Hi all.


I've heard it said, and it's true I'm sure

That when your'e sailing on the blue azure

And then your charging thing goes bung

And you've finished saying it's a piece of dung

Just chuck that thing thats broke and olden

And in it's place use one from Holden.

I don't normally wax lyrical about Bukh alternators but it looks like mine is seriously on the blink, so can I really replace it with a Holden one. What do I have to do to modify it?. Will it fit as is? Are the electrical connections the same?. It's running very hot and making a weird noise, but the bearings seem to be OK. Help.

Quick reply:

1) The replacement alternator should have an Internal regulator if the old one had it (most Bukh's come with internal regs)

2) The new alternator should fit the bracket from which the old alternator hangs (physical measure)

3) The new alternator's pulley should be close to the same diameter of the old pulley, and have the same groove type/size

An option would be to remove the old one, take it to an Alternator dealer (see Car Autoelecs in yellow pages for your area) and he may very well be able to hand you a compatible one to install, with a one-to-one wire re-connection. He may even offer to recondition the old one for a modest fee, which would always be a good option fitting-wise. Just don't ask a "marine electrician" to do it - he'll likely want to charge boat bucks.

If you're unlucky, or want a larger alternator, you may have to modify the metal brackets from which it hangs.

It may be worthwhile trying Valeo products as an alternative to genuine Sam.

When going through repairs on our 2002 series Volvo Penta,I think the starter motor was about $550.00 and the alternator was about $400.00.

All I can remember is that the cost at the time was about half that of the OEM parts.

Cheers.

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samsturdy said..
Hi all.


I've heard it said, and it's true I'm sure

That when your'e sailing on the blue azure

And then your charging thing goes bung

And you've finished saying it's a piece of dung

Just chuck that thing thats broke and olden

And in it's place use one from Holden.

I don't normally wax lyrical about Bukh alternators but it looks like mine is seriously on the blink, so can I really replace it with a Holden one. What do I have to do to modify it?. Will it fit as is? Are the electrical connections the same?. It's running very hot and making a weird noise, but the bearings seem to be OK. Help.

I think I used a 79 model holden alternator with a slight modification to the pivot point on the alternator



above a before photo
Below a holden 95 amp alternator






I have a feeling I ground the back of the alternator so the pulley lined up with the flywheel pulley and then a did a slight mod on the adjuster bolt on the new alternator wiring wise I ran a cable from the stater motor solenoid ( battery power) to the positive on the alternator.
You can easily google what to do I cant remember right now but Ill be back shortly

Thanks guys. I was hoping I could do this. Talking to a local car electrician and telling him about the heat and noise he suggested it may be the diodes, and so may be a chuck away job. If the alternator is original then it's 30 plus years old. Thanks for the photo's and info HG that's exactly the sort of thing I want to know. I'm a bit unsure about the wiring aspect unless as Karsten says it's a one to one connection. As you have already done it HG any more info from you will be great. I hope your vinegar treatment worked out OK. Thanks.

Ill put up a link and take a photo tonight sam
Been a little busy

Thanks HG, yes me too. I took the alternator to my mechanic and he can't get it apart, he's thumped it as hard as he dares with a copper hammer but it won't budge, any more he said and it's likely to break the casing. So I told him to leave it as is and I'll source a Holden one and use that. So HG I need all the info I can muster to get the right one, no pressure.

If you're there HG. I rang a local bloke who reckons he can help but needs any numbers you can get off the alternator, so I guess if you can get those from yours HG it should do the trick. Thanks mate.

Also HG the question of internal regulator keeps popping up, do you know if yours has one or not, or if the original Bukh has one. I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to these things.

Mate, I love your turn of phrase.

On my past boats I have well and truly just replaced my alternators with automotive ones.

Alas, my latest boat has a decent SMART alternator and regulator and as a result, when it eventually dies it will probably cost me an arm and a couple of legs to replace.

I the meantime I am enjoying the benefits.

HG,

Thats the shiniest alternator and motor I have ever seen.

You are ALWAYS welcome on my boat.

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Franrick said..
HG,

Thats the shiniest alternator and motor I have ever seen.

You are ALWAYS welcome on my boat.

Oh she will be shiner than that before I'm finished with her . That was just a rough tidy up

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samsturdy said..
Also HG the question of internal regulator keeps popping up, do you know if yours has one or not, or if the original Bukh has one. I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to these things.

