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MG MGB Technical - Saturn alternator - thumbs up

My rebuilt Lucas alternator bit the dust after two weeks of service so I decided to do the much acclaimed upgrade to the Saturn Delco alternator.

(see onefastmgb.com for instructions)

In less than two hours of time the Saturn alternator was installed with all of the benefits of higher reliability, 96 available amps, smaller package and better alignment of the fan belt.

I purchased the unit from Kragen auto for $89. The plug for the unit was located in their electrical aisle where they display fuses and bulbs.

The salesman was very helpful. He even gave me a v-belt pulley for free that came off of one of the scap alternators they had in the back room. (Otherwise, they sell a chrome pulley and fan for $10 in their custom parts aisle.)

In my opinion this is an essential mod for any daily driver.



S Rechter

Good to hear that mod worked for you. I do hope you got your money back for that "rebuilt" alternator! I've been running a rebuilt Lucas 18ACR for 8 or so years and all my sealed beam halogen lights come on as bright as my modern trucks' sealed beam halogen lights and the turn signals will work at the same time as the headlights and wipers are on. I don't have a radio because I don't want one so I don't know if that would hurt things. In the winter and in the summer the car ALWAYS starts, usually on the first or second try - if the car has been sitting I usually spin it around a bit to build some oil pressure. As I think about it, I'm pretty sure I've been using the same battery for the 8 or so years since I finished the car and haven't had to recharge it or get a jump that I can recall. I've probably jinxed it now. What would an alternator conversion do for my car? Not trying to take all the wind out of your sails, but maybe the thing people should be doing is using quality components and installing things right and not automatically converting.
Wade Keene

SR- I agree wholeheartedly. Since the fancy dancy chrome pully was right there with the "dress-it-up" tension bracket, I bought it too. Went in without a hickup, using a bat driven impact wrench for the sat alt nut, pully diameter was correct, with a spacer, and I DID NOT rotate the face of the Sat Alt. Don't know how or why folks are doing that, if they really are. Installed a #6 x 48 inch preformed lead from Alt "Batt-B+" to starter, eliminating 4 straggly brown babies.
It is a great swap up.

My current problem is reconciling an ammeter install, running those fat charged wires in under the dash and back out. I need larger huevos rancheros me thinks or a parallel smaller wire install for a voltmeter then.Vic
vem myers

Wade,

I have nothing against the Lucas 18ACR alternator, it's the rebuilders and their sub quality replacement parts that are the problem.

My last Lucas ran flawlessly for close to 6 years. It finally crapped-out and so it was replaced for free (lifetime guarantee).

That one lasted two weeks. I could smell its internal voltage regulator frying just before the red light came on.

At that point I was not willing to roll the "rebuilt Lucas" dice again so going to a more modern and readilly available alternative was the logical choice.

It took almost a week for Napa to find and deliver the rebuilt to me. The Saturn alternator was off the shelf.

Steven.
S Rechter

Vem,

Rotating the front cover is very easy. Just remove the three torx bolts and separate the front cover about a quarter of an inch and then rotate.

Doing so allows you to use the OEM tension bracket.

Your alternate with a curved tension bracket works just as well.

Steven.

S Rechter

Steven, I had problems with NAPA rebuilt starters for my midget years ago. Too bad they're still spotty. Smaller auto parts stores that are primarily foreign car shops seem to be the best local sources for rebuilt alternators, generators, starters, etc. As long as you don't get a blank stare when you tell them what kind of car you have.
Wade Keene

Vic - Go with the volt meter and the smaller wires (plus a fuse). There is much less of a chance of a catastrophic failure if one of the wires gets chaffed and touches ground than a #6 wire going to ground. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

I suppose it does not matter your signicantly upping the amperage...I'm consiedring this move on my early-74...which I believe is 28amp...
pete

It is the quality of the rebuilds that is key. I purchased a rebuilt Lucas alternator from British Vehicle Electric in Beeton, Ontario (north of Toronto) for $75 in 2003.It ran flawlessly until I sold the car 2-3 years later. The company is run by Michael Hildrey, a former Lucas tech from the UK, and he does the rebuilding and testing personally.

No commercial interest - just a satisfied customer.

Barry
B.J. Quartermaine

Dropped in from the Midget side of the board. I can concur with Barry's comments about British Vehicle Electric.

No commercial interests here either, just another happy customer.
Clive Reddin

I just did this conversion today. I've been having alternator problems for the past 5 years (rebuilt alternator twice!) and they were just solved in a little under an hour.

I didn't want to spend the extra coin on the torx sockets, as All my $$ is going into my new engine. I found a 6mm socket does the trick just fine! No rounding or damage to the torx bolts whatsoever.

Very highly recommended.

~Dave
Dave Ryzuk

This thread was discussed between 11/04/2007 and 15/04/2007

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.