barza21
15+ Year Contributor
- 106
- 31
- Oct 11, 2006
-
Fairbanks,
Alaska
Hey guys,
Sharing some information in regards to the alternator relocation option for a 1g dsm. I purchased the alternator relocation kit from Jay racing. I opted to go with a saturn alternator as well. The kit for the saturn alternator is slightly different: the adjustment rod is shorter. With that being said, make sure that you purchase the correct alternator. I made the mistake of purchasing an alternator for a 1999 Saturn SC2 1.9L DOHC. The problem with this year alternator (1999) is the model: CS121. That model alternator does not have a screw hole that you would use to screw the adjustment rod bolt into. So far, from what I have found (somebody correct me if I am wrong), only the CS130 alternator style is the only one that has that screw hole machined into the housing (therefore I ended up returning CS121 and replacing with CS130 which is from a 1996 year model)
Also, after doing a lot of reading about the wiring involving this mod, I found that a lot of people would have issues with voltage being low after the install. I have completed this modification and would like to share a little bit for information. Currently my idle sits at 700-750 rpm and my volts are between 14.2-14.3 at idle (with headlights on). Once rpm go up, volts go up to ~14.5. I currently have it wired as folows:
F wire = 12v switched power from Cigarette lighter fuse.
L wire = black/white wire from original alternator wiring.
S wire = I haven't connected it, but I wired it into the cabin in case I want to experiment down the line.
Alternator post = 4awg wire to distro bus where old alternator wires used to be.
The "S" wire is the one I had my doubts about. Some people use it and some don't. I opted to string the wire, but will stow it for future use.
One thing that jumped out to me in a lot of the articles that I read is that nobody would mention the grounding of the alternator itself very much. Jay's instructions state to remove some of the material for the bolts that hold the bracket, but I am not sure that is enough (seeing as the alternator body itself doesn't make direct contact with the bracket due to the paint on the bracket). So, what I did was sand (to expose bare metal) the contact point between the block and the bracket, and the bracket and alternator body (on the sides where the long bolt goes through). This ensured that there is a complete path to ground through the body of the alternator. After completing that, I got the results that I listed above.
I hope this helps people that will attempt this mod down the line.
Thanks,
Oscar
P.S.
Remember to disconnect the old alternator wires and cap them away or remove them completely from the car.
Sharing some information in regards to the alternator relocation option for a 1g dsm. I purchased the alternator relocation kit from Jay racing. I opted to go with a saturn alternator as well. The kit for the saturn alternator is slightly different: the adjustment rod is shorter. With that being said, make sure that you purchase the correct alternator. I made the mistake of purchasing an alternator for a 1999 Saturn SC2 1.9L DOHC. The problem with this year alternator (1999) is the model: CS121. That model alternator does not have a screw hole that you would use to screw the adjustment rod bolt into. So far, from what I have found (somebody correct me if I am wrong), only the CS130 alternator style is the only one that has that screw hole machined into the housing (therefore I ended up returning CS121 and replacing with CS130 which is from a 1996 year model)
Also, after doing a lot of reading about the wiring involving this mod, I found that a lot of people would have issues with voltage being low after the install. I have completed this modification and would like to share a little bit for information. Currently my idle sits at 700-750 rpm and my volts are between 14.2-14.3 at idle (with headlights on). Once rpm go up, volts go up to ~14.5. I currently have it wired as folows:
F wire = 12v switched power from Cigarette lighter fuse.
L wire = black/white wire from original alternator wiring.
S wire = I haven't connected it, but I wired it into the cabin in case I want to experiment down the line.
Alternator post = 4awg wire to distro bus where old alternator wires used to be.
The "S" wire is the one I had my doubts about. Some people use it and some don't. I opted to string the wire, but will stow it for future use.
One thing that jumped out to me in a lot of the articles that I read is that nobody would mention the grounding of the alternator itself very much. Jay's instructions state to remove some of the material for the bolts that hold the bracket, but I am not sure that is enough (seeing as the alternator body itself doesn't make direct contact with the bracket due to the paint on the bracket). So, what I did was sand (to expose bare metal) the contact point between the block and the bracket, and the bracket and alternator body (on the sides where the long bolt goes through). This ensured that there is a complete path to ground through the body of the alternator. After completing that, I got the results that I listed above.
I hope this helps people that will attempt this mod down the line.
Thanks,
Oscar
P.S.
Remember to disconnect the old alternator wires and cap them away or remove them completely from the car.