My alternator packed up, I had it rebuilt and then stupidly dropped a live wire on it and burnt the regulator and diodes out. I figured I would get a new one so went to the local auto electrician who supplies most of the Sydney north shore.
He had a nice 60 amp one which matched up so I took it up to the boat and found the power terminal fouled on the exhaust manifold. In the photo it looks like it just touches but when the alternator is tightened up it will foul a few mm more.
Unfortunately the electrician cannot find another match. I am tempted to cut the terminal down to its shortest length with the power lead held by one nut against the insulator. I need to measure it up accurately to see if it will clear when the terminal is cut down. Roughly how much clearance would I need?
If it doesn't I may be forced to have the 31 year old alternator rebuilt, again. It won't be any cheaper with the hours the electrician has put into this.
Any suggestions? Lord Howe decisions are getting close.
Select to expand quoteMorningBird said..
My alternator packed up, I had it rebuilt and then stupidly dropped a live wire on it and burnt the regulator and diodes out. I figured I would get a new one so went to the local auto electrician who supplies most of the Sydney north shore.
He had a nice 60 amp one which matched up so I took it up to the boat and found the power terminal fouled on the exhaust manifold. In the photo it looks like it just touches but when the alternator is tightened up it will foul a few mm more.
Unfortunately the electrician cannot find another match. I am tempted to cut the terminal down to its shortest length with the power lead held by one nut against the insulator. I need to measure it up accurately to see if it will clear when the terminal is cut down. Roughly how much clearance would I need?
If it doesn't I may be forced to have the 31 year old alternator rebuilt, again. It won't be any cheaper with the hours the electrician has put into this.
Any suggestions? Lord Howe decisions are getting close.
Would it be possible to change the alternator belt length or a shorter one to help gain clearance
That's a very long terminal bolt does that insulating spacer have to be that long.
If it could be thinner and then measure your terminal and use washers to replicate there thickness use and add a nyloc to the length then cut or measure how much clearance you have.
Its hard to see the alternator boss in this photo as a reference to what could be fitted.
Also you could grind down the pivot boss at the back and fit a washer at the front to move the alternator forward.
How does the belt line up with both pullyes?
Hi Morningbird
Looking at the photo if there was enough clearance to the left of the alternator you could make a new (or extend the old) adjusting bracket and swing the alternator further away from the engine and fit a longer belt
If you remove the inner nut that is against the insulator the stud might turn when you tighten the outer nut
Regards Don
You would want some clearance and make sure when you swing the alternator on its mounting that it cannot touch the manifold . so there no chance it could short out
www.balmar.net In this link Id say your is the first on the left
An idea is to try undoing the bolts that hold the front and the back of the alternator together,
and then seeing if it is possible to rotate and assemble them back together so that the
terminal is in a different position.
Select to expand quotesomeday said..
An idea is to try undoing the bolts that hold the front and the back of the alternator together,
and then seeing if it is possible to rotate and assemble them back together so that the
terminal is in a different position.
Hi Someday
Looking at the original photo it appears that the bottom mounting bolt that the alternator pivots on goes through both the front and rear housings so they can only go in the original position on the engine
Regards Don
Select to expand quoteDonk107 said..someday said..
An idea is to try undoing the bolts that hold the front and the back of the alternator together,
and then seeing if it is possible to rotate and assemble them back together so that the
terminal is in a different position.
Hi Someday
Looking at the original photo it appears that the bottom mounting bolt that the alternator pivots on goes through both the front and rear housings so they can only go in the original position on the engine
Regards Don
Hi Don,
I have trouble seeing that in the photo, oh well if that is the case. A while ago I took the front and back halves of
a new Bosch alternator for a VN commodore apart so I could rotate them and put them back together. I had
to place the alternator on a block of wood and hit a impact driver with a hammer to loosen the bolts.
Hi Someday
In the photo that HG posted of the Bosch one on his Bukh you could probably do it as it only mounts on the front housing but i am fairly sure from what Morningbird has said when he described it as a saddle mounting that his mounts on both the front and rear housings
Regards Don
Select to expand quoteDonk107 said..
Hi Someday
In the photo that HG posted of the Bosch one on his Bukh you could probably do it as it only mounts on the front housing but i am fairly sure from what Morningbird has said when he described it as a saddle mounting that his mounts on both the front and rear housings
Regards Don
Hi Don,
Oh yeah, the saddle does imply that (I haven't heard of 2" saddle before, only 3.15" for Yanmar, etc and 4" J-180 for Volvo Penta etc).
Another idea is to more thoroughly dis-assemble the alternator to see if the wire behind the terminal (inside the case) could be moved,
and if so, to drill hole through the case to move the terminal (possibly out the side of the case near the rear of the alternator, as
Balmar did in a special alternator made for some Beta engines which have very little clearance behind the alternator).
Weld a section into the top adjustable bracket so that the alternator is clear and use a longer belt. Pick up a plastic cover for the terminal from a wrecking yard.
Just spoke with the alternator electrician, the terminal on this one can't be moved but it can be replaced if I cut it and it doesn't fit.
Thanks Ramona, but as the engine cover is the saloon table and is a tight fit around the engine and that side panel has minimal clearance to the port pilot berth, I can't have the alternator further out from the engine.
I will line it up again, if it looks like it will fit with a shorter terminal I'll cut it down and see what happens. If it doesn't work the electrician can replace the terminal and I'll have the old one rebuilt. Not ideal but it will work.
store.alternatorparts.com/mitsubishi-industrial-alternators.aspx
down the page a bit in this link I think it shows your alternator and its saying a honda is the same
store.alternatorparts.com/12488n-75-amp-mitsubishi-alternator.aspx This page says there the same as the honda 2001 to 2004 cars
www.google.com/search?q=honda+alternator+2001+to+2004&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=honda+alternator+2001+to+2004&tbm=shop
these may or may not be leads to chase up at a local wrecker MB
I got it solved today. As usual it turned out to be simple was better. It is yet to be wired in, planned for tomorrow afternoon.
I'm not good on electrics but I didn't want to go above 60 amps on my little 20hp engine. I expected that anything bigger would be difficult to fit and put undue load on the engine.
I changed belts. Having cut the terminal down after the electrician said it would be ok I found the adjusting strap was too short. I got a longer strap from the auto electrician but then got out a spare belt that was smaller than the previous one and it all came together. I think I prematurely got concerned at all the fiddling I was doing to get it on and missed the obvious.
Of course the boat electrician might look at it tomorrow and tell me it is all wrong. I doubt it but I hate electric string and the stuff hanging off it.
One of those plastic covers for the terminal might be a good idea still. Check out what Suzuki and others have to protect that terminal from wandering tools.
Good Stuff M.B. 
Wish I could say Ill see you at Lord Howe but i cant not for a couple of years yet. 
The boat electrician came over this afternoon and did a great job wiring the alternator up and checking all the connections. Started her up and she charged at 31amps which quickly settled down to 5 or 6. The batteries are full with the 40 watt panel getting heaps of sun the last few days. No water leaks, running smoothly and still getting a good turn of speed a year after the last anti foul and not having been moved for 4 months.
Job completed I hope. A couple of small tasks still to do but it looks like Cisco, Havefun and your truly will have a boat for Lord Howe next month.
If anybody needs a boat electrician in Pittwater I will happily recommend this young bloke.
Good job MB. I've found a good mobile mechanic who does the Pittwater area too. Very handy.
Hope the Lord Howe trip goes well for you. Missus and I haven't got out of Pittwater yet.
