Norm Nolde's Journal

Replaced the Lucas alternator with one from MGCCars on 25 May. It's rated at 110 amps at 5000 RPM. Installation was easy except for having to re-clock the oil line from the oil filter. Needed two 1" wrenches to break the line and then move it closer to the fender well so the new alternator could fit in. After all the wires were connected, belt tightened, I noticed that the spade on the water temp transmitter was broken off. My fault, but it could have been weakened by an earlier contact when a mechanic removed the older generator to check it when I bought it. Replaced it with another from CarQuest, but it read much higher than the one I replaced. New one coming from Moss via my mechanic. Will measure resistance on all three and see which two transmitters are closer. Took my Dremel tool and removed the plastic around the older transmitter to expose the base of the spade. Maybe with a little repair I can reuse it. Took the B out for the evening on 25 May. The new alternator lived up to its specs. With all the lights and radio on, the lights were brighter, and I didn't have to worry about the battery carrying the load. Turned out that the Lucas alternator had a bad diode and wasn't regulating properly. It was apparently crashing when the load demanded was high. Also found out that the ignition light on the dash was working properly prior to replacing the alternator. Seems the diode was open all the time and the light stayed out when the engine wasn't running. Another thing fixed on the B.