I found a nice alternator in the junkyard. I think it came from a 1988 or 1989 Volvo 245 DL wagon, but I was so excited to find it that I forgot to write down the year of the car. Also, what is the Amperage on it.

Here's the clues:

"Volvo remanufactured #5003804-1
"0120469992 094

It has a double pulley and the pulley is circular (ie doesn't have those jagged, spike edges like the early 1980s models). I can't find this part number on the Internet. Thanks in advance.

5008304 is an 80 Amp, listed for 700/900 B230s, 1992 on.
It is not listed for any 240, which does have an 80 Amp listed as 5003665.
You may have to do some McGyvering to fit it to the 240. Or not, if you got it off one.
--
Bruce Young,
'93 940-NA (current)
'80 GLE V8 (Sold 5/03)
'83 Turbo 245
'76 244 (lasted only 255,000 miles)
73 142 (98K)
'71 144 (track modified--crusher bound)
New 144 from '67 to '78
Used '62 122 from '63 to '67

I don't know if Volvo alternators go by year, anyway. There seem to be at least 5 different ones, an early one (pre-'81, maybe?) with an external regulator, and later ones with an internal, in 2 ratings (55 & 75 amps?) with both two posts and three posts.

I had an '84 which didn't hold a charge when I bought it. After a go-round with the computers at Autozone, I found that my car had the oft-discussed 3rd wire to the firewall disconnected and hanging out of sight. At the local boneyard I looked through probably 10 240s, 1981-93, before finding a setup like mine under the hood of a '91 244. My neighbor's '85, which was essentially the same car as mine, had a 2-post setup... I still don't understand why some 240s had two hookups, and some 3, with seemingly no model-year progression...

Right–the year is a starting point at best. But they are listed by year in the 1992 copy of Volvo's "Quick Reference Parts Catalog", which I referenced for my response above ('92 on").

The earlier ones (140s) were either Bosch or Motorola, with the external regulators. Maybe even early 240s? But even then there were different Amp ratings (35 & 55).

Your comments about the "3rd wire" and "2-post setup" confuses me. If we don't consider the Ground wire (which they all need), all the Bosch units with the integrated Brush/Reg. units have 2 wires — the larger B+, and the smaller D+ (which can be either a "ring" terminal on a post, or a female spade that plugs to a recessed male spade).

The ones with external regulaters needed a 3rd wire (D –), but I doubt if that replaces the need for a ground wire (too far back in time for me).

You may have seen some other (aftermarket) brand that fitted the cars you mentioned. I've even seen 1-wire Alternators for hot rods.street rods, but I bet they still need a ground wire if they use rubber mounts.





--
Bruce Young,
'93 940-NA (current)
'80 GLE V8 (Sold 5/03)
'83 Turbo 245
'76 244 (lasted only 255,000 miles)
73 142 (98K)
'71 144 (track modified--crusher bound)
New 144 from '67 to '78
Used '62 122 from '63 to '67

Perhaps my non-mechanically-inclined terminology is at fault...

...Your comments about the "3rd wire" and "2-post setup" confuses me. If we don't consider the Ground wire (which they all need), all the Bosch units with the integrated Brush/Reg. units have 2 wires — the larger B+, and the smaller D+ (which can be either a "ring" terminal on a post, or a female spade that plugs to a recessed male spade)...

This is the "3-wire" setup I meant- A large "hot" wire (1) goes to the battery, a small "hot" wire (2) to the grey connector, and the groundwire (3) goes to the block... at least that's how my '84 was set up. The alternator that came in the car had only two posts- hot to the battery, ground to the block. Didn't work, no terminal for the wire from the firewall. My neighbor's '85, however, didn't have the small wire to the firewall- why is that, I wonder?

Matt

Matt,

This comes up fairly often. When I said....

"....the smaller D+ (which can be either a "ring" terminal on a post, or a female spade that plugs to a recessed male spade)."

...the Alternator with the "missing" D+ post probably had the 2nd type, where the D+ (flat spade terminal) is sort of hidden in a rectangular hole near the B+ terminal post. As to the wire – who knows? There has to be one, or the (Bosch) alternator won't put out any voltage.

There should be a "D+" embossed near the hole. Believe me, the D+ has to be there, in one form or the other (post or spade).

The problem arises when your D+ wire has the flat female spade and your new alternator has a D+ post terminal (or visa versa).

Either the wire terminal has to be changed to fit the Alternator, or (in the case of the spade wire and post alternator, fit an adapter to the D+ post terminal like the ones on your ignition coil Primary terminals.




--
Bruce Young,
'93 940-NA (current)
'80 GLE V8 (Sold 5/03)
'83 Turbo 245
'76 244 (lasted only 255,000 miles)
73 142 (98K)
'71 144 (track modified--crusher bound)
New 144 from '67 to '78
Used '62 122 from '63 to '67