I have been trying to contact Dave who does the alternator upgrades by using the PM feature, not doing well at contacting so am trying this more public approach. Dave if you are reading this I would like one of your upgraded alternators.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

Hey, he just posted a few things today. But I got the impression that he wasn't doing that anymore.

I saw a rebuilt 75 amp alt on ebay.

You can also get one from a later bus.

I have a source that built one for my car. 90 amp. His price was around $300.00.

If he isn't doing it anymore that is too bad, I was responding to his ad. I wonder what the process is and if it is difficult or not, maybe a local shop can do it. I need to take my alternator for a redo and it seemed like a good time to get it upgraded but I read the recent post where some said 55 amps is enough. I noticed a huge improvement in my lighting when I replaced the original sealed beams with halogens and I don't think they draw any more power. I know mine needs attention as the red light comes on after a hard right turn so at the very least it needs a new set of brushes.

Hopefully some will chime in with the parts and source and maybe a diy. I too would like to go through mine while the engine is out.. might as well since Im rebuilding the car one bolt at a time

look back at his original thread. he said he was working us a price. Its not his full time job I am sure, and he has not responded to my PM as well. But, he did reply. Three people interested so far, according to the last post.

Mark could you post the info on your guy? Dave is very convenient for us in Canada as shipping and customs and brokerage fees etc. is just way easier as he is in Ontario. A lot of the west coast stuff is very expensive for us on the east coast of Canada due to shipping and customs etc. especially if there is any significant size or weight.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

you do not need an alt. upgrade for your 914 just get a rebuilt alt./ and a new regulator, jeff bolwsby has nice new harnesses too, a new belt. Clean your grounds.. Get a better than decent battery.. I run 2 50lb. amplifiers, 6 speakers, halogen 100 watt upgraded h4 headlights, an eq, a rear trunk cd player, a nulti channel electronic crossover, the tape deck/radio, 80 watt fog light bulb h3's.. charge my cell phone and light the cigarettes constantly, electroninc ignition ect.. with my wipers on in the rain wating to make a turn with the flashers on with my foot on the brake lightin the rear car in reverese lighting cause i had to back up a little and no worries the sytem is just fine. nevr ever had an issue... lowest drop 12 volts (maybe a touch under momentarily).. stock set up but rebuilt alt. and new harness and new volt regulator.. running like that for 2 years..

just my opinion and the plain truth, I even had 2 huge power sucking subs at one time..

oh my lights are bright been told soo by other..

clean your grounds all over the car, clean up the wiring get good working parts not unkown used. it is a fine factory desighn..

Thanks for that info Detox, I will do all that you recommended. Jeff if you are monitoring this how much is your harness??

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

A brand new alternator harness for only $75. yankee greenbacks Ian, with the original grey casing color. Plus shipping of course. I build them with heavier gauge wires that stock for no extra charge!

Thanks for asking.

http://bowlsby.net/914/WiringHarnesses/

Yes, I am working on getting a current price. The guy that does them up for me has had a lot of problems in the past getting the various suppliers to deliver the special pieces required. One of the original suppliers disappeared with a bunch of cores. As it is now, my guy usually requires at least two to get enough good parts to build one.

Really the stock system is good, The German engineers figured it out, no sense upgrading over nothing. True though I fall into the same fix it and over upgrade fix it whihc more often than not will cause other issues you were not looking to "upgrade" too. When I really just needed to fix it as it was desighned and see if I like that first.. Anyways sorry if I over described but all that in my electrical system use is true ..

Ian I bought this alt. from these guys on ebay whom reman alt. for long history.. and it worked out sweet only 70.00 no core. really good job too..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-Mini-Bus...sQ5fAccessories

Are all harness' the same, my teener is a 73 2.0? What if you have the rear defog, that will draw quite a bit Yes/No??

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

Al 914/4 alternator harnesses are the same.

I forgot that one Rear Defog, I have it too....... never been a draw issue..

So i was talking to Detox, he mentiond the alternator upgrade swap for the 75amp was a little bit of a pita.

When you swap the new one in, do you remove the fan, or do you have to alter the tin in some way to make it fit? i know the rubber boot is different and i could play with that part. Is the fan really nesscecary???

OK, I talked to my supplier, and we can sell 95 amp alts for $275 (+tax for those in Ca) shipped in the continental US. No core is needed.

YOur swapping for a 120 amp not a 75 . The 120 amp has a fan on the rotor same as the 70 amp, basically it is a 70 amp Bosch wound to a 120 amp. No you do not have to remove the "engine" fan but what I was saying is the bosh 55 amp alt. tin will not fit (without rubbing the pulley) the 70/120 amp. alt. that has a fan on the pulley. I pointed you to a guy on Samba whom was selling the alt. tin you need.. that really is the only pita and then you have to be carefull with clearances of the alt. wiring on the back side of the alt. and the cylinder head tin it is about 10 mm max and this is why I sent you a rear alt. boot as the orginal harness by vw buses that use the larger alt. are nla annd they used a propiertey hard rubber plug end covering the wiring.. Basically your really close to heat and contact so you want protection from behind. You will not see the actaully clearance toi the rear of the alt unitl you have it mounted and are underneath it. and at that point you may realize that your angle of the harness wiring installed prior to mouting may be off causing that 10mm clearnce to be in doubt so you then have to drop the alt on your chest lossen the main wire to staater blot change the angle to better the clearance tighten it back up and re-moutnt to tcheck you have maximized the 10mm you have.. Don't confuse a 914 factory 55amp alt. style wound to a 75 amp with what your trying to do with the 70 amp alt. style wqound to a 120 amp.. Donre .. pm me if your trouble continues..

While you're upgrading your alt, you might also consider a mod I did. I added an additional 12 ga. ground from the alt body directly to the chassis near the relay board. Why? Because the ground path from the alt goes through the pivot bolt to the engine to the mount to the chassis. I measured a significant voltage drop at normal operating currents due to the resistance of this pathway. My mod reduced that drop to essentially zero.

Ok, this is a post worth watching, I want to get this straight so if my question seems dumb please forgive me . Is the alternator that is 90 amps an upgraded original 55 amp that fits perfectly in the space it came out of or is it a different component that needs to have engine tin modified and/or more??

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada