I quickly realized

> that the pulley�s were different between the alternator in the van and the
> rebuilt one in the box, so no-go for a quick and easy swap since I don�t
> have an air compressor strong enough to power an air-wrench to �bump� the
> retaining nut on the pulleys. Tried holding it with a vice and such, but
> really it�s on there tight.
>

You can hold the alternator body in a vice, gently and padded with
cardboard, and hold the pulley with an oil filter strap wrench while you
put a socket on the nut.

Jim

>
> So, some quick testing with a voltmeter:
>
> Test 1: with the engine running, I put my positive lead on terminal B and
> the negative lead on terminal D. The voltage was 7.1V. Battery light still
> on dash.
>
>
>
> Thinking this is a bad voltage regulator or brushes, I pulled the voltage
> regulator out. A little grimey at the metal contacts, but the brushes
> looked fine. Cleaned the grime off and re-installed the regulator. Restart
> the engine and check voltage across terminals B and D and I get 7.1V.
> Battery light still on dash.
>
>
>
> Just for kicks, I pulled the regulator out again compared it against the
> one in the new alternator from FLAPs and they look identical physically.
>
>
>
> Test 2: Installed the new voltage regulator into my old alternator. Started
> the engine and tested across terminals B and D and I get 6.9V. A few other
> measurements at this point (wish I had taken them in previous tests):
>
> Terminal B to alternator housing: 11.75v, dropping to 11.5v after about 30
> seconds
>
> Terminal D to alternator housing: 4.57v
>
>
>
> So, given that information and testing, I�m thinking either I have a bad
> alternator (diode, perhaps) or I�m chasing down the wrong path altogether.
>
>
>
> One other caveat to mention: on my original alternator, the suppression
> condenser was not mounted the same as the new alternator from FLAPs (which
> was connected to terminal W and the alternator housing). Mine has had the
> connector cut off and mounted to Terminal D, and the condenser itself had
> the hole enlarged and mounted to terminal B. Don�t know that this would
> cause an issue, but thought I�d mention it. It�s been this way since I
> acquired the van earlier this year.
>
>
>
> Any thoughts or advice on other things to check? Or, next steps to take? Do
> I replace the alternator at this point (find a way to swap the pulleys or
> get a replacement one with the correct pulley)?
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Gregg
>
>
>
> 91 Westy (Blueberry)
>