alternator vs generator

[runninbear52]

i have a 47 frazer manhatten and was wondering if i could switch my generator with an alternator? if so, would it deminish the value of the car?

[retired wrench]

Yes you can switch them,and yes it would detract from the originality of the vehicle. However if you keep your old parts you can switch it back if you wanted to sell it.

[ssenter]

There is a third option--a company that advertises in Hemmings Motor news will turn your generator case into an alternator, and it looks original.
Scott
Klamath Falls, OR

[HJ-ETEX]

Most people switch to an alternator because they are switching to a 12V system. If your car starts and charges to your satisfaction, there is no reason to change out the generator. I do not see any point in a 6V alternator or strange generator conversions  because you would still be stuck with a 6V battery.
As for affecting the value of your car, your car isn't that rare and unless it is a #1 grade car, I don't think it would detract enough to make a difference.

[Fid]

I too am not sure what the advantage of going with an alternator is. I view my KF cars as antiques and hobby cars - they are not driven every day so I don't see the need to update them at all. That's why I leave the generators alone and leave the bias ply tires on them. They're fun cars, not my main form of transportation. Even with that, I drove my all stock '52 HJ to the orphan car show in Sublett, IL last fall (about 400 miles one way) and it did just fine.  If I did convert the car to 12 volts then yes I'd go with an alternator but if I want modern transportation... well that's why I have my new Focus. The old generators can be rebuilt at any Automotive Electric shop and it's not that expensive, and best of all, you just hook it back up when it's done - no rewiring or anything.

[Corsairdeluxe]

I have converted a HenryJ to 12 volts.It was a lot of work,especially the O.D.relay and solenoid. It turned out well. I also converted one to 6 volt,60 amp alternator with an Optima battery. The 6 volt alternator route was one third the work and fully as good ,maybe because of always having a fully charged high capacity battery.I have had Henry Js that I looked upon as antiques and would not change a thing. I also have had Henry J hobby cars that gave me a lot of pleasure.

In my opinion the main problem with 6 volts is connections ,Especially ground wires. With age the connections decay and  resistance builds up. For example ,The tail lights on the J depend on a long body ground and are usually dim. I  solder a ground wire to the bulb socket and then to a fresh ground in the trunk. Night and day difference.If you take the time to clean all the grounds and wipe them with dielectric grease It it will make a difference.

I have no experience with radials on a J.I would very much appreciate someones experience with them. What was the difference in handling?

[Corsairdeluxe]

Example of bad ground at work. The Delco starter solenoid on a 53 J is grounded through the starter motor. I could not get the solenoid to fully retract. I ran a ground to the solenoid mounting bolt. It worked perfectly.Keep in mind the starter motor worked as it should. Go figure!

[BigDave LM6174]

I switched my 51 kaiser deluxe to new rims and wide white radials about 3 years ago.  Incredible difference on the steering and the ride, especially on the Los Angeles streets!  The tires don't catch and track every crack in the street.  Less jerking on the steering wheel.  My 52 Henry J came with new bias ply tires.  I will probably keep them for years since car has no overdrive and will be mostly around our local area.
I would suggest radials if you do a lot freeway driving.

[HJ-ETEX]

BigDave: It's all in how fresh the tires are. I once bought a 62 Stude wagon that drove like a log truck. I was about to buy new tires for my 64 Stude, so I painted 4 rims for the new tires and switched the 64 rims & tires to the 62 wagon. Big Difference even though the 64 tires were 3 years old. The tires that came on the 62 wagon were about old enough to vote and hard as boulders.

[Fid]

We once bought a Henry J that had sat in a heated shed from 1958 to 1974. It took  a long time till the flat spots finally got worked off the tires. We let them down to 20 lbs or so and drove it like that for a couple of weeks and I recall it was still a while before those flat spots went away and the tires were round again.

[joefrazer]

I recently dragged an 81 Eldorado out of 25 year storage and the tires on it were badly flat spotted. So bad, in fact, that if all 4 tires hit the flat spot at the same time, it felt like the car hit a curb. The guy at the tire shop said he'd never seen a set that bad. $400 in new tires and the problem was solved.