Want Spare Alternator-- What to look for at junkyard?

[ngoma]

I want to have a spare alternator and plan to tour some local junkyards to find one. Since I'm not likely to find any d24Ts there but gasser 740s abound, what can I use? Will a gasser alternator work on the d24T? Is it a matter of reclocking mount/terminal orientation? Would any be an upgrade in amperage? Thanks in advance.

[pgringo]

yesterday i dug out a 100 amp alternator from a b230. the mounting points on the alternator body are flipped in comparison to the one on the d24t & the cast portion that the mounting bolt passes through is too wide to fit into the bracket. it does look like the alternators could be disassembled and the front cast portions of the alternators might be swappable, but that could end up being a expensive lesson.

who here knows about rebuilding alternators?

[Wren]

I'm fairly certain that you can swap out the guts of a 55A gasser alternator, but you'll have to add a wire to have the W terminal for the tachometer. The 80/100A alternators are larger in diameter and wont' swap over.

I'm looking into a custom bracket to use a 100A when I get my ride going.

[v8volvo]

As Wren alludes, the Diesels are all equipped with a 55A alternator while gassers used units with higher output and a different case design that's not a bolt-in to a diesel car. The diesels also use unique, smaller alternator bushings, while the redblock gassers use the same larger bushings that are found in the power steering pump and AC compressor mountings on the diesels.

I have a pile of spare D24T alternators, you'd be welcome to one if you'd like to have an extra... might be easier than trying to adapt something different, unless the higher amperage of the late gasser units is desirable to you. Of course, unlike the LH-injected gas Volvos, the diesels have no electric fuel pumps, ignition systems, engine management, etc to run... so unless you are running big lighting or sound system upgrades or have something else on the car that is drawing a lot of power, the extra amperage is likely not going to be all that useful.

It's actually kind of a laugh to look at the electrical specs in the back of a 700 series owner's manual and see the differences between the diesel and gas cars... gassers have a little battery and a big alternator, while the diesels are the exact opposite. That one spec table says a lot about the differences in operation between the two setups!

[pgringo]

i'm thinking about installing a wot relay to shut off most of the electrics to reduce alternator drag for a smidgen more powah