I'm thinking of breaking down and buying their pulley that is specifically for swapping and FD alternator onto an FC. I've got some questions for people who have used this pulley doing this swap.

I was using the $20 dual pulley for FC alternators. I had it machined so the pulley would fit the larger shaft diameter. However the pulley was too thick to tighten down with a spacer, lock washer and nut. If I grind down the lip on alternator to give more thread room on the shaft I'm afraid the belts won't line up correctly.

So I could get the pulley specifically for the swap or continue to mess with the pulley I already started modifying to fit better. The people out there who have done this swap using this pulley. Is it a direct bolt on with enough room on the FD alternator shaft to put a spacer, lock washer and bolt...and still have the belts line up?

I can always get out my dremel and grind down outer bolt side of the pulley I already own to allow more thread on the shaft. But if the $50 pulley is a direct bolt on it'd probably be worth my time to simply buy a new pulley.

 

OR you could take your FC alternator to an alternator shop and get it upgraded, with no wiring or fitment bullshit... that's what I did.

 

I haven't found a shop that would do this quickly.
Ohio Generator used to be the place that could handle this, but I gave up trying to get a response from them.
I tried calling them, and no one answers the phone.

NO alternator shop will do this locally.
They complain our stock alternators are "small case", so they can't rewind for more current.
On top of that, many rebuilds / rewinds / remans are very POOR quality, so they either don't work or die within weeks.
No thanks.
A stock FD alternator will last, period.

Hell, my MX83 alternator is rated to *130A*, and it looks like it'll fit with very little fuss...


-Ted

 

If I'm understanding your question I just used a washer to keep the pulley from making contact with the housing. I had to trim the washer a little so it could fall right it in though. Belts line up fine.

 

Ted is right, I contacted two local alternator shops and neither of them wanted to touch modifying my FC alternator.

 

Sounds like the answer I needed. I've already got a spacer ground to keep the pulley off the alternator. But with the pulley I've got now I don't have enough thread on the shaft to bolt down the pulley.

 

That's unfortunate, there's a local shop here in NC that specializes in alternators and starters that upgraded my old s4 n/a alternator to 100 amp, gave me a test datasheet and everything, cleaned it, and it plugged right in with no BS. Turnaround was about a week, which isn't too bad. I trust the guy, he uses good parts and the alt has been fine for at least 2.5 years now.

If anyone is curious, these are the guys:

Triangle Alternator & Starter
(919) 787-3157
6304 Westgate Rd, Raleigh, NC 27617

I have no idea if they would deal with shipping stuff back and forth, and it may not even be worth the turnaround time, but that's who I went to. They did my FC alternator and my friend's FD alternator (rebuilt the original alternator on his 94 car). I think they charged me $200 to do the rebuild + upgrade.

 

I'm using banzai pulley with no probs. I've heard of it giving belt squeal but I don't have it.

 

I'm having the same trouble with the Banzai pulley as Rotary Innovations (both pulleys ship from the same addy BTW) I've got a lock washer I ground down both thinner and shorter outer diameter as a shim behind the pulley and my FD shaft simply isn't long enough to fit. I ground down the lip on the alternator quite a bit, I've got a shim, pulley, lock washer, nut and there isn't enough thread...and the pulley nut got stripped. The only place I've been able to find the correct size nut is at the alternator shop. They are closed till Mon., so I guess it'll wait till then.