Which alternator when installing XE?

[chippy]

Can you use the standard alternator out the car or do you have to use a different 1?

cheers

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

May be, but there are a few variables. Westfield theselves used to sell a kit that allowed standard alternators to be used, but relocated to the nearside - I used one with mine when I first built it. (My C20XE was originally from a Cavalier GSi, don't know how that affects the alternator spec particularly).

I know of at least one VX install with the alternator in more or less the original position, on the offside. (C20XE from a Calibra originally).

I've change to one of the compact Denso type alternators now, and moved it back to the offside, have to say - in MY PARTICULAR installation, a full size one would have been damned tight in that position.

Thats the fun/problem with these cars though, they're all a bit different, so what suits one may not suit another.

[adam123]

used the std alternator on my old westy on the inlet side, had to change the belt for a smaller one for it to fit.

[JulianE]

Mine has a standard alternator on the exhaust side and I have used the fitting kit supplied by the factory,was still available last year as had to replace damaged one on mine,the alternator does run close to the side panel,if you decide to use this one let me know I think I made a note of the belt length somewhere,although the small nippon denso is also a common fitment,but consider how you are plumbing the water as pipework may affect the offside fitment depending on how you plumb the cooling in!!

[perksy]

Can you use the standard alternator out the car or do you have to use a different 1?

cheers

You can start with a standard one OR you could start with your first upgrade         CLICKY

[chippy]

So much to think about and i think my brain is going to explode.  

From what you guys have said im starting to think that some of my questions are abit premature to the build.  And like you say something for someone might not be the same for someone else. I think maybe i need to wait and see when im actually at the time i need to do it and then ask the questions as and when purhaps.

I just like to no my facts before i do anything but im rapidly discovering that its doesnt work like that!

Iv goda get on with it and overcome my problems as and when. Then start picking your brains again!

Going to be an eventfull year

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

While I'm normally a great advocate of forward planning - in detail, it is tricky with Westfields, there's just so many ways to personalise the whole building experiance.

At this point, I'd probably just try and get a feel for the way you want to go. Not the weather for it I know, but it is where visiting club nights and seeing lots of different cars really can be great for giving you ideas, and spurring you on.

Edited to add:

The other little fly in the ointment thats going to creep up on you, is second hand goodies, and all those handy bulk buys, coming along, tempting you...

And before you know where you are, whoops, just changed plans, yet again    

[Rory's Dad]

...and don't forget, there's no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid answers.

Rory's Dad

[chippy]

Indeed, im fairly sure i no what i want as my old man has a westy (Hence my profile picture) and i occationaly go to the area meets, but out of the 15 odd cars that go non of them are running XE there all ford nutters lol! And i didnt get much joy from them when i told them i was going to build an XE powered car. So i havent realy seen and XE installation up close, only on pictures etc. But im goin to bite the bullet soon and get up to the factory and order my starter kit. Iv got plently of bits gathered already over the last year so that should keep me busy.    

What are westfield like at discount on there kits? Has anyone had any joy with them regarding good discount?

[FW500]

As said above you can use the standard XE Alternator but it really is a bit of a lump and as you can see in my pics below, opting for the SBD upgrade Perksy mentioned saves a lot of space which will always come in handy later on!

Standard:

SBD:

[chippy]

Yes it is much better isnt it. Cant you use a Daihatsu one aswell? What are they like?

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Yes it is much better isnt it. Cant you use a Daihatsu one aswell? What are they like?

It does make for a much neater installation.

The SBD/Daihatsu/Bedford Rascal/Denso/Kubota (Tractors!) alternators thet you hear people refering to are all substaially the same thing, with a couple of detail differences.

Some are designed for nearside mounting, so the lugs are biased to one side, while the others have the mounting lugs biased to the other side for offside mounting.

They may well come in different capacities too, but TBH all the ones I've ever seen have all been about 50 Amp anyway.

The other key difference for our purposes is the front pulley. This is what seems to vary most from car maker to maker, some have single V pulleys, some multi-V (the SBD type uses a four V multi-V pulley). This type seems popular.

I used a single-V pulley version when I did mine, as I already had a rather bling-tastic QED anodised alloy alternator pulley for the crankshaft end that was single V.

(Incidentally, mine was supplied as a Kubota tractor spare*, cost me about £50 IIRC! All the car type places wanted over £100 as the exact same thing suddenly became a lightweight race alternator)

*sit's back waiting the incoming from certain Cheshire members sadly afflicted with Fords.  

[cleowuss]

The standard one will fit in a wide chassis but a lot depends on how far back the engine is going to sit

Richard