Alternator Wiring

[wwhalenc]

Hi There,

 

Does anyone happen to know ultimately what those leads on the two-prong connector are for? I have a '98 Impreza 2.2L engine mounted into a 914. I'm not sure how I should go about connecting these to make the alternator work correctly. Thanks for any info. --Chris

PS: When i first put the engine in, I had just that main bolted on lead connected going to my battery. This made volts ok, albeit on the higher side.

After a while the alt started cutting out intermittently until one day it stopped and never started making volts again. I just put on a "new" used alternator and this one's not making volts either. I gather I need to look in to how those other two leads should be wired if I'm to expect this alternator to work reliably.

 

 

Oh shoot...I see a thread about this here http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16606 Long and short is that one goes to the alternator light. The other should be connected to the battery. I'm still fuzzy on wether the one going to the alternator light can be ditched. Also hoping someone can confirm...why would they have another terminal that needs to go to battery?

 

PPS: Okay, for anyone interested--this thread explains much more thoroughly http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=69480 . Sorry to post without doing proper search.

Edited November 28, 2011 by wwhalenc

[porcupine73]

I believe it needs the light connected as that makes sure the field is magnetized in the alt, 'tickling' it as that other thread said. It may work for a while or intermittently without that light, but eventually it may lose the bit of magnetism in the field and then won't work.

[xbeerd]

i believe you will want to wire the previously mentioned tickler wire to the main relay, or atleast via relay to the main relay, or you will drain the battery. thats what i was told in my alternator thread in the retrofitting forum.

[Rooster2]

I hope the responses fixes your alt problem. I am very curious how well a Subie engine performs in a 914? If I recall, the 914 was air cooled flat six. So, how did you rig the Subie engine for it's water cooling needs?

[wwhalenc]

double post. Sorry

Edited November 30, 2011 by wwhalenc

[wwhalenc]

Thanks guys. This is a huge help. So there are two prongs. Which one is the one that should always get switched power? The one closest the the pulley or further.

 

So you think the circuit has to be completed for the one that goes to the battery light diode as well?

 

Rooster, that 2.0 flat six came in only a couple thousand cars. The vast majority are flat air-cooled boxer motors. Basically it's a VW bus motor (a 1.7/1.8 one and hopped up 2.0L version with longer stroke and nicer heads). My old engine was the hopped up 2.0L. When it was new it only made around 96 hp. So even my rev-limited limp mode EJ 2.2L makes a huge difference in the car (which probably weighs just under 2000 lb).

 

It makes sense for the 914. From what I understand, early subies emulated this engine. ...And then carried the torch, so to speak, for the flat four boxer. That subie motor is pretty much how the original 914 engine would have had to evolve eventually.

 

Great fit for the car... Way more power, much better economy, potential to be a lot more durable/reliable. And lighter to boot! Great fit, except for needing that radiator. Kind of a challenge in a mid engined car. So far it's been surmountable with a extra large radiator with plenty of auxillary fan cooling. The way to do right is to mount that rad. up front--I just didn't want to make any cuts at all in doing my conversion.

[Rooster2]

Thanks guys. This is a huge help. So there are two prongs. Which one is the one that should always get switched power? The one closest the the pulley or further.

 

So you think the circuit has to be completed for the one that goes to the battery light diode as well?

 

Rooster, that 2.0 flat six came in only a couple thousand cars. The vast majority are flat air-cooled boxer motors. Basically it's a VW bus motor (a 1.7/1.8 one and hopped up 2.0L version with longer stroke and nicer heads). My old engine was the hopped up 2.0L. When it was new it only made around 96 hp. So even my rev-limited limp mode EJ 2.2L makes a huge difference in the car (which probably weighs just under 2000 lb).

 

It makes sense for the 914. From what I understand, early subies emulated this engine. ...And then carried the torch, so to speak, for the flat four boxer. That subie motor is pretty much how the original 914 engine would have had to evolve eventually.

 

Great fit for the car... Way more power, much better economy, potential to be a lot more durable/reliable. And lighter to boot! Great fit, except for needing that radiator. Kind of a challenge in a mid engined car. So far it's been surmountable with a extra large radiator with plenty of auxillary fan cooling. The way to do right is to mount that rad. up front--I just didn't want to make any cuts at all in doing my conversion.

 

I would like to see pixs of your Subie motor in the 914. Please post here if you have any. Gotta be fun driving that car.

[jarl]

I knew I had seen this before:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=60505

http://www.etischer.com/914xt6.html