What are the Advantages of Alternator

[Sandun]

Hi Friends can you tell me what are the Advantage s of Alternator , I have Dynamo but i like to move a Alternator . I hope it charge the battery Quickly , a friend of mine says it charge the battery at the start without run. I dont know

Regards
Sandun.

[oliver90owner]

More power and not speed related, once useful excitation commences.

[palacebear]

Alternator provides a constant charge. Dynamo charge varies with engine speed and output is generally lower anyway. Alternator is a good idea if fitting extra electrical equipment such as a good audio system, fog, spot or driving lamps, or a heated rear screen (perhaps not an essential for you). I believe changing to an alternator will also need the car's polarity being changed to negative earth.

My Minor still has a dynamo. It does a reasonably good job, but it struggles on cold winter nights with headlamps, heater and wipers all in use.

[myoldjalopy]

Don't suppose they get many cold, winter nights in Sri Lanka.......but plenty of monsoon rain would require strong wipers!
I still have a dynamo. No problems, except the present-day control boxes don't last too long.....one advantage is you wouldn't need one with an alternator!

[pgp001]

My advice would be to keep the dynamo until such time as either it or the voltage regulator fails, then replace it with an alternator kit instead of new DC parts.

Its a bit like the argument for changing my Austin Seven from 6 to 12 volts, I have managed for 21 years on 6 volts with no problems, but if a major component in the charging system was to fail, I might consider upgrading it then.

Phil

[SteveClem]

If you prefer the original look, I believe that you can now buy alternators that look almost identical to the dynamo.

[palacebear]

You can indeed. They're called dynomators.

Info at www.accuspark.co.uk (with whom I have no affiliation)

[philthehill]

The biggest problem with the dynamo is that at high revs the commutator windings can fly apart and it is revs (high) that positively effect the charge rate.
To get higher output the dynamo just got larger and to keep the revs reasonable the dynamo pulley was enlarged. BMC special tuning produced a special larger dynamo pulley especially for use on race engines.
The advantage with the alternator is that instead of the commutator windings rotating they are stationary - it is the field windings that rotate so higher revs and higher output can be obtained without the alternator internals coming apart.
Early alternators were also made to produce positive earth charge but were sidelined in favour of the negative earth alternator.

[Sandun]

Thank you - After set Alternator kit, Still have any job to the old voltage Control Box ?

[mogbob]

Sandun
Have you read the two "stickies " at the top of the Electrical part of the Forum re explanations of the differences ( already covered by the members for you ) and the wiring alterations diagram showing what wires remain and which ones are removed form the control box ?

A number of suppliers in the UK have conversion , dynamo to alternator , kits which include all that you need.
http://www.morrisminorspares.com/electr ... or-p829719

Bob