I have noticed some T's with alternators in various
pics. I cannot find one from an automobile with a
small enough diameter to fit on the engine.Are they
from a garden tractor or what? I would like a brand or part no. Thanks, Fritz
A search on "alternator" would have revealed this thread http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/377590.html A good source is listed here as well as the usual vendors.
Fritz,
Contact this fella:
http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/board-profile.cgi?action=view_profile&profil e=mralternator-users
google smallest alternator. it will bring up a small nippon denso,one wire, buy it on ebay
Here's my Mr Alternator install. Works great! PK
Do a forum search for Daryl Becker. He has them for $165.
I have alternators on all of my T's. It solved all the generators problems I was having. Mr Becker has the best warranty you can ever get. mralternator66@yahoo.com
Still don't know why, my generator has been going strong for the last 40k+ miles. The only thing they need is to be rebuilt properly and have the fun projects regulator put on. KGB
That is my experience as well, Keith. I think people's generator problems are often just wallet problems. They prefer to spend $165 for something ugly and unoriginal rather than pay $265 (Or whatever they are nowadays) for a good properly rebuilt generator that works just fine and looks correct under the hood. I'm in the same category, so I 'rebuilt' them ('22 TT and '29 A) myself. I'm sure they are not up to the same quality standard as as a professionally rebuilt one, but they have both been 'genning' right along since I rebuilt them (Roughly 6 and 13 years respectively). If someone has a billion accessories to power, maybe a generator won't do the job, but to run a stock Model T or A, a generator is plenty reliable. Plenty reliable!
I think Royce hacked Keith's and Hal's accounts.
I bought a rebuilt generator from Ron Patterson and it works great!
I bought the alternator rather than the generator so I would have enough money left over to buy a water pump.
Ted I wish we had a like button. I'm cleaning up my keyboard now....lol
Sorry guys, but one thing I have little tolerance for is bad mouthing the original system. I know there are all kinds of add-ons and accessories and the like out there. And I know that there are those who like to use them on their cars. All that is OK with me. You want an alternator? That's fine with me, but I'll never believe it's because the generator is not reliable and that's why you had to have one. And making this claim makes all the newbies out there think they had better get one too before they have some catastrophic failure that strands them in the desert for 3 weeks. I bought into this hype back when I was a newbie...until someone put my mind at ease and convinced me it would be OK. My experience has now proven them right.
But Hal the OP didn't bash the original system. Just wanted to know where to get one that fits.
My post wasn't in response to the OP. It was actually in response to Keith's post which I suspect was in response to Will's post. I did not mean to imply that Will was "Bashing" generators. That is too strong of a word, but he did say an alternator cured his generator problems. I'm saying a properly rebuilt generator would have cured them, as well. One thing for sure. If you have an alternator, you will never have generator problem again. I guess that part of the argument can't be rebutted.
When I got my T 15 years ago I wanted it to be reliable. It sat about 50 years before I got it.
I bought an alternator and a new gas tank because I figured that would be two less things to work on along side the road.
WRONG!
I've had THREE alternators go bad and the new gas tank started leaking after a few years.
I bought an original tank and a generator and haven't looked back.
I'm not bad-mouthing Daryl Becker...he has done right by me.
@Hal, I don't disagree. I spend a lot of time at the Ford Barn (Model A) and here. It seems that folks that help redesign their Fords Have a lot of questions. Not to say one can't do so but even adding a "new" fuel filter has consequence.
There is trick to adding new design but doing so without compromising the original integrity of the existing design is the trick.
Translation, seems people that leave 'em alone have fewer problems.
Long ago when i bought the not quite correct 15 i was sure i needed a JD starter/gennerater unit.Now with the Grandson's 15 and our 14 i realize i need none of that,simply step to the front!!Bud.
No problem Hal. Iv had three generators crap out on me. The first one was the original on the 19 when I bought it. It cost me I think back then $250.00 to replace it. It ran good for about three months when the wire came off and I didn't know it and cooked the generator. The second was to replace the cook one and it crapped after a year. The third the pin came out and I was very lucky it didn't implode my engine. I drove it without a charging system for a year. After three years in a row of replacing the 6 volt batteries I gave up and did the complete switch over to 12 volt, Battery, Starter, Alternator, Lights. Now Im running a GPS for a speedometer, I can charge my cell phone and even run my 2 meter ham radio, And I haven't had to change my battery in three years. I also have a pair of 12 volt orange flashing strobe lights mounted to the rear axle for an added measure of safety. Bottom line is I tossed $500.00 into the charging system trying to keep it original. It boiled down to a cost thing for me and added benefits of being able to add little modern things has been worth it for me. But I still do not run a water pump!
