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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Friday August 31st, 2007 10:27 pm |
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Hi Guys,
Took PPN out in the dark for the first time last night...My God are my lights cr*p....
Had blast through some twisty Welsh lanes but couldn't see further than about 6 feet in front, I'd forgotten how bad the standard lights are.....
So I've already got a 7 Lucas SFT 700's to choose a good set of four from, 2 fogs and 2 spots or four spots?
Can anyone share some wiring detail with me from what cable to use, what relays etc etc.
Is my standard dynamo going to be able to handle it?
What bulbs should be in the lamps?
Apart from bolting the lamps to the lamp bar do they need any other form of support?
Cheers
Stuart
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taffy1967
Member
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Posted: Sunday September 2nd, 2007 02:43 pm |
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Hello Stuart, you could replace you're standard headlamps with Lucas H4 Halogens: -
http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproducts.asp?sg=1&pgCode=010&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Lighting&agCode=0002&agName=Light+Units+%2D+7%22
 Last edited on Sunday September 2nd, 2007 02:46 pm by taffy1967 |
Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Saturday October 6th, 2007 07:36 am |
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Hi Folks,
Would really like to get this done now, surely someone can help with some detail on the wiring/relays/switches required....PLEASE!
Cheers
Stuart
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Mk 3 S Meister
MCR Member
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Posted: Saturday October 6th, 2007 11:47 am |
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| A decent pair of halogen headlights will give plenty of light - personally I like the light spread of Lucas Europeans although they dip the wrong way.
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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Saturday October 6th, 2007 01:16 pm |
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Thank You.
Think I'll start there, but I still fancy getting the works lamp bar up and running, so if anyone has put one on their S and has some ideas, I'm all Ears!
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BIGAL
MCR Member
| Joined: | Wednesday January 3rd, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 7 |
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Posted: Wednesday October 10th, 2007 04:38 pm |
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| Agree that a pair of Halogen head lights will make a world of difference. Mine are mated with an alternator, as I didn't think the dynamo was really up to it. However if you want to retain the period look, you will have to see how it goes.
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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Wednesday October 10th, 2007 04:45 pm |
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Thank You.
Still got the dynamo on mine, electrically I'm still somewhat of a novice, what's needed to be done to switch froma dynamo to an alternator and which alternator should I use?
Cheers
Stuart
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DaveShreeve
Administrator
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Posted: Wednesday October 10th, 2007 11:47 pm |
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Couldn't remember it all with any reliability so here's Minispares version: http://www.minispares.com/Article.aspx?aid=261
Most minis seem to use the Lucas ACR series alternators as an alternative, if you want to keep the underbonnet as is, SC parts do a dynamo body with alternator internals. See bottom of this page: http://www.scparts.co.uk/index/lang-2/lkz-195/markenid-4/katnr-45/kat_sprache-2/hrubnr-1206/rubrik-3219/functiontpl-virtueller_katalog.tpl,x-a.htm
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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Thursday October 11th, 2007 10:22 am |
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Thanks Dave,
I've saved the link to Minispares, should have thought of them myself!
Got to say £469 for the "Dynamo looking alternator" is far too rich for my blood.....
I'll use an alternator.....and save the dynamo so it can be put back, along with a new control box should originality be required!
Stuart
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DaveShreeve
Administrator
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Posted: Thursday October 11th, 2007 05:22 pm |
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| Stuart, sorry about that, must admit I hadn't even looked at the price. I'd expected somewhere in the £200-250 mark, hopefully at that price it's fully hand built with solid gold connectors!
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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Thursday October 11th, 2007 10:00 pm |
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Dave,
No worries, it's a great looking piece of kit, probably worth a punt at £200 as you say, I've had a good search about the internet but have not seen anyone else offering them....
Off to dig out my soldering iron and get a bit of practice in before I set about the control box...
Cheers
Stuart
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minorparts
Member
| Joined: | Friday March 23rd, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 557 |
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Posted: Friday October 12th, 2007 01:42 pm |
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I wouldn't personally rush to fit an alternator especially if you are just fitted halogen headlamps. I had a good pair of halogen headlamps on my Mk1 Cooper all the years I ran it. The original dynamo always coped perfectly well and I never experienced any battery problems etc. The headlamps alone were bright enough for my needs, better in fact on dipped beam than the modern VW I ran during some of the same period!
I'm not sure how well a standard dynamo would cope with a row of spotlights however. Didn't the works cars have higher output dynamos before they were fitted with alternators?
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AMS
MCR Member
| Joined: | Thursday January 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 105 |
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Posted: Friday October 12th, 2007 02:03 pm |
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It is possible to fit a dynamo with a higher output. Unfortunately this means changing the regulator box for one that can handle the additional current.
