Automotive Alternator on Compact Tractor?

[mcd176]

I have a question, Since I am building a cab for my L4200 and will be adding lights, backup camera, heater and AC in the future I was wondering about replacing my factory Kubota alternator with a high output truck alternator?

What is everyones thoughts on this and has anyone done it?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Eagleview]

Only 3 things i can think of to consider besides bracketry and pulley fitment . Is yours currently self exciting ? Or does it have an exciter wire ? And does the tacho run off the alternator ?

 

[tommu56]

The simplest retrofit is a one wire one.

You just have to bracket it and one wire.

see link
Classic Truck Shop - One Wire Alternator, GM

tom

 

[Soundguy]

YUCKY!

A 3-wire job is MUCH preferable, and quite easy to rig up.

A delco 10 or 12 SI model is a good place to start for an alternator.

charge wire is a no biner.. hook yor old alt ( or vreg) charge wire to the charge stud.

the side plug has a 1 and 2 male spade lug.. loop the #2 lug over to the charge stud.. this is external sense for voltage regulation.. technically in a vehicle you run this to the battery to make up for charge loss inthe dozens of feet of wire found in a car.. on a tractor with 3' of wire harness.. just loop over to the charge stud. the #1 wire you run thru a 194 marker lamp to key switched power.. ths lets you see a lamp on when key on, then lamp off once started and alt charging .. usually 400 rpm or so... if lamp comes back on.. charging has stopped.. this is a classic idiot lamp.

ona diesel.. you don't need the lamp.. though a 5-10 ohm resistor would be nice to protect the alternator vreg module. you can lso use a diode capable of handling a minimum of 1a/50piv.. though 3a/200 piv is better. the diode will have it's cathode end marked with a stripe.. install that end toward the alternator, and the other toward the switched sid eof the key switch.

1N5408 is a ood diode number

at radio shack, both of these work: 276-1141 and 276-1661

gm delco alts come in about 35a and up models.. cheap.. easy. dependable... just get brackets and pulley.

delco 30si is ok.. but you need 15-45 ohms of resistance in it's excite wire... a bit of different wireing than the 10/12 SI

soundguy

The simplest retrofit is a one wire one.

You just have to bracket it and one wire.

see link
Classic Truck Shop - One Wire Alternator, GM

tom

 

[Diamondpilot]

Many guys put 12SI units on the Jinma Tractors since the factory one is only 15 amps or so. The 12SI units can be had with about 140 amps or more. Just get the right pulleys.

Chris

 

[JoelD]

YUCKY!

A 3-wire job is MUCH preferable, and quite easy to rig up.

A delco 10 or 12 SI model is a good place to start for an alternator.

charge wire is a no biner.. hook yor old alt ( or vreg) charge wire to the charge stud.

the side plug has a 1 and 2 male spade lug.. loop the #2 lug over to the charge stud.. this is external sense for voltage regulation.. technically in a vehicle you run this to the battery to make up for charge loss inthe dozens of feet of wire found in a car.. on a tractor with 3' of wire harness.. just loop over to the charge stud. the #1 wire you run thru a 194 marker lamp to key switched power.. ths lets you see a lamp on when key on, then lamp off once started and alt charging .. usually 400 rpm or so... if lamp comes back on.. charging has stopped.. this is a classic idiot lamp.

ona diesel.. you don't need the lamp.. though a 5-10 ohm resistor would be nice to protect the alternator vreg module. you can lso use a diode capable of handling a minimum of 1a/50piv.. though 3a/200 piv is better. the diode will have it's cathode end marked with a stripe.. install that end toward the alternator, and the other toward the switched sid eof the key switch.

1N5408 is a ood diode number

at radio shack, both of these work: 276-1141 and 276-1661

gm delco alts come in about 35a and up models.. cheap.. easy. dependable... just get brackets and pulley.

delco 30si is ok.. but you need 15-45 ohms of resistance in it's excite wire... a bit of different wireing than the 10/12 SI

soundguy

Posts like this remind me of how painfully inadequate I am when it comes to tractors and electronics.

Joel

 

[biggerten]

One more consideration is to consider a TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) model, tractors are usually used in more severe conditions than autos (mowing, etc).

 

[J_J]

What could be any more simple than a one wire alternator. Alternator, bracket, pulley, hook up and go. I converted my Ford 8N, and still use the 6 v start. Does quite well.

 

[Willl]

A 3-wire job is MUCH preferable

By who ?

 

[Soundguy]

One more consideration is to consider a TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) model, tractors are usually used in more severe conditions than autos (mowing, etc).