Gosh, don't let my car know about this. I still have the battery in it I put there in 2005. My generator hasn't worked since 2006. Last trip was 700 miles round trip. If it knew about these other ones with trouble it would probably join in.
Haven't used the '26 for a few months.... battery mot able to turn starter to start engine. Hand cranked, engine roared to life... went for ride, Becker's alternator charged the battery so the ammeter showed a "0" level..... I'm happy.
I ran my speedster for a few years with no charging system. 12 volt, distributor, fuel pump, two tail/brake lights and a tach with occasionally a GPS plugged in. Even used the lights on occasion. No problems at all just plugged in a charger every day or two of usage. Battery didn't seem to care but then I never ran it all the way down either.
I ran my touring car ('18 non starter motor) for several years with a diode in line from the mag to the 6 volt battery. That was sufficient to keep the battery up. The only load on the battery was the distributor and a brake light. I do my best to avoid driving it in the dark as the headlights are stock T - pitiful.
A generator or alternator charging system is nice but by no means necessary unless you run a much heavier load on the battery than Henry had in mind.
Walt posted " A generator or alternator charging system is nice but by no means necessary unless you run a much heavier load on the battery than Henry had in mind. "
Henry did in fact add a generator when the self-starter became available in 1919.
In today's world, IMHO when having to drive at dusk into night to get home from an event, bright lights are and important safety factor. That is the main reason why I went to a Becker alternator and the 32-50 cp. headlight bulbs and the double tail/brake lights on the '26. I found that the Ford generator with the Fun Projects regulator would not keep the battery charged enough when I put the car back in the garage the next morning after a dusk/night trip. Followed the set-up procedures, battery was a 6 volt Interstate less than 2 years old.
What you do with your car is your business, the 6 volt Becker alternator works for my application and needs.
Bob Jablonski
Fritz,
On our 13 touring, I am running a ND alternator from a Kubota tractor. The alternator is approx. 5" in Dia. and is the two wire style. I made a simple mounting bracket attached to three outboard head bolts. It tucks up close to the block and is located above a Texas T water pump. Made a lower support bracket that is attached to the front timer cover. I machined a larger pulley for the water pump which slows down the pump and provides sufficient wrap for the fan belt. I use the standard fan belt adjustment for maintaining belt tension. Using a Serpentine style belt which works great. The crankshaft, alternator and water pump pulleys are all Serpentine style. I also machined the Serpentine style crank shaft pulley.
The larger Alternators supplied by Daryl Becker would not provide sufficient belt contact when using a Texas T water pump. Otherwise, I would have bought one from him.
I run a bare flywheel with no magnets and therefor must rely on an alternator or battery charger to keep the battery up. Having an Alternator or Generator just keeps life easier for me.
Not interested in hearing why I should use the original model T magneto....seen the damage caused when a magnet lets go.
Possibly an older version from Father L.D. Becker, may have been a larger unit, I use the newer Delco version which is under 5 inches Dia. and also supply a serpentine pulley for the alternator and crank and a serpentine belt.
Hi Daryl,
It was several years ago that I bought an external mounted alternator for a 14 model T. And, Yes...it was from your father. That car did not have heating problems and did not require a water pump. I just recently bought one from you that was for a later (27) engine. Have bought several alternators from your family and am very happy with your product.
At the time I added the alternator on our 13 T, what I ended up using was the smallest that I was able to find. Happy that you now offer a smaller Delco version. I made the lower support out of 3/8" rod with non-adjustable ends in order to tuck the alternator tight against the block. Trying to get sufficient wrap for the fan belt using the Texas T water pump was the problem.
Daryl, thank you and your family for continuing to support us model T folks that choose to run alternators.
Bob,
I certainly recognize that Ford included the generator as an option from 1919 on. It's a nice to have feature, especially if you use the starter frequently with just short drives. My comment above was simply to suggest that you don't "need" a full charging system if you have a limited battery load.
I have a generator (with FP regulator) on one car, and alternator on another and the simple diode on a third and all three cases work fine for me. Your mileage may well vary and I won't frown on personal choices.