Bucky92 Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I just had a thought ..and we all know its dangerous ..people like me should never let our minds wander...they are to small to be left alone.. But anyway... I still have a spare XT6 Alt here...and ...Isnt the alt from an EA81 only something like 60 amps....and the XT6 is 90?? I have heard of people modifying and upgrading to the XT6 alts. If I can ever find a working digi dash..would this kind of upgrade hurt the digi dash since they are so derned moody and like to blow a voltage regulator if you even look at them hard?? Its just one of those things I thought about since I will soon be delving into new territory ..once my Weber is ready ( No hurry Jerry...never rush the master:grin:) I am going to be doing my first motor reseal..solo..and swapping carbs ...(I have never messed with carbs except on my dirtbike) and maybe this minor upgrade may be an idea since I am planning on putting in a hidden updated stereo and speakers and my Sirius Sat radio which will require adding some extra cig lighter thingys ( I got a nice set up in my Imppy ..even looks nice too) for the GPS and all. Also...any suggestions on getting LB to stop looking like he is draggin his rear around?? He has all new shocks and struts..but still ended up slamming my new mountainbikes front wheel into the ground once ( and I freaked cause my bike cost more then the car:eek:) and ended up scrapping the beautiful new mudflaps ...no harm was done to those. So plans are so far... engine reseal..new Weber ( Mark and Jerry so rock for this) ..new tranny mount ..maybe motor mounts too..Scotties Cocktail..fix leaky exhaust..ball joints and tie rod ends.. Any other things I can find..then hopefully..next years income tax check..if I an not too far in debt...off to the body shop to have the drivers door fixed and entire car repainted. First real adventure with an EA81..didnt do too much to the GLF..still most comfortable with EA82s and know my way around an ER27 pretty good.. Have FSM thanks to Edrach ( who also rocks) Sorry for the novel...but.. I LOVE my coupe ( spoiled little garage prince): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joostvdw Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 the coupe is really looking good connie! also sounds like you've got a nice plan worked out on getting it in pristine condition again, great job! I can't really help you with the alt question, but maybe I can about the saggy rear. The rear has a torsion bar suspension and shocks, no springs. As far as I know under the back seat there is a big bolt you can turn in or out lowering or raising the rear, you should be able to find this in the FSM. This should level things out for you good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Not sure about how well the digidash will like the XT6 alt but i have been running an XT6 alt for the past year or so with great results in mine. I was having low charging issues due to a number of things...the main thing being old wiring. I rewired my accessory circuit to a relay and installed the XT6 alt. Now when i put my rear defrost on or turn signals my voltage doesnt go all over the place. Id wait for someone else to pipe in with thoughts about the digidash and the alt but for me it was a great upgrade and not all that hard to do. As for the weber you know ill be around if you need a hand some sunday bolting it on and getting it running correctly. Give me a ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 the coupe is really looking good connie! also sounds like you've got a nice plan worked out on getting it in pristine condition again, great job! I can't really help you with the alt question, but maybe I can about the saggy rear. The rear has a torsion bar suspension and shocks, no springs. As far as I know under the back seat there is a big bolt you can turn in or out lowering or raising the rear, you should be able to find this in the FSM. This should level things out for you good luck! Thanks joost..I already have alot of time into the car. Thanks for the suggestion..I did look up in the FSM about cranking up the torsion bar...But you can only do that with 4WD ones..not FWD. But I did get my answer on the Alt...it will toast a new digi dash:-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Which alternator you choose to use in the car will make no difference to the digi-dash. As long as the alternator is working properly and has the power capacity to run devices being powered by it, accessories do not care what is charging the battery (remember, 12 volts dc is 12 volts dc). It just needs to have enough minimum current capacity to run things in the car. Having a 90 amp capacity gives you more margin to work with but will installing a larger unit make any difference? You most likely won't notice anything different unless you have installed an extra accessory that requires a lot of power. If the battery is getting the power it needs to keep the charge up with the original alternator then installing a larger one is not needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 But I did get my answer on the Alt...it will toast a new digi dash:-\ Hmm, I would think if the voltage regulator was functioning, there should be no problem using the XT6 alt. Who said it would fry it? What does Cougar think? He is the one I ussually look for to chime in on Amp/Volt/AC/DC issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 OK..well here's something...since that voltage regulator is the weakest link on the old digi dashes...Say I actually find a working one....remove that old VR and install an new VR..and updated one per say...could this be done?? Just seems when the old VR goes..it takes a few things with it.So maybe..to update it before it blows anything else out would be an option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 Hmm, I would think if the voltage regulator was functioning, there should be no problem using the XT6 alt. Who said it would fry it? What does Cougar think? He is the one I ussually look for to chime in on Amp/Volt/AC/DC issues. I said it. The old digi dashes are extremely sensitive to any flucuation in current. If the XT6 alt had a rebuild done