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The Nissan quest diagram has the alternator sense wire running to the fuse block. I'm assuming there's much more load for it to sense there than at the battery or alternator post. Has anyone attempted to run a sense wire to the fuse block? Also, doesn't the sense wire need to be fused? Probably doesn't matter if you're going right from the post. But a long run somewhere ought to be I'd imagine.
The Nissan quest diagram has the alternator sense wire running to the fuse block. I'm assuming there's much more load for it to sense there than at the battery or alternator post. Has anyone attempted to run a sense wire to the fuse block? Also, doesn't the sense wire need to be fused? Probably doesn't matter if you're going right from the post. But a long run somewhere ought to be I'd imagine.
Fuse box runs it all over the place, and then back to the ground side LED in the gauge cluster by the volt meter. The other side of it is just hot when keyed up, which is why it lights up with key on engine off. When the car is running, the field wire puts out 12V, so long as the alternator is running, which effectively makes the circuit have 0V across it, so the light is off.
In my race car, I just ran it to my central (aftermarket) fuse box, which is connected to the switch. I just use a diode there instead of a fuse.
Basically, order the new alternator from the eBay seller with the free 6 rib pulley and the harness(both links are on first page). Then when it comes, remove your stock alternator and place both the new and old alternator side by side on a flat surface standing on the face of their pulleys. Spin the alternators so the corresponding mounting tabs are lined up. The new alternators tabs with need modified, about an eighth inch, which you will see clearly. Take a marker and mark the new one to match where the stock tabs are and make your cuts (grinder, file, whatever). The top font mounting tab gets thinned on the inner side, and you need to add some spacers to the back top tab. The wiring is as basic as it comes. The only other thing is making a small modification to the alternator mounting bracket as the new alternator will hit the bracket in one spot, nothing critical there dremel it out until it clears. I'd recommend removing the bracket to mod it but the dremel works without taking it out.
Last edited by mahoney944; 03-26-2015 at 07:35 PM.
Quest alt no AC option. So in my formerly 944 spec race car I removed the AC without an AC delete bracket. Used a tensioner bracket at the bottom of the alt to swing it up and out a bit to tension the belt. 5$ fix. Who needs a stinking AC delete bracket. Well now that I built a turbo motor replacement I found that the alternator way interfered with my new MAF... All installed no easy fix. Ordered the quest alt with pulley and wiring harness. So turns out that with a few small brackets made of steel I could fit it where the AC was with the orig bracket. Just needed 1 washer to shim it to proper pulley depth. No grinding. seems to be working, will update when I get it out on the track...
Jay
Crappy cell phone pics, but it should be pretty self explanatory. Cut 2 identical pieces of 3/16" by either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" flat steel bar. My bracket bolts to front of AC bracket. With a shim of 1 washer on the back of this plate the Nissan alt (purchased with 944 pulley) lines up perfectly with the engine pulley. At the back I had to tap in the collar on the alt's rear ear a bit but then the clearance was exactly 3/16" so the rear bracket would fit between the back of the alt mounting ear and the front of the rear AC bracket.
Though its pretty tight from the Alt ear to the AC bracket when its loose my bracket can pivot a bit so I made an additional brace from 1-3/8 in. x 36 in. Zinc Steel Punched Flat Bar to keep it from pivoting. I will probably remake this brace from something stronger when I get the time, but this feels pretty solid.
The nice thing about this is that I get the center of gravity lower without spending the bux for the AC delete bracket and there is no grinding on the alternator, just drilling out the threads on one of the mounting ears so it will fit a through bolt.
I'm anxious to hear how this holds up on the track. I might have to give it a try myself.
I wonder if it would be possible to weld up a bracket that would triangulate both the front and rear tabs of the alternator, to give the rear a bit more stability. But maybe it's not necessary.
Crappy cell phone pics, but it should be pretty self explanatory. Cut 2 identical pieces of 3/16" by either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" flat steel bar. My bracket bolts to front of AC bracket. With a shim of 1 washer on the back of this plate the Nissan alt (purchased with 944 pulley) lines up perfectly with the engine pulley. At the back I had to tap in the collar on the alt's rear ear a bit but then the clearance was exactly 3/16" so the rear bracket would fit between the back of the alt mounting ear and the front of the rear AC bracket.
Though its pretty tight from the Alt ear to the AC bracket when its loose my bracket can pivot a bit so I made an additional brace from 1-3/8 in. x 36 in. Zinc Steel Punched Flat Bar to keep it from pivoting. I will probably remake this brace from something stronger when I get the time, but this feels pretty solid.
The nice thing about this is that I get the center of gravity lower without spending the bux for the AC delete bracket and there is no grinding on the alternator, just drilling out the threads on one of the mounting ears so it will fit a through bolt.
How is everybody else's Nissan alternator holding up mileage wise so far? Does anyone think that the air supply shroud not being used is hurting longevity?
Are these alternators usable in a dual-purpose car? In my case, it's more like 90% track/10% street - I only drive it on the street to get to and from the track. But that involves driving it to work, and then doing a session during lunch at the track that's two miles from my place of work, which means driving it with the lights on in the winter months. I don't have a radio, so the lights would be the only "extra" (besides the fuel pump, of course) I can think of that would have to run off the alternator. I don't drive it in the rain (worried about the spherical bushings getting wet), so I don't need the wipers. Thanks.
Have this same alternator on four of my cars, never had a single failure, the oldest one is nearly 10 years old now.
What is the most miles you've put on any of them? Heat exposure based on mileage is what I am after. I am likely to do this because the space is needed, but I'd rather it lasted more than 20k like ramius665 did.
12-28-2014, 11:39 AM
