Hi all. I think my alternator is on the blink. I have had some signs it was failing for some time, So about 6 months ago i bought a new alternator from a web site. I gave the relevant info.. Reg, make, model and all that.. But now i have come to fit it.Its the wrong one! Not much chance of returning it now. I just wondered if any one knew if it would be possible to modify the one i have got to work in my pickup. All is right apart from one wire. think it is the wire that goes to the dash light? but i am not sure. On the alternator in the pickup at the moment, this wire has a spring clip connector on it, and connects to corresponding socket on the alternator. This is located on the SIDE of the black cap on the back of the alternator. The new alternator has a single spade connector located in a recess in the black end cap of the alternator. Just wondered if it is worth modifying it? And how? Or should i bite the bullet and get another one....

A picture tells a thousand words here guv..

A picture tells a thousand words here guv..

You are right Teflon. I will try and take some. Taking them of the one off the car will be ok taking them of the one on the car will be difficult but uploading them to this site will be a real struggle for me.!

I am hoping this link will show pictures of old and new alternators.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68188861@N04/

The pictures on the link show the alternator in the car, and the new one i bought in error. The cable i am talking about is the one that connects to to the connector that sticks out the side of the alternator close to the radiator on the alternator that is in the car. It looks to me that this cable should connect to the spade connector in the middle of the new alternator?. The connector on the old alternator has two pins on it. I am wondering if an adaptation can be made... Or if it is just better to bite my lip and fork out for another alternator?

I think i may be slowly answering my own question now! I just looked on ebay to get an idea of alternator prices. I put in Felicia diesel alternators and looked at an add for Car Factors UK. AS i scrolled down it had a diagram of the back of the alternator. It has an enlarged drawing of the single plug in socket with two pins in it. This is the same as the socket on the alternator that is on my car at present. In the diagram it says the left hand pin is D+ and the right hand pin is W..... This being W = Stator and D+ = Lamp There are the same D+ and W markings on the new alternator i bought. W is a spade connector and D+ is a threaded stud. From this, i would think i may be able to cut the original connector off. And as long as i mark the wires replace them with a spade end for W and a round connector for D+. I hope someone can understand all this and maybe reassure me that this will work? Or maybe tell me to leave well alone?

Yes that shoul work, this is assuming that the alternator mounts up ok.. You need to definitely use the W terminal because this feeds the rev counter on the diesels but the other one you can leave if needbe, it feeds the rectifier exciter circuit on startup plus the warning lamp on the dash, with it not connector the lights will be dim until you rev the car then it will self excite and ramp up to full brightness and stay there

I'm a total pikey so I would go for it, just hack the plug off the end and join them up with spade/ring terminals as appropriate. You could always do it with a bullet connector inline so you can revert back to original if you need to.

Word out... Good luck.

Also, if the block bracket and the alternator mounting lugs are different distances apart, if the alternator is "longer" than the block, a visit to a scrappie with the relevant distance between lugs and length of block bracket might yield a nre bolt or bolts and a suitable spacer from an alternator mount on something else.

Thanks for both the above answers! I was hoping that would be the case... I will give it a go. There is no rev counter on my old truck. Its just got the huge clock where the rev counter should go! I would not think it would be much trouble to connect all the wires. As for it lining up.. THat's a different matter.. I had not thought of that. Not what you really want to find when its a radiator out job to get the alternator in! I will see if i can check out the fixings before i start. But there is not much room to get in and see.... Thanks again for all the comments!!

You wont get the radiator out all that easily. You have to separate the fan cowling with it still in the engine bay, might be worth dropping the water pump off instead to see if that gives you better access.

no the easiest way is the rad out, not an easy job at all even worse on the floor .