to it (new internal reg, diodes) and the DD had some new upgraded parts, it would probably not be a problem. The alternative I gave her was to convert it to analog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I put an XT6 alt in my hatch for a brief period, but the VR in it wanted to put out 15.5 volts so I need to rebuild it. If they have a tendancy for over-voltage like that as they age I would say get it rebuilt first. Other than that, the Amperage rating of the alt has absolutely nothing to do with it's compatibility with the components of the vehicle. Each component determines what Amperage it needs to run at. If the alt is rated at 60 amps then it can run a total of 60 amps worth of electrical devices - a normal radio might only be 5 amps, while a set of headlights might be 20 amps. An alternator with a larger rating means you can run higher draw accesories (bigger lights, stereo amps, ect), or more of them. It in no way affects the quality of the power or the voltage stability of the alternator. Being that you know soldering and electronics to some extent I would sugest you build a conversion harness such as I did to adapt the exsiting wireing to a normal analog GL cluster. The cool thing about doing this is that you can reverse the install at any time and put the digi back in. The cluster's fit exactly the same so you can swap them at will. As for the rear end sagging - I think the best way to rectify that would be to install a 4WD torsion bar assembly that has the height adjustment on it. It should bolt right in IIRC. Just use the 2WD control arms. You might have to get 4WD rear shocks but I think they are the same. Actually would be a really easy install and woudl give you the ability to crank up the suspension in the back if you have a heavy load. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobywagon Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 The old-school digi-dashes are pretty cranky when it comes to system voltage fluctuations. Specifically, they do NOT like seeing high voltage. The alternator has little or nothing to do with that. Voltage regulation remains firmly in the realm of the voltage regulator which, in most of the cars, is internal to the alternator. A 210amp GM 3-wire conversion will not kill your digi-dash, assuming the dash is healthy to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted May 26, 2008 Author Share Posted May 26, 2008 Well..since coming up with a "healthy" digi dash is looking to be as hard a job to find as finding good side badges for these coupes...I am seriously thinking on doing a conversion..as much as I hate to since the rest of this cars life is planned to be a show car...But I dont feel comfortable not having any guages. GD..lets see if I am reading you right..are you suggesting making an adapter harness..that would basically plug into the exsisting harness..but convert to the analog?? I plan on later today spending some time with my FSMs wiring diagram and seeing what the differences are...But wont I have to add such items as...speedo cable? Now I really wish I had an analog dash cluster set up sitting here to look at ....I wish CT had some real J/Ys and close by too. I am thinking again...and its too early and dangerous for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joostvdw Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 You wont have to swap in a speedo cable, it will be there already If it's any use to you, I swapped in a digidash in my XT and everything plugged right in. Just be sure to not just unplug the dash, but also take and swap the entire dash harnass (no, not the whole body harnass ) on the XT this is about 30cm of wires and 4 big plugs (brown, blue and black I think) This may or may not apply to your coupe, but worthwile to investigate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Theres 2 things that would also need to be changed. The fuel sending unit and the temp sending unit. The temp sender isnt that big a deal, its on the intake by the thermostat. The fuel sender is in the tank, but its easily accessible. There a round cover on the back of the tank where the wireing comes to. Just remove and replace with a analog unit. I've got the digi plugs for a convertion harness like GD mentions, its just a matter of figuring out whats what. If you need wiring schematics, I have a 83 FSM supplement that should cover it all. Joost, comparing a EA82 XT digi to a EA81 Coupe digi is like apples to oranges. Unfortunately its not plug and play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 GD..lets see if I am reading you right..are you suggesting making an adapter harness..that would basically plug into the exsisting harness..but convert to the analog?? I plan on later today spending some time with my FSMs wiring diagram and seeing what the differences are...But wont I have to add such items as...speedo cable? There may be a few diode's you have to add for some of the tell-tale lights (I did, but I used an '80 dash), you will have (want) to change from an oil pressure idiot switch to the real oil pressure sender, and change the fuel sender. I think the coolant temp sensor is ok actually. What I did was cut the three round plugs out of the PCB on the back of the digi (destroying the digi of course), and then soldered wires to each pin. I then added the analog plugs to the other end of the wires. I initially put bullet connectors in the wires so I could proto-type the wireing and make sure it worked. Once I had it where I wanted it I cut them out and soldered/heat shrinked the wires together. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 I have a few sacrificial digi boards I can use :-p And I couldnt remember if it was the temp or oil that needed to be changed. If I can get a adapter harness made up, this would be a nice alternative for those with bad digidash's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joostvdw Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Joost, comparing a EA82 XT digi to a EA81 Coupe digi is like apples to oranges. Unfortunately its not plug and play. ah too bad, worth a shot though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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