There are probably more 10si alternators in ag applications by retrofit than original charging systems..

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

What could be any more simple than a one wire alternator. Alternator, bracket, pulley, hook up and go. I converted my Ford 8N, and still use the 6 v start. Does quite well.

Using a 3 wire model vs a 1-wire model isn't too much of a stretch.. it's really only one more wire as the 3" #2 loop wire don't count for much.

3 wire alts are the common vehicle application and are usually cheaper than the units with the 1 wire auto-excite vreg module.

3 wire units generally start charging at much lower rpm.. as low as 340 rpm.. 1 wire units can require quite high rpm to start charging. i've seenunits need 1800 rpm to kick over. had a buddy with a jd tractor and converted it to a 1 wire alt... por old 2 cyl didn't make enough rpm to excite the alternator! max rpm was 1200!!

Since it's cheaper.. and we are only talking one more wire and a marker lamp.. it's almost an apples to apples comparison.. except one apple is cheaper, and takes another minute to eat.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

By who ?

Of the antique tractor community I hang with, those that do 12v conversions prefer the idiot lamp or automagic diode for low rpm charge excitation, and reduced cost, vs the 1-wire jobs that sometimes need micro pullies and what not to get them to start charging at reasonable rpm.

Kinda like stringing a few feet of rubber fuel line all around your engine and manifold to keep from buying that 20$ pre-formed metal fuel line.

both work..

i know a guy that rigged n alternator to run on an auxilary belt drive off the side of the tractor.. kinda rube-goldberg-ish.. but it worked ...

soundguy

 

[jinman]

I have a question, Since I am building a cab for my L4200 and will be adding lights, backup camera, heater and AC in the future I was wondering about replacing my factory Kubota alternator with a high output truck alternator?

What is everyones thoughts on this and has anyone done it?

Thanks,

Mike

Mike, before you jump into this project, take the time to figure what is the total load you wil need. There is a good chance your factory Kubota alternator will be fine. My tractor's alternator is a 40-amp unit that will do a lot more than it is required to currently do. Don't worry about surge loads since your battery will take care of those. Blowers will probably be your heaviest load and those should not be that much inside a cabbed tractor. Running the AC and full lights at night will probably be your heaviest load.

Iron Horse raises a very valid concern that you will probably lose the tachometer function if you go to a truck alternator. Even diesel truck alternators that have a tach function may not be compatible. I'd plan all this out and know the numbers before proceeding. You might even check with Kubota to see if a HD alternator is available if needed. In my opinion, if you have to give up the altenator function, this conversion would not be worth it.

 

[Soundguy]

Jinman brings up a Good point.. if tach is off the oem alt/gen/dynamo.. that adds another complication.

on many fords, you can use a 10DN with a tach drive for mechanical units.

otherwise you may be stuck with a pulse-vibration tach on a fuel injector line.. not ideal.. but works..

soundguy

 

[biggerten]

Chris:

I wouldn't argue your point about how many 10SI alternators are in use, in fact I put one on my Jinma.

My only suggestion was to *consider* a TEFC alternator, seeing that the alternator fans usually suck air through the rear of the alternator, the conditions it will be used in may affect one's particular situation.

After some thought about how I use mine, I decided it wasn't enough for me to worry about. But I feel better in that I at least made a decision after knowing my options.

 

[Soundguy]

Again... it must not be a big issue.. tons of open alts out there running for years in ag applications. None of my tractors with stock alternators are sealed units either... and that was via factory design...

soundguy

 

[NH-Rob]

I always keep a couple delco alternators on the shelf of the shop in case The factory one stops working on something. You can usually fab up a quick bracket to get by while the original is getting rebuilt. I have both a one wire and a couple three wire. All are easy to hook up.
Rob

 

[mcd176]

Thanks to all of you, I have learned alot about alternators because of this thread, I am going to take the suggestion of waiting to figure up my total load after the cab is done and then compare it to my stock alt, if I do have to upgrade I will probably go with a delco unit, I did discover that my tach is a mechanical unit so I will be ok on that. I will update when I get it figured out.

Thanks Again

-Mike

 

[Soundguy]

good luck.

remember to add in a lil 'fat' to that calculation that way you aren't running at max charge all the time.

soundguy

 

[dex3361]

I always keep a couple delco alternators on the shelf of the shop in case The factory one stops working on something. You can usually fab up a quick bracket to get by while the original is getting rebuilt. I have both a one wire and a couple three wire. All are easy to hook up.
Rob

Rob
I even installed one on an old 8hp 408 gravely instead of paying $250 for the generator parts and it worked great for years and was working when I traded it off.