9am-12 work for you?
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That should work.
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In the event that you need some sort of obscure shim arrangement or something of that nature, I may be able to machine something for you. I depends on the part...
-Brady
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So some of you may be following along my nightmares with the alternator that I put in my car. If you have ever heard me start the square and heard a noise like there was a cat stuck in there, what it was is the fan belt screaming. You see as I have explained before, the alternator waspart of a home made conversion kit that I got from a friend on another mailing list. It's a simple conversion but he didn't know the part number for the alternator that he used for it (you know the story- no sticker on the alternator and he threw out the box) So after working with a local FLAPS I finally found an alternator small enough to fit- a nippondenso alternator out of a lawn tractor. The only problem with it was it had the wrond style pulley. (See the photo below)
(http://www.sjvwc.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/alternator_002.jpg)
The pulley on the right is the pulley that was on the alternator. The larger pulley is of course the split pulley that comes on the VW's. The notched fan belt in the picture is the one we all run. It's V shaped so when it runs on the new pulley, unless the notches align perfectly, the belt sqeuels! LOUDLY!
Trying to repair this I tried different things- Changed the mounting area-shimmed it up higher to creat more tension on the belt (this resulted in cracking the mounting bolt holes on the fan housing that I had to replace) Different belts, alignments, etc. Then Uncle Jack comes along and says, "why dont you just change the pulley" My answer- because nobody sells pulleys. "Oh, then why don't you just adapt the VW pulley to your alternator" HHMMM! Good idea, Jack. When can I come over?!
Yesterday at Jacks garage we took apart both alternators. The VW pulley is almost a perfect fit for the alternator, but the bolt that you mount the pulley to is too short (the pulley is too thick) so not enough threads are showing. Jack says, "no problem, we'll go to my brother's (or brother in laws- sorry jack, I don't remmember) He's got a machine shop. So we head on over and go to the shop. After getting the oversized drill press put together the idea was to drill down the one side of the pulley so it will fit into the alternator. Just as we start, the pulley slips out of the vise and the drill takes a dig at the pulley. Crap this isn't going to work. Then the son in law comes into the shop. His idea- why don't you just get a smaller V shaped pulley. "Because nobody sells just pulleys!" He leaves the room, comes back two minutes later with an alternator in his hand. It has an exact same size V shaped pulley on it. Says we can have it cause the alternator is fried anyhow. shocked
After taking it apart and making one small adjustment on the pulley, it fits perfect!
(http://www.sjvwc.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/alternator_001.jpg)
I installed it today- the car starts up and all I hear is Volkswagen. BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO** BO**
there is some play in the belt though- usually you should have about a half to 3/4 of an inch play on your belt. I have about an inch and a half. I'm running a 38 1/2 inch belt on it. A 38 inch belt is too tight. Does anybody know if they sell belts in 1/4" sizes???
ALL THANKS GO TO JACK AND HIS BROTHER. Once again friends are what this club is all about!
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Great John !
What a good feeling to have an ongoing prob like that resolved!
Whatever happened to the original alternator - even if they go, cant you have them rebuilt?
Matt
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If you look in the background of the first picture, you can see the original 6 volt generator that came with the car. I converted to 12 volt and switched to the alternator for more power.
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Ok, - good move!
M