Alternator Options for 86 GL carbed 4x4

[hyrysc]

For those people that have some experience here, what alternator options do I have for replacing my slowly dying alternator in my 86 GL Carbed Stationwagon 4x4?

 

Ran a search, but didn't come up with much.

[cobcob]

Here's the 100amp alt swap

[calebz]

Do you need something better than stock?

 

If not, the alt off any EA82 subaru will work.

 

If you want something better, you can go with an XT6 alt for 90 amps, or retrofit a GM alt for 100+ Each takes a little modification and difficulty is fully dependent on your skill level.

[daeron]

nissan maxima alternator is good for 90 amps as well; you just need to find a shop to help you put a v-belt pulley on it, spaced out the right amount, and you are set. If you go this route, go to the JY and get one there; snip the wiring harness off the car with it, the plug is different on the maxima alt.

 

Your stock unit is an internally regulated hitachi 60 or 70 amp unit. If the parts stores dont have one and cant get you one quickly (or if its uber expensive) try asking for one from a 1982 non turbo nissan 280ZX; should be virtually identical.

[hyrysc]

Thanks all. I was thinking about going with the GM alternator, but the XT might be the way to go if it requires less alteration of the bracket. Could anyone who has done these swaps give me a brief about what is involved? I don't have alot of extra accessories yet, but would sure like to have the extra capacity in the near future, plus with winter coming, would be nice.

[daeron]

nissan maxima alternator is good for 90 amps as well; you just need to find a shop to help you put a v-belt pulley on it, spaced out the right amount, and you are set. If you go this route, go to the JY and get one there; snip the wiring harness off the car with it, the plug is different on the maxima alt.

 

I THINK the XT alternator has the same plug as your GL; otherwise, thats what you need to go through, right there.

 

Finding a pulley.

 

Hitachi makes alternators for alot of cars; Nissans and Subarus share virtually identical alternators in every way except clock position on the back, and that hardly matters. IIRC, the plug thing is simply a more modern type plug on the Maxima than on the EA series vehicles... i couldnt tell you if the newer subarus had the same "T-plug" or not, but its an easy swap. I figured it all out from scratch, starting out one morning looking for vehicles with high amp alternators on rockauto.com, and then going to the JY pulling 90 amp units from various cars, looking at them, and test fitting them in a GL in the JY.

 

In the end, the maxima unit was readily available, fit the criteria, and looks almost identical to the XT alternator. MY entire project was stimulated by my Datsun 280Z; I knew from the day I replaced my bad alternator that the Z-car unit and my GL-10 unit were "virtually" identical, and when I examined it closer I discovered they were identical in all ways other than clock position, and the fact that my Z unit was externally regulated.

 

If you DO go with the maxima unit, the only "trick" involved is to leave the top, pivot bolt out of the alternator until you have slipped the belt onto the pulley. This lets you slide the alt in a LITTLE closer, and makes the belt slip on much easier. I don;t know if it is needed on the XT unit, since I have never seen one firsthand.

[hyrysc]

I THINK the XT alternator has the same plug as your GL; otherwise, thats what you need to go through, right there.

 

Finding a pulley.

 

Hitachi makes alternators for alot of cars; Nissans and Subarus share virtually identical alternators in every way except clock position on the back, and that hardly matters. IIRC, the plug thing is simply a more modern type plug on the Maxima than on the EA series vehicles... i couldnt tell you if the newer subarus had the same "T-plug" or not, but its an easy swap. I figured it all out from scratch, starting out one morning looking for vehicles with high amp alternators on rockauto.com, and then going to the JY pulling 90 amp units from various cars, looking at them, and test fitting them in a GL in the JY.

 

In the end, the maxima unit was readily available, fit the criteria, and looks almost identical to the XT alternator. MY entire project was stimulated by my Datsun 280Z; I knew from the day I replaced my bad alternator that the Z-car unit and my GL-10 unit were "virtually" identical, and when I examined it closer I discovered they were identical in all ways other than clock position, and the fact that my Z unit was externally regulated.

 

If you DO go with the maxima unit, the only "trick" involved is to leave the top, pivot bolt out of the alternator until you have slipped the belt onto the pulley. This lets you slide the alt in a LITTLE closer, and makes the belt slip on much easier. I don;t know if it is needed on the XT unit, since I have never seen one firsthand.

 

thanks daeron. I was wondering if it was just a wiring type of alteration or if a bracket had to be fabbed/altered. i assume that from the way you mentioned it, that the maxima alternator is internally regulated?

[calebz]

Thanks all. I was thinking about going with the GM alternator, but the XT might be the way to go if it requires less alteration of the bracket. Could anyone who has done these swaps give me a brief about what is involved? I don't have alot of extra accessories yet, but would sure like to have the extra capacity in the near future, plus with winter coming, would be nice.

 

 

 

A lot of people have spent a lot of time on USRM write-ups.

 

It would be soooo awesome if people would use it.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=64613

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62688

[daeron]

whoa, I never actually looked too deeply into the XT6 swap! I didn't know that the ears were farther apart than the hitachi unit! The Maxima alternator is a much simpler swap, in that case.. it is a direct bolt in, at least on vehicles with the outboard alternator install/inboard AC compressor. (this means that the alternator is on the outside of the compressor, not vice versa; most AC EA82s are outboard alternator style.) The casing IS slightly larger, but not by much; and the spacing of the bolt "ears" is identical.

 

The only difference is the plug; and really you ought to take the time to take ALL the wires that attached to your old alternator, and replace them with new wiring anyhow. if memory serves, there is a ground wire, a separate positive wire, and then the T-plug, which is two wires.. Big T and little t. All you have to do is trace all these wires back to their furthest junction, and replace them, and splice your new little t onto the little t of the Maxima plug, and the new Big T onto the Big T on the Maxima plug.

 

The difficult part is really finding a local "alternator shop" or "auto electric" place to help you swap on an appropriate spacer and pulley.. BUT some time in the junkyard with a pipe wrench and a breaker bar, and a maxima alt and a spare dead soobie, can yield perfect and fully trustworthy results. I got lucky and found a shop to help me, but those places seem to be disappearing these days.

[hyrysc]

A lot of people have spent a lot of time on USRM write-ups.

 

It would be soooo awesome if people would use it.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=64613

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62688

 

Thanks for the info calebz. I read it before and just wanted to chat a bit more as the articles are helpful, but I wanted to chat with people who have done it and what kind of additional information they could offer besides what was already noted.

 

if someone doesn't want to reply, they are not forced to, but in the future, I will try to be more considerate and not waste anyone's time.

[j2coe]

an impact wrench is invaluable if you're trying to change the pully, zips the nut right off. fought the sucker trying to find some way to secure it and hold it so it wouldn't turn to use a regular socket, couldn't do it.

[daeron]

an impact wrench is invaluable if you're trying to change the pully, zips the nut right off. fought the sucker trying to find some way to secure it and hold it so it wouldn't turn to use a regular socket, couldn't do it.

Bigass screwdriver stuck in the fan blades, and a pipe wrench. Easiest to loosen the nut if the pulley is held immobile by a tight drivebelt, while the alt is still in a vehicle.