Looking at this winter and various projects, one is to possibly convert the Singer from dynamo to alternator, nothing wrong with my dynamo but looking to do a lot more miles next year and hope to get really good reliability.
Having done a bit of reading, I am thinking of using one of these unts
Not that I'm a cheapskate or anything but I bought a mini alternator, made a bracket to adjust the rear mount and removed the voltage regulator. All in about £45 but it doesn't look factory. I suppose it depends if you are worried about a factory looking engine bay or you just want it to work.
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.
I might get shot down, but I reckon changing from dynamos to alternators is a waste of money in most cases. OK, if you have a few extras (HRW, high-powered QH lamps and a big stereo), a dynamo might not handle the demand. However, I suggest that it has worked well for the last 45 years and will probably provide plenty of charge for your needs. They are also easier to repair if they do go wrong (usually a pair of brushes is all they need).
It's a common question on the tractor forum - and I always say the same thing: dynamos are fine; alternators were only fitted to tractors because Lucas stopped making dynamos (because the car makers needed alternators and it wasn't cost-effective to make a small number of dynamos just for tractors).
Both my tractors have dynamos and, apart from a worn bearing and missing through-bolt on one of them, have worked reliably and, so long as I run the engines for long enough, the battery will always start them. OK, the batteries are bigger, but the tractors have diesel engines (both very old and worn!). I always disconnect the earth leads if the tractors aren't going to be used for a long time (over a month) and "maintain" the batteries during the winter - but would have to do that with an alternator-equipped engine too.
OK, so both my charge warning lights come on at tick-over, that's a minor nuisance with a diesel engine, so I won't be changing the regulators (or repairing them) just for that!
Alternators are great if you drive in town as dynamos only just manage to charge the battery when sitting in traffic. That was the original reason for converting mine but I have done it to every car I have owned that came with a dynamo. it is cheap, simple and means if you want to drive with the lights, heater and wipers on that the car will still start the following morning.
I am probably biased as I am a firm believer in adapting your vehicle to suit you as long as the changes you make are reversible. You never know what silly legislation will be introduced in the future making your halogen headlamp conversion illegal or meaning that electronic ignition stops you getting free road tax.
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.
Occasionally, I think about converting my Herald to an alternator but difficult to justify the expense when I'm not getting any problems at all with my Dynamo. Even with my halogen headlamp conversion. Maybe when it breaks.....but at the moment..."if it aint broke...!"