The holden alternator has a built in regulator so throw yours at the cheeky Franrick just need a wire from your alternator to the battery in my case the starter solenoid was just above and behind the alternator so a wired it to that and that lead goes to and battery . I have yet to wire i a LED which just arrived i the mail today I did buy some earlier but as Cisco said they were junk
Ive just bought three Blue seas leds red green and amber for oil temp and alternator charge Ill take a photo of two when I,m wiring them in for you. That way If I make a mistake Chariot will tell me
have a study on this page below

www.google.com.au/search?q=bosch+alternator+wiring&client=ubuntu&hs=Gh1&channel=fs&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lVkSVYOmHpC58gXJr4KACA&ved=0CCAQsAQ&biw=2560&bih=943

Photo of a blue sea LED warning lamp





They fit securely in a 11/64th drill hole very compact
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Blue-Sea-8033-LED-Amber-Indicator-Light-12-24-V-Volt-DC-11-67-4-37mm-hole-/281182065873?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item4177c1d4d1

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samsturdy said..
Thanks guys. I was hoping I could do this. Talking to a local car electrician and telling him about the heat and noise he suggested it may be the diodes, and so may be a chuck away job. If the alternator is original then it's 30 plus years old. Thanks for the photo's and info HG that's exactly the sort of thing I want to know. I'm a bit unsure about the wiring aspect unless as Karsten says it's a one to one connection. As you have already done it HG any more info from you will be great. I hope your vinegar treatment worked out OK. Thanks.

The original Bukh alternators are around 30 to 35 amp I think so changing to the holden does help putting a few extra amps in while the motor is running
dont go over 95 amps as then you would really need a double v belt pulley

Thanks everybody. I'll go and see the man with the alternator and take it from there. Cheers all.

As ramona once said you can always get one from the wreckers
Id remove your old obe and take it with you to get the closes mountings

Yes I think that's the way to go HG. I'll get one from the local wreckers, fit it, and see how it goes. that way if it works OK and lasts a while then I won't mind spending a bit more on a better one knowing I can make it fit. Thanks for your help everyone. I'll let you know how I get on.

The Holden Bosch or the Falcon 6 Bosch are the same units except for the alloy casting. Just buy a couple from the wreckers that is closest to fit and keep the other spare. Don't bother getting a higher amp one it will only put extra load on your engine for the short time it's putting out full power. Automotive alternators the output drops off after a few minutes when the starting battery has been recharged.

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Ramona said..
The Holden Bosch or the Falcon 6 Bosch are the same units except for the alloy casting. Just buy a couple from the wreckers that is closest to fit and keep the other spare. Don't bother getting a higher amp one it will only put extra load on your engine for the short time it's putting out full power. Automotive alternators the output drops off after a few minutes when the starting battery has been recharged.

Ramona right I did mean to say the same thing yours is the DV 10 so a average 70 amp holden would be more suitable ( most Holdens I think were 70 amps)
Ive forgotten now

If your'e there HG. I went to the wreckers and bought a Holden alternator 45amp. I decided to get it tested before I took it to the boat.
It was over charging by so much (16 volts at 3000 revs) the tester said 'don't use it or you will ruin your battery'. I took his advice,
but I did take it to the boat to see if it would have been possible to fit it, and yes I could bolt it on by using spacers to bring it level with
the flywheel, but fitting the adjusting arm was impossible without major surgery. It needed to be bent and lengthened to get around
the body of the alternator. I took it back to the man and said it was no good and that I was going to get a new one the same as yours HG
He made a phone call and said he could get one for $290 which I thought was OK, but what did you do about the adjuster arm. Would it
be possible to take a photo or two so I can copy what you did. It would make life so much easier. I took a picture of your alternator
off the screen with my phone to show him which alternator I required. It worked well so if I can do the same with the adjuster arm (if it's
something I need to do) that would be great. Thanks for your help so far HG, much appreciated.

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samsturdy said..
If your'e there HG. I went to the wreckers and bought a Holden alternator 45amp. I decided to get it tested before I took it to the boat.
It was over charging by so much (16 volts at 3000 revs) the tester said 'don't use it or you will ruin your battery'. I took his advice,
but I did take it to the boat to see if it would have been possible to fit it, and yes I could bolt it on by using spacers to bring it level with
the flywheel, but fitting the adjusting arm was impossible without major surgery. It needed to be bent and lengthened to get around
the body of the alternator. I took it back to the man and said it was no good and that I was going to get a new one the same as yours HG
He made a phone call and said he could get one for $290 which I thought was OK, but what did you do about the adjuster arm. Would it
be possible to take a photo or two so I can copy what you did. It would make life so much easier. I took a picture of your alternator
off the screen with my phone to show him which alternator I required. It worked well so if I can do the same with the adjuster arm (if it's
something I need to do) that would be great. Thanks for your help so far HG, much appreciated.

