Highlander
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/18 15:44:11
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Eric
Was ready to fly home on friday until Peter managed to find an alternator! Picked it up and we drove to Peters place to use the hoist to install it.
I couldn't have done this without everyone's help. it hasn't been an easy journey but I did it. I was ready to give up so many times but I persisted. I really couldn't have done it without Erin.
-Eric
Well you did get a hug from each of us after it was confirmed that the replacement alternator was charging at the desired rate but I'm glad you saved the biggest hug for Erin.
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Highlander
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/18 15:46:36
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kameleon
pretty sure you need to marry Erin....
A lesser female would have left you on the side of the road or not even come!
Eric. i doubt that there is any member of this forum more qualified to provide this advice than Travis.
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Jaemus
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/19 19:35:54
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Quite an adventure, was great to finally meet you at Wakefield and thanks heaps for taking me for a ride (and using up what little battery power you had in the process haha)
Builder / Former owner of: Australia's first V6 converted SW20Current ride: '92 JDM GT turbo hardtop
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Eric
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/28 00:29:43
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Drove to work today. Went to leave this afternoon and battery gauge was reading 0 and at the bottom of the gauge. Car was running like crap.
Towtruck just got me home now.
Over it. Time to put it in the garage, cover it up and come back to it another time. Ive had enough.
Im out of ideas.
1990 SW20 Hardtop - Supercharged 2GR-FZE
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Hoonsy
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/28 00:48:59
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Very sorry what's happening Eric, best of luck with it. If it's not another alternator, maybe something is hotwired,etc. and is constantly draining the battery? Don't know much but I hope you find it mate
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fredhoon
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/28 01:04:35
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Alternator regulator again, did it fail in the same way - new fuse in the boot go again and no charge warning lamp circuit on startup? When you get the motivation to swap yet another bloody alternator, I 'd recommend the Volt + Ammeter test procedure from the BGB and ideally log this for a bit of driving (difficult for the ammeter). Also we didn't try the positive bypass that Nate's auto-elec suggested. There's a chance it could still be heat related, however you'd expect that to show up on the drive back from Sydney, not a short trip to/from work. [Edit] Decent logging would show this up, however it might also be worthwhile putting a filter on the Regulator V+ sensing input to filter out any AC ripple & dampen transient spikes.
post edited by fredhoon - 2016/01/28 01:31:37
 Go soothingly on the grease mud as there lurks a skid demon.
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Knightrous
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/28 08:40:14
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kameleon
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/01/28 21:58:19
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Eric
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/03/17 13:48:48
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As it turns out, there isn't any used alternators left in QLD.
I had a look at a couple of alternative options but they were too big or too much hassle to make them fit.
Craig has been helping me look at anything that could be wrong with the alternator. we did as much testing as we could without a working alternator but found nothing.
I bought a generic one off ebay with a 12 month warranty. I've also bought some heat shielding for the exhaust manifold (which the regulator is right next to)
After talking to a few people, I'm highly suspicious of heat soak after shut down into the alternator. Whilst there has been other swaps in track cars and the likes, I think part of the difference could be the environmental heat combined with stop-start traffic and limited airflow.
A key point that I have noticed with both failures was that they only died after I had stopped the car, turned it off and back on again.
Hopefully I can get to the bottom of this expensive excercise
1990 SW20 Hardtop - Supercharged 2GR-FZE
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Highlander
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/03/17 21:26:03
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Matt's car, donor for Adrian's2GR conversion must have put up quite a few road going kilometres while Matt owned it, although I am aware he spent quite a bit of time overseas. Adrian has run a track session in his conversion and to the best of my knowledge there were no alternator issues to date. Are you aware if Charlie or the other Melbourne conversion (Whitbo on this forum) have had any alternator issues. These were both road registered cars
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kameleon
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/03/17 22:13:43
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There was another Victorian car before all of the others and it never had any issues with the alternator either. Gouki gear used throughout.
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Knightrous
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/03/17 23:06:01
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I would call it a day and just fit the universal unit from VPW.
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Eric
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/03/24 12:39:22
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Knightrous
I would call it a day and just fit the universal unit from VPW.
I would but I already have a working alternator in the car now. Craigs found some electrical anomalies in the car he is going to investigate. Meanwhile, I went and heat shielded the alternator off from the header. The evora guys in the states who have run aftermarket headers were melting engine mount rubbers and wiring, so I would rather be safe than sorry
1990 SW20 Hardtop - Supercharged 2GR-FZE
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Eric
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/04/08 11:10:36
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I think we found the problem.
It was a few factors. Basically, the car was reading 15.5-16v in the bay and only 14.45 in the front.
After some testing, Craig suggested I run a second wire from the alternator to the fuse box. I did this and the car is running better, voltage has decreased in the bay too.
I'm now going to run a secondary cable from the fusebox to the battery alongside the standard one as a precaution.
I believe that when the harness was remove/installed the power wire was disturbed and it had some corrosion in it.
Happy about that - and with the car in general. Need some stiffer engine mounts and to fit my tach adaptor. Basically have the car where i want it.
1990 SW20 Hardtop - Supercharged 2GR-FZE
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5SGTE
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Re: A series of unfortunate alternator-based events
2016/04/08 11:45:13
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Good work mate. Very rewarding.
Have you thought about simply replacing/upgrading the alt wiring if you think there's corrosion?
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