I took photos along the way, but installation was rather uneventful...
if people want, I can write up a web page with the instructions below
and include the photos like I did for the TR7 clock.
Something in my alternator broke, after 25years, it could no longer
provide any output current, and locally its getting hard to find
parts service for older British cars (some don't even recognise
that Triumph was a company that made cars...just like Nash).
So that's why searched out an alternative replacement.
parts needed:
a) GM Delco-Remey #8215 Alernator, in US/Canada GM Saturn
brand cars from 1991 to 1996
(I've seen auto part web sites indicate 1991 to 2002)
from George's Auto Parts, St. Clair Shores, MI
used salvage alternator $35
rebiult alternator $100
new from dealer $150
This #8215 Alternator is actually a Bosch unit, and is available
from many auto parts stores and internet auto parts suppliers.
The #8215 Alternator is a little smaller than the Lucas 25ACR
alternator, but it fits into the TR7 without having to make a bracket
or do use any special tools. Although the #8215 is smaller, it will
give all the benefits of modern technology and 96Amps, versus the
Lucas 25ACR's 65Amps.
b) #85854 Alternator pig tail harness, from AutoZone, East Pointe, MI
new from dealer $43
#85854 from AutoZone $7
c) 2.5" diameter with 0.67" shaft hole, from a
Ford MotorCraft alternator (AutoZone, free from a smashed
alternator someone brought in on an exhange, 1975 to 1990 era?)
no number was visible on the alternator guts
d) sleeved male spade terminal connector
e) male & femaile sleeved barrel terminal connector
I wanted these to be different to avoid any chance of misconnection,
and sleeved or protective coated to avoid anything touching the
metal surface and causing a short circuit.
1) remove 1 end of the air by-pass hose, and charcoal canistor hose
and fold those back out of the way (my car is an EFI car)
2) remove upper adjustment bracket bolt to the alternator
3) disconnect electrical connections from the rear of the Lucas unit
4) disconnect lower mounting bolt thru the alternator's lower holes
5) loosen and fold up the upper mounting bracket out of the way
6) remove old alternator
7) on the pig tail harness, cut & remove black wire (not needed)
cut red and brown wires 3 inches or 75mm long
9) remove 5 groove belt pulley from #8215 alternator, replace with
2.5" V pulley from a Ford/MotorCraft alternator
10) crimp a barrel shaped terminal on the brown pig tail lead
11) crimp the matching barrel shaped connector on the brown/yellow
wire in the TR7
12) crimp male spade terminal connector on the red pig tail harness
13) plug this little harness into the #8215 alternator
14) with a clamp, squeeze the #8215 mounting insert deeper into
its mounting hole as deep as possible, the extra 1mm is
all my alternator needed to fit in the my TR7
15) install the long bolt through the lower alternator mounts first
16) install the high current, big brown battery wire in the TR7 to
the B+ bolt on the back of the #8215 alternator
17) connect the spade and barrel connectors to the other 2 TR7
harness wires (brown TR7 spade terminal-ed wire to the red
pig tail harness, TR7's brown/yellow wire to the brown
wire of the pig tail harness)
18) install the upper mounting bracket bolt
19) install the alternator belt
20) pull the alternator to increase tension on the belt and then
tightened the upper mounting bracket bolt
21) re-install the charcoal canistor and air-by-pass hoses
Start the car, and measure the voltage applied to the battery,
under little electrical loading, the #8215 alternator was appplying
14.7V at the battery on my TR7.
[:)]
