We replaced the Lucas Alternator on the TR-6 cars with a Motorola unit that
stood up to the revs and never gave a moments problem powering the high
pressure pumps of the injection system and all the other junk. But to
compensate for lasting forever they were cheap. The Lucas unit would last
about two practice sessions and be history.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Babcock" <BillB@bnj.com>
To: <WEmery7451@aol.com>; <gregmogdoc@surfnetusa.com>;
<jmwagner@greenheart.com>; <BRITPAC@aol.com>
Cc: <bradlnss@lightspeed.net>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 11:31 AM
Subject: RE: Lucas high output generator
> Oops, It's been so long since I did this I forgot one refinement. The
> first bracket I made used a spacer inside the generator bracket to keep
> the arms from bending when you tighten the pivot bolt since the alternator
> is just pressing against the outside of the front alternator bracket arm I
> welded the pivot rod into the second one to eliminate the nuts and
> spacers, but found this cumbersome. The third one I tapped the alternator
> end of the ong rod deeply enough so I could put a nut on the the inside of
> the bracket. That's the cleanest setup.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Babcock
> Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 10:30 AM
> To: 'WEmery7451@aol.com'; gregmogdoc@surfnetusa.com;
> jmwagner@greenheart.com; BRITPAC@aol.com
> Cc: bradlnss@lightspeed.net; fot@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Lucas high output generator
>
>
> I ran an alternator for years when I drove my TR3 on the street, then
> switched to total loss for racing after my friends dissed my alternator as
> unecessary . Of course at one time I also ran a toyota 2TG motor and
> transmission, so it's hard for me to represent myself as the voice of
> tradition and purity. I intend to return to an alternator this year, I'm
> going to use one of the cool little ones that Cambridge has been offering.
> I'm tired of worrying about my battery. I think I can go to a smaller
> sealed battery and still be fine for many starts since I'm using a super
> starter.
>
> The difference in relaibility between a lucas generator and voltage
> regulator and a modern one-wire starter is almost infinite. I'm a lousy
> fabricator but I managed to make a very nice and very simple bracket set
> after only four or five hundred attempts. I took an old generator bracket,
> trimmed away the original pivot hole, then drilled a new one through both
> arms that was the size of the alternator pivot bolt. I threaded a long rod
> the diameter of the pivot bolt with about 1/2" of threads on each end.
> slide the rod through the front hole, put a nut on it and run it on
> enough to fit the bracket and the second nut, which secures the rod to the
> rear hole. There needs to be enough rod protuding from the front bracket
> hole for a spacer and the alternator pivot arm and a nut. You tweak the
> spacer length to get the pully into the same plane as the crank and water
> pump pulley. Then you need a slightly modifed stock tension bracket to
> adjust the belt tension. I also made a bracket to brace the alternator end
> of the pivot bolt, but that was overkill. Making the spacer from large
> diameter aluminum rod gave it enough bending resistance to keep everything
> in line without a front bracket.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WEmery7451@aol.com [mailto:WEmery7451@aol.com]
> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 7:07 PM
> To: gregmogdoc@surfnetusa.com; jmwagner@greenheart.com; BRITPAC@aol.com
> Cc: bradlnss@lightspeed.net; fot@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Lucas high output generator
>
>
> In a message dated 1/12/02 1:22:09 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> gregmogdoc@surfnetusa.com writes:
>
> << I truly don't understand all the interest in converting a +4 or a 4/4
> to an
> alternator. >>
>
> As you later mentioned in this message: Extra weight, broken brackets
> between
> the generator and block, broken generator face plates, and failed
> generators
> under racing conditions. I have raced 37 years using a generator, and I
> use
> to carry a bushel basket of starter motor and generator used parts to a
> generator shop. They would be asked to try to get two or three of each
> working.
>
> I might have finally resolved the broken front generator face plates when
> I
> found an ancient corroded generator with a steel (not aluminum) face plate
> on
> it. After transferring this steel plate (more weight) to a working
> generator, there haven't been anymore broken face plates for the last
> several
> years. I also went to a super starter to eliminate the weak, heavy Lucas
> starter.
>
> From Tim Studdard's article in Grassroots Motorsports, I ordered from J.
> K.
> Jackson, hopefully all of the necessary parts to convert to an alternator.
>
> If I am fortunate enough to find time to install them, my goal is to try
> to
> use an alternator before I have to hang up my drivers suit. J. K. is
> having
> some more of his special brackets made.
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