Delco CS130 alt in GTV6...

[Suhas Malghan <malghs@domain.elided>]

...Or necessity is the mother of improvisation.  This happened earlier
this year before the crappy new belt tensioner that I assiduously
replaced with the t. belt failed and bent valves, but until then I
thought this was one of the better mods made to the car.
    The original Bosch item failed while I was in the wasteland of
southern Delaware, where there are no Alfas except for a 70s Spider and
a cosmetically nice bosco 84 GTV6 that sits idle in a field next to a
Mercedes shop, much less any shop that carries Alfa parts (if someone
would be so kind as to save the bosco GTV6 I can get the shop's number
for them).
    The CS130 is a 100 amp unit that comes in many housing and mounting
permutations.  Apparently there is a unit that has exactly the right
diameter bolt holes and a V-belt pulley but the alternator shop that had
one wanted about twice the going rate and was closed.  All I could find
at Autozone 5 minutes before they closed was a unit for a late 80s/early
90s 305 V8 Chevy van that had smaller bolt holes and a serpentine
pulley.  Luckily, I got into the shop at work and was able to drill out
the mounting holes and switch pulleys with the stock unit.  There is a
long, awkward story of inconvenienced non car-people friends and being
stuck on the side of a busy road at night in the rain associated with
this but I'd rather not revisit it.  If you have a 3/4 hp drill and a
19mm bit (I believe) along with an impact wrench to zip off the pulley,
adaptation is possible.  Even if you get the unit with properly sized
holes you will have to hacksaw the lower mounting bracket  about 1/2"
shorter.  Mark the line with a piece of tape, wrap the alternator in
rags to prevent swarf from getting inside, and cut as cleanly and
straight as possible.  Also, at the auto parts store get the single wire
alternator plug.
    The result was not having to bother with energy management as all
accessories could be operated with impunity.  The decisive sweep of the
wipers was great but there was also the improved interior fan
performance, headlight brightness (made SAE lamps as good as any modern
car I've been in) and smoother idle.  The old Bosch item might have been
sick for a long time before replacement since other owners apparently
don't provoke the faintest glow from the alternator lamp that I
occasionally got, but in any case this rebuilt unit was only about $80
as opposed to the $200-something for ricambi originale.
    No, it isn't kosher but would you have rather spent the weekend in
Dover, DE?

Suhas
85 GTV6
02 Impreza RS (the Japanese 33 P4)

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