Mine has given up the ghost. I like to find a replacement to have rebuilt before starting the work. Also, are different brackets required for an 'upgrade' alt?

Treat as if a 4k I5..

But then, there are two kinds of those, just to mess you up!

"Starwheel adjsuter" that has a 'thin' section where the short 'starwheel adjuster' bolt goes in, and the 'twin fork' style adjustment were the adjsuter bolt is as long as the pivot bolt.

But first, are you sure it's not just worn out brushes or bad 'blue wire' feed? (Do the warning lights come on when ign is on, but the motor not started?)

So that should mean the field wire is OK. With no load other than the engine running all is well. Turn on any additional current load and the alternator starts squealing and the belt slipping (and it is new and tight). Headlights, blower fan, defroster, seat heaters... all must be shut off at a light. Once the rpms build up then it is OK to turn them on. If they are left on, at idle when the belt starts slipping because of the load, the LED voltmeter falls very low. Fuses aren't blowing (and they are correct) so I think the alternator has bitten the dust. Just can't supply the current.

Will one of the high current MC2 alternators go on there?

So if the belt is slipping under load, how's a new alternator going to help?

More electric load = More belt load.

I'd be looking at the mechanical aspects of the alternator setup (pulleys (glazed?), belt alignment and the belt itself before spending loads of money on a problem that may not have.
A different belt is cheap enough to try first..

And if the belt IS slipping, that it can't be too tight, right? :-)

yea... I'm thinking that perhaps the bearings may be shot. That added load plus the electrical load... issues. I guess the only real way to know is to dig in there.

It's a conti belt so it is good quality. The crappy CDN tire belts don't last long at all.

When it loads the resistance is quite amazing.

So... the other question still stands.. can a big current MC2 unit be made to fit the 4k side of things?

BUt I *think* that cases are a bit different.

But really, except for the case, is there any real differance to what you have?

Also.. As most of the Bosch alternators are built using the 'Lego Brick' priciple, you could probabaly swap the cases around to get the MC innards into the 4K case. Maybe..

(For example, I have a Volvo (bosch) back half, and an Audi front half making the current alternator in my 4K! )

If you think the alternator bearing are done, take off the belt, and give the (now free) alternator pulley a spin. Any noise or roughness is cause for concern.

Im also getting a nasty "supercharger-like" whine from it. got that?

I'm putting it off until I can get in the shop at Almopst Racing this week. I really don't feel like lying down on the slush... soon to be ice again. It's always so much nicer on a hoist!

Yes.. once it is in the air I'll be metering all the lines and giving the unit a spin to check the bearings. There is also an alternator rebuild shop in the same strip so I'll probably take it down there for a test as well.

Now... if it tests fine then the resistance in the wires for the loads must mean the car is about ready to burst into flames!

I'll post my findings and pics.