Ill be on the boat early tomorrow and be home again by 9.30 am so Ill take a photo. Im sure there may be a thread in sea breeze about year ago when I did it.
Ill have a look
These parts arrived today from T Norris so Im itching to fit them up and sort out my hoses and finish off the motor.
Ive speed seal kit to fit on the thrust plate as well . Also bought a couple of teleflex morse extreme throttle gear shift cables Ill pick those up early next week had them made to suit my boat a lot shorter and the extreme are very easy on tight bends as Ive moved the throttle which is now inside the engine compartment away from any salt, contanination or weather from the cockpit locker

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Fitting-a-Bosch-K1-alternator/?page=-2

forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/alternator-charging-problems.271247/ < another good read sam

Sam Ill take a photo of the back of my alternator for you tomorrow morning so you can see the wiring

just slipped down to the boat thought Id grab my speed kit and fit it tonight so took a few alternator photos SAM



Top pivot boss I have a feeling I ground the back of it to make it line up with the pulley on the flywheel have a feeling it had a steel insert protruding through the alternator housing







I ran this battery wire to the front and then down and back to the stater solenoid kepts it a way from the exhaust manifold



here you can see it running under the alternator and then to the start motor solenoid The blue cable you can see there is the battery cable to the start solenoid


Franrick you can see its not that shiny

Some of the early pumps dont have the slot you can see in the shaft this helps to remove the impeller quickly if you melt one down( run with out water)
Its an easy mod if you have the time Sam . Your pump may or may not have this already




Thermostat fitted and speed kit fitted ready for tomorrow Ill fit 1/2 barbs to the pump so all my small hoses are the same size makes it easier when carrying spares

Wonderful HG. Looking at the second photo it seems the adjuster arm fits without alteration, unlike the one I tried today.
The chap who's going to get the alternator for me said if I need to alter the existing adjuster or even make a new one, he
has the gear to help me do that. Hopefully I won't need to do that looking at yours. Thanks HG you have been such a help.

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samsturdy said..
Wonderful HG. Looking at the second photo it seems the adjuster arm fits without alteration, unlike the one I tried today.
The chap who's going to get the alternator for me said if I need to alter the existing adjuster or even make a new one, he
has the gear to help me do that. Hopefully I won't need to do that looking at yours. Thanks HG you have been such a help.

I used the Bosch K1 alternator for a 1979 /1980 model holden from memory it was either 90 or 95 amp if you could find one maybe go for some thing a light less amps
Sure I just ground the steel spacer on the back of the new alternator so the pulley moved back to line up with the flywheel pully .I used a A section or auto belt instead of the original Ill look at that in the morning and let you know
Originally I think the adjuster was on the front of the alternator but moving the new alternator back gave me enough room to fit the andjuster as you see it its fiddley but works OK. Ill tel you the belt size tomorrow but I just cut my old one and reduced it down and took that in to match up a belt .
The fly wheel pulley is big enough to fit a thicker belt which is a good thing

I may have had to drill the new alternator pivot mount bolt hole out to suit my original Bukh pivot bolt cant remember . But I did use the original bolt and nyloc nut off the old
alternator
Its not much difference in the size I just held the alternator between my knees and enlarged it with a hand drill the original hole will assist you in guiding the the drill bit

OK HG I understand. My original alternator was 50 amps. I don't mind messing around a bit to get a fit as long as I know I can achieve it,
so your input has shown me it can be done so that'll do me HG. I have a decent cordless drill and drill bits on board so enlarging the bolt
hole will be no problem. I've also got a mate nearby who's building a paddle wheeler and he's got a generator should I need one. Your
pictures HG are worth a thousand words Thanks Mate.

This is the gates v belt i used Sam



I found this size easier to fit and adjust the belt

Just a general comment. It's definitely worth shopping around for replacement alternators. One of my Volvo Penta alternators failed a while ago (I have a cat, so have two of 'em). Turns out it's just a Mitsubishi Electric alternator, and a fairly common one at that. The price on eBay for the Mitsubishi was less than 1/2 the VP dealer price. (For that matter, my Volvo Penta D1-30 engine is just than a marinised Perkins engine.)

You could try repco ,motor spares, bursons
Ashdowns for pricing also for new
Or any wrecker will have one
I think i paid around $200 for my new one
Your best to take your old unit with you so you can find a close replacement as they have little changes as far as mount points go