GT4 alternator setup :0)

[juliankv73]

Gone for a gt4 setup now. Works a treat :0). Was worried it was goin to look a bit Much up there but I'm pleased with it.

Hi,

After having to replace alternators now in both my Rev5 turbo's, im seriously wanting to consider moving my brand new alternator from sBits to a GT4 set up.

Has anyone else done this and is it a royal PITA to do?

Im running a WRC inconel manifold with GT3582r turbo and custom manifold.

The exact same set up as GeorgeL, as it was all from George's car lol

Looking for suggestions to cosset my new alternator!

Cheers Julian

[planted1]

slung beneath on an mr2 they get a bit of airflow to cool them,
on the gt4 they have an air tube which directs cool air onto the windings,
not sure i would want to add to the heat in an allready hot envioroment.
What about a curved shield to stop water ingress?

[juliankv73]

slung beneath on an mr2 they get a bit of airflow to cool them,
on the gt4 they have an air tube which directs cool air onto the windings,
not sure i would want to add to the heat in an allready hot envioroment.
What about a curved shield to stop water ingress?

Ah I didn't know that! I'll keep it where it is then

Maybe use a shield curved like on the k&n filter induction

[PW@Woodsport]

This is actually a necessary mod when building a Mk1 turbo, so every 1.5 i've ever built has had the Gt4 alternator location.

Never had a failure or problem with that location, there is a huge amount of air that flows upward from the road in Mr2 engine bays, heat is not an issue.

[planted1]

Thats good to know as a guy at work is doing this with a gt4 engine we have in the ware house.
Im genuinely puzzled though ,as to why they fitted a black moulded air tube
to the alternators on the gt4,what was the reason for that?

[PW@Woodsport]

Probably just Toyota being Toyota and wanting to supply it with more air, they do a lot of that kind of overfussy stuff in my opinion.

[raptor95GTS]

did that air tube not also feed air to the top of the cambelt covers?

[Slarty]

did that air tube not also feed air to the top of the cambelt covers?

Not quite, no. During previous rallies, TTE found that the timing belt was all but melting on the rally safari on the ST185's so included an additional vent (the bullet shaped one, to the side of the main bonnet vent) on the CS ST 185 and latterly the ST205. On the road car however, the top of the cambelt housing was actually blanked off, so it didn't do anything.

The ST205's (and possibly the CS ST185's) did actually have a pipe on the rear of the alternator that was directed downwards, I suspect to draw air away from the alternator rather than to feed it, but it's not a massively important feature as I'm sure I recall more than a few members removing it without any issues.

[Charged]

This is actually a necessary mod when building a Mk1 turbo, so every 1.5 i've ever built has had the Gt4 alternator location.

Never had a failure or problem with that location, there is a huge amount of air that flows upward from the road in Mr2 engine bays, heat is not an issue.

I'd never usually disagree with you Paul but I had a summer when I cooked 3 alternators.. to be fair it was a hot summer and it was always on long spirited drives they destroyed themselves. I bought a used but nearly brand new Toyota alternator and it's been fine ever since

[PW@Woodsport]

Oh, that's the first time i've ever heard of someone cooking a 1.5 alternator in the Gt4 location.... 3 of them as well

Does your downpipe sit particularly close to the alt on yours Ollie?

[planted1]

I suspect to draw air away from the alternator rather than to feed it

I never looked at it that way round,
but would argue ,hot air rises,and the pipe faces down,wouldnt it be difficult
to force hot air in that direction?.
I noticed today there is also a heat shield fitted to the side of the alternator
on the gt4 engine,probably due to its proximity to the exhaust manifold,
but it looks like Toyota decided to protect the alternator from excess heat.

[Slarty]

Well no. When you think about where the pipe was positioned, it creates a negative pressure. That then draws air away from the alternator, thus cooling it.

[Charged]

Oh, that's the first time i've ever heard of someone cooking a 1.5 alternator in the Gt4 location.... 3 of them as well

Does your downpipe sit particularly close to the alt on yours Ollie?

yes, well fairly close. I've had that downpipe glowing bright red a few times

[PW@Woodsport]

Ah that would explain it, maybe insert a little ally shield between downpipe and alt?

[juliankv73]

Does the GT4 use a different alternator to the MR2 then if heat is a problem and haveing to have a shield etc to dissipate heat?

[PW@Woodsport]

Not as far as i'm aware, as i said this isn't normally an issue, i think Ollies downpipe might be a bit close.

[RST]

I thught the alternators themselves were the same but the EPC's has different part numbers for the '205 and SW20 and they look different shapes. I seem to remember them always being quite hot items -but alternators get hot anyway so not sure if they were any worse than other cars (maybe just more exposed when you opened the bonnet).

If it helps here was my last '205 WRC. You can see the duct from the "bullet" to the cam cover area (can't remember the exact set-up where that ended up) and a bit of heat proofing of the alternator closest the heat shield round the turbo. Can't remember for sure but the duct on the front side of the alternator tucked in somewhere round the slam panel, think it maybe went down to a small air dam down near the splitter (too long since I worked on one to remember, I don't remember there being one on the back of the alternator but might be wrong)...

[PW@Woodsport]

On a 1.5 you could probably just run that ducting down to the floor level to aid cooling.

[Slarty]

Can't remember for sure but the duct on the front side of the alternator tucked in somewhere round the slam panel, think it maybe went down to a small air dam down near the splitter (too long since I worked on one to remember, I don't remember there being one on the back of the alternator but might be wrong)...

No, the duct runs straight down and through the front under tray if my memory serves me correctly.

[RST]

^^ 'Ach yea, I remember it know. Just goes straight down. Looks bit like a "figure of 8" shaped opening in the undertray. Usually had to put a tiewrap round it to keep them from flapping round once the trays had been on / off a cpl of times.