Got a mate of mine with a reliant scimitar and he fitted a boa v6 in it
He has everything on bar the alternator,and as everything is pretty bloody tight in there the only way the alternator will fit is if its turned round
After much tea,coffee,hob nobs and discussion we reckon it will work but the internal wiring will need altering

Are we correct and can anyone let us know what needs doing

Ta.

 

Will work whichever way it is turned, you will need to change the "fan" bit on it though for cooling if it's the sort with external bladed fan between pulley and alternator.
Manufacturers been doing it for years, although a alternator can be run either way, some other types of generator cannot, there are a very very few oddball tiny french paris rhone alternators that are single phase that would get killed running backwards.
Chevy have done this on(some) the vette due to space problems
You'll be fine go ahead, just be aware of heat and the fan.
tabetha

 

sorry dont agree watch the pulley nut come undone the rotor is wound clockwise its possible for the windings to unwind the other problem is balance nearly all alternators these days are balanced [to run clockwise yes?] all anticlock alternators are designed to run anticlock ,the vibration will slowly vibrate the alternator apart running it the wrong way

 

Oddly enough chevy have the same part number for each alternator's direction.
tabetha

 

I'm an aircraft engineer in real life, and electrics are becoming a HUGE part of everyday life now! I must say I am in agreement with Tabetha! An alternator, due to the internal windings will work if turned in either direction - any pulley nut, whether running CW or ACW, provided it is secured tightly should not come loose - think about wheel nuts - your drivers side wheel turns CW in relation to yuor wheel nut threads - and the passenger side turns ACW in relation to the nut thread - but your wheels dont come off on a long journey!!

 

cheers folks will give him the good news

Ta.

 

What aircraft do you work on ?
tabetha

 

yeah ok 20 years of repairing em i dont know shit lol the nut coming off question wheelnuts are not on the direct axis hence they dont come undone its the internal windings that come unwound if it runs clockwise its wound clockwise and vice versa american delco alternators very prone to destroying themselves thats why they so cheap theyre crap hence they dont bother which way it turns not gonna last anyway lol

 

how do you mean run the alternator backwards? by running it off the back of the belt?

or mounting the thing so the body is the opposite side of the belt to the engine? (with the alternator the forward most ancillary)

 

as in he cant fit it facing the front of the car-the pulley faces backwards if you see what i mean

 

Alternators will run in both direction, they just need the pulley/fan config correct.

if you need a cooling fan on the set up you are wanting to use, you can buy the anti-clockwise set up from a supplier!!

If the alternators at the front and has a good air flow over it, you shouldnt need one!!!

 

Think he will need the cooling fan as the scimitar is quite cramped @ the front,there's only a small space between the block and rad and that's fairly well enclosed

 

Most auto electric suppliers should be able to get one for you!!!

 

Cheers chap