LUVTruck.com

I'm sure I'm not the first to ask this, but information seems short...at least on this board.

Who's found a bolt-in replacement alternator that's internally regulated?

I'm looking at installing a higher output alternator and ditching the resistor chingaderra.

If you search this site you will find several references to installing a one wire GM 100+amp alternator on your Luv. There are also a number of pictures about brackets and arms too. Don't know what year Luv you own but on the later ones, 76-80 there is a second relay in the stock regulator that controls the fuel pump relay so you will need to do some simple re wiring to eliminate this. The fuel pump relay is mounted under a metal cover beside the battery and a wire will have to be fabricated to run power to the fuel pump in a different manner, again infomation on doing this is posted on previous posts. The above alternators can be purchased for less than a $100 on e bay. There is another option, you can install a smaller alternator from some foreign cars, these are also listed on e bay but be careful because most of these are much lower amperage.
Good luck,
dp

I haven't written it up but it was pretty simple for me to ditch my ext reg on my 72 for an int reg equiv. Ask for 83 Nissan Pulsar 1.6L at Pep Boys, they have it in stock.

BTW 3 wire regulates voltage better and not hard to wire, better to learn it (one wire to batt, one wire is a voltage sense to somewhere in your wiring harness [e.g. power wire to headlights], one wire goes through the charge light. How hard is that?) Also know that a 100 amp alt doesn't give 100 amp except at hi RPM, and it's hard to make a car need more than about 50 amp. Pulsar alt is 50. People will say electric fan. When do you need electric fan full power? At idle. Don't get hi amps at idle. Do you have a Hella light bar? Then you may need 100 amps. Or a bangin' stereo. But the stock LUV you don't need it. When I get my AC working I will prove I can run internally regulated 50 amp foreign style with AC.

I have also read that the 3 wires are much better than the 1 wire and just as easy to install. The advantages are:

~ w/ a 3 wire you get ur dash warning light, 1 wire you don't.
~ 3 wires self excite(start charging) at an idle, 1 wires you have to high rev to self excite.
~ 3 wires run all ur accessories and charge, while 1 wires just charge and ur batt runs the acc.(to my understanding, dont quote me)

Just to name a few, here is a link to where I got the above info. I found it very detailed and taught me a few things. Rather lengthly but well worth the information and knowledge of how your charging system works.

http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/AlternatorConversions.htm

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/onewire-threewire.shtml

The above two articles are very informative, so much so that I just found out I have been doing this swap the wrong way for over 30 years! I've converted dozens of 55-57 Chevys from generator to alternators by just using the gound wire for the dash light as the energizer connection to the alternator. This activates the alternator when the ign is turned on and when the alternator charges the light goes off. And if you are using a one wire alternator just unplug the little rubber plug covering the two small connections, run a power wire from the alternator output wire to one of them and the ground wire previously mentioned to the other. Light goes out when alternator charges-.
One thing that was incorrect on the second article is regarding the availability of one wire units? I've found these in every parts store I've been in, and usually quite cheaply too.
Anyway it just proves we are never too old to learn, good luck, you have some excellent information here.