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Justy Alternator comments At 05:14 PM 5/22/2002 -0700, Ed Wilsey wrote: Mike, Can you tell us the specifics of the Justy alternator conversion? Ed, When I first did the SR20DE conversion in my Roadster I ran into multiple clearance problems as the SR's alternator is a large, 85-amp unit, and it is mounted very low on the engine. Finding space to mount the stock SR alternator in the confines of the narrow and tall Roadster frame was very difficult, every direction I went I ran into an obstacle. I quickly came to the conclusion that another alternator would need to be found. Since the Roadster is a relatively simple car, I did not need to have the85-amp alternator that came with the stock SR, as I am not running power windows, air conditioning systems, rear window defrosters, high output audio systems, or other high amperage draws that most modern cars have. I have the bare essentials to run my car, EFI fuel pump, the EFI system itself, and the standard Roadster electrical equipment. After doing quite a bit of research, I found several alternatives for an alternator that still had good output, but housed in a smaller case than the stock SR alternator. The Chevy Sprint/Suzuki Swift alternator is tiny, but only has a 45-amp output, and had a single V-groove belt. There are several Toyota alternators with a small case, but I did not like their overall design. Finally, I found the perfect solution for my application-- the Subaru Just alternator. It is made by Hitachi-- the same people that make the SR alternator, uses the same plug as the Nissan alternator, has an attractive case, has a 55-amp output (and I hear of higher output versions in the same case), and the pulley matches the SR's center pulley on the SR's crankshaft. Now I was in business! I found that I could mount the alternator a little higher on the block, and still clear most of the frame. I did find that if I wanted acceptable belt adjustability, that I would need to notch the frame to clear the case of the alternator. This is a very minor notch which basically takes the edge out of the frame and turns in inward 180-degrees -- I would guess that the notch is .5" deep and goes the length of the alternator body. Wiring the alternator is the same as any internally regulated alternator, I did need to wire in an 'excite' light in the dashboard, and replace all the wiring to the ammeter, but other than that it was a plug and play setup. Overall, the alternator mounting looks completely stock, and the output has been enough to power everything that I have needed for a year now. All the Roadster SR conversions that we are doing have the same alternator combo -- it just works! Let me know if you have any other questions, Michael Spreadbury pictures here: http://www.zparts.com/showcase/msSR20swap1/intro.html |