Hi,

I own a 61 544, but it's been upgrades to a B18 and 12v. I was hoping to add a pair of 55 Marchal fog lamps, but I'm curious, will the generator be able to take these (when the car is at speed), or will it be an instant glow of death? I'm still going to go ahead, but I'm just thinking if I need to worry about an alternator sometime in the future...

Thanks,
C

I installed one of the denso style mini alternators. Works fine.
Pluses: bolts right in, very small profile, low cost.
Minuses: the one i bought was a 40 amp which has been adequate for me but.
I think a 60 amp is also available.

dean

Thanks very much for the thoughts.

I know you are both right (which is why I asked really) but two quick follow-ups...

1. I'm sure this has been asked many, many times, but how does your alternator set up compared with the kit offered from IPD with the Bosch alternator?

https://www.ipdusa.com/products/20900/139667-alternator-conversion-kit-pv-122-1800

1b. as a quick follow up, which AC Delco alternator do you specifically recommend - are all the 10SI alternators the same physical size?

2. I'm curious - while like I said I agree with both of you, how did cars in the 50s and early 60s use aux. lighting with generators? I know cars sometimes had one of each (spot/fog) and I'm assuming used one or the other. To be quite frank, in real life I'd rarely use them and even then for shorter periods of time.

Thanks,
C

Chris;

If your B18 is a (very) late one with Alt pivot cast in (somewhat rare), a Bosch Alt would simply bolt on, but if it has no pivot, either IPDs bracket and kit are required to install a Bosch Alt OR a SW-EM bracket and kit are required to install a Delco Alt. See: http://www.sw-em.com/altkit_additional.htm
D vs. B...for US, I believe Delco is more desirable as it is more common (with good service and replacement parts support everywhere), and therefore modestly priced, while still a quality component. For Europe, I would recommend the Bosch for similar reasons.
Specific Delco Alt recommendations are included with my kit documentation.
I don't know what they did in the fifties to support lots of additional Lighting for rallye vehicles...I just don't think they installed a lot of it...maybe just a single Fog Light or a single Driving Light like the 123GTs had...besides, knowing they would be operating at continuous high RPMs where Gen output is decent, maybe it was less of an issue...maybe they installed higher output truck Generators...maybe they just adjusted the V-Reg for the higher RPMs and accepted that Generator output was at its limits ...maybe they even installed a larger Gen pulley to accommodate the higher RPMs...I don't have any actual experience with this...but rallye vehicles typically had full instrumentation, so driver could monitor electrical system/Battery status on AMP meter and make the judgement call to run a temporary overload/discharge condition if lighting requirements called for it...(while roaring through the woods at night, I would accept and prefer a temporarily discharging Battery over not being able to see).

...in the sixties, solid state diodes (which make the whole Alternator thing possible!) were available and their improved performance characteristics were well established, so they just installed those...

Cheers

The Amazon 123GT was the car that got the lug on the B18 block to allow it to fit an alternator. The same lug was carried over onto the B20 block. Volvo needed to use extra lights for rallying so had to have them spec'd as original equipment so that it could be homologated and accepted under rallying regulations. Extra lights meant higher power requirement so changing to an alternator as part of the package was the way to go. Pity that soon afterwards Volvo pulled out of rallying at factory level.

As far as US spec cars go, the alternator lug was common to many/most 1967 models and all 1968 models even though alternators weren't standard - again, for US spec cars - until after the 1968 model year.

Cameron
Portland

Yes. once the block patterns were altered to add the lug, they all had it and were machined to take the alternator, or A/C bracket (?), even if they were fitted with a dynamo. AFAIK only the 123GT got the alternator on the B18, 1800 had to wait until they got the B20. Steering box position on LHD isn't ideal with the alternator on this side.

That matches what we received over here. Except that we didn't get the 123 in the US other than private imports.

Cameron
Portland

Chris;

The short of it: Don't do it, unless you want to have to put the Battery on a plugged-in charger every night.

"55 Marchal fog lamps" does not tell me what wattage elements you are planing to install, but it suggests H4 55W (X2) for an additional total elec load of (approaching) 10A. In that case, I can pretty much assure that you will not be charging the Battery from the oe Bosch Generator, in fact, discharging it, at anything below 2000RPM, any time those things are ON...I recommend against installing big additional loads like that without first going to an Alt. A 60A rated Alt will handle that, and more, and still be charging the Battery, above 1000RPM.

Full disclosure: I offer these. See: http://www.sw-em.com/altkit.htm

Cheers

FWIW, I agree with Ron. You're already not stock. The conversion is relatively cheap, simple and well documented over countless instances. Just go ahead and do it and never have to think about it again.