Early works cars were modified in this way.
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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Friday October 12th, 2007 08:05 pm |
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Interesting stuff thank you.....
Now the quest is for a higher output dynamo and an uprated regulator box.......
Any ideas?
AMS you say"unfortunately having to change the regulator box" does this mean a tricky job?
Thank You to AMS and Minorparts for the info....
Stuart
Last edited on Saturday October 13th, 2007 10:26 am by Hailthegreatman |
1963S
Member
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Posted: Monday October 22nd, 2007 12:24 pm |
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Generators work well at higher revs. Alternators win out when you need to run a big load (lights, wipers, heater stereo etc) while sitting in stop/go traffic.
From memory I=P/V.. 400 watts (2 x 100watt headlights + 2 x 100 watts spots) needs about 35amps at 12 volts. And, with modern technology, not all 100 watt lights are created equal...
Don't forget all the other odds and ends (like ignition) need a bit left over. Its easy enough to go through the system, add up the demands of all teh bits, divide by 12 and voila - the answer is the number of amps your generator/alternator needs to cough up. The battery means you can sustain a deficit for a while ...but.
If you're going to run big lights then don't forget the relays. Relays = less voltage drop = more light out the front...and less chance of cooked switches and wiring..
Cheers, Ian
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Hailthegreatman
MCR Member
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Posted: Monday October 22nd, 2007 04:04 pm |
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Ian,
Thank you for this......looks like the switch to an alternator is the winner for me, been checking out the relays recently and plan on using one relay for the spots and another for the fogs.
Regards
Stuart
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DaveShreeve
Administrator
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Posted: Monday October 22nd, 2007 11:10 pm |
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Stuart, not sure how you'd stand on 100watt lamps. They're not E marked so can't be used on modern vehicles but as the Mk2 is pre E marking you may be OK. If you upgrade the headlamps to units using standard H4 lamps, Wipac Quadoptics have a good reputation, you only add a couple of amps to the switch loading and won't have problems with switch or wiring, but make sure the connections are good. The same can't be said for the later rocker switches. These often suffer bad connections and the extra couple of amps can cause enough heat to start melting the contacts through the body.
If you really want to go to town on the relays Moss now offer the option of a 2 relay or 4 relay kit for the headlights. Think I can supply a pdf for the 4 relay set up if you're interested. Drop me a PM with your email address.
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1963S
Member
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Posted: Tuesday October 23rd, 2007 10:42 am |
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100 watts is probably overkill - but gee they're nice when there are critters leaping out of the shrubbery (I have suffered two close encounters of the marsupial kind - the last cost about $1500). I now use two 30 year old aircraft landing lights which work REALLY well.
Relays are not rocket science; they come with the connections tagged and its just a case of connecting the power, output and switch connections. I would buy the components from an auto electriciian rather than a kit from a reseller. With relays the switches will be handling a fraction of their rated power and will last for ever.
Find an alternator with an internal regulator (mine came from a Marina on the local tip about 20 years ago) and you can keep the standard regulator (with a few jumper leads you can rewire it as a kind of distribution box) and any changes can be easilly reversed if you choose to return to original.
Cheers, Ian
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1963S
Member
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Posted: Tuesday October 23rd, 2007 10:43 am |
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100 watts is probably overkill - but gee they're nice when there are critters leaping out of the shrubbery (I have suffered two close encounters of the marsupial kind - the last cost about $1500). I now use two 30 year old aircraft landing lights which work REALLY well.
Relays are not rocket science; they come with the connections tagged and its just a case of connecting the power, output and switch connections. I would buy the components from an auto electriciian rather than a kit from a reseller. With relays the switches will be handling a fraction of their rated power and will last for ever.
Find an alternator with an internal regulator (mine came from a Marina on the local tip about 20 years ago) and you can keep the standard regulator (with a few jumper leads you can rewire it as a kind of distribution box) and any changes can be easilly reversed if you choose to return to original.
Cheers, Ian
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AMS
MCR Member
| Joined: | Thursday January 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 105 |
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Posted: Tuesday October 23rd, 2007 11:00 am |
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When I said unfortunately you have to change the regulator box, I meant to a non original item. Changing the wiring over is fairly simple. I use an RB 310, but if you look at the cars that Lucas have supplied higher output dynamos to, you should find an equivalent. My dynamo is a C40L, only 1/2 longer than the standard item and by modifying the mounting bracket slightly the different is minimal.
I agree with some of the other sentiments here as well though. 100 watts is probably overkill and would put a dynamo out of the question. As Ian says calculate the current consumption and go from there.
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