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Renix Alternator relocation...

P

Paintballpsyco2369

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Memphis, Mi
Hello all, I have been doing some digging on this and thought I had it all figured out. I read through as many writeups I could on using the YJ brackets to relocate the alternator and up until yesterday when I was pulling parts off my engine, I ran into a tiny issue... I have the lower ZJ bracket, removed my compressor and its bracket and the whole fan assembly, but found my compressor to have 2 through bolts on the bracket instead of the 4 top down bolts all the writeups use... I guess I never gave a thought it being a Renix and possibly being different on that bracket...

So here is what I am wondering, Can I just use an older YJ compressor bracket to do this, or will I be stuck having to swap out my compressor? If it comes to that, I may just go ahead and keep the mechanical fan for now and leave the alternator alone and figure something out later... Thanks for the help once again, I truly do appreciate it.

Paint
 
It seems ANY place you try to call on a weekend to answer a question bugging the HELL out of you is CLOSED!!! Finally got a hold of someone today at a custom bracket place and it seems there is a universal bracket, such as this from Jeep Air can be used to adapt the older compressor to the new mount, just ANOTHER expense now to do this damn upgrade lol. Though I think I can easily get away with some angle Iron, bolt it to the compressor mounts with some grade 8's, then do the same slot thing that mount has to get the pulley alignment right... Was hoping an older bracket may have worked to further emphasize the whole bolt on thing I am doing with everything...

Paint
 
Are you trying to move your renix alternator, up where the a/c is/was? i did this (and kept the mech fan), but re-using the stock renix bracket, in another way, and fabbed the simplest dog bone bracket ever...

I was gonna post up before, but i really didnt understand your question.

WHENEVER you do custom serpentine component mounting, MAKE SURE ITS PERFECT... a very slight wobble = bye bye water pump. I found that unbolting the a/c compressor bracket, then chucking that up in a vice at the bench, allows for best control. You get 2 pulleys with that bracket to align the pulley of the alt in-and-out.
 
xcm said:
Are you trying to move your renix alternator, up where the a/c is/was? i did this (and kept the mech fan), but re-using the stock renix bracket, in another way, and fabbed the simplest dog bone bracket ever...

I was gonna post up before, but i really didnt understand your question.

WHENEVER you do custom serpentine component mounting, MAKE SURE ITS PERFECT... a very slight wobble = bye bye water pump. I found that unbolting the a/c compressor bracket, then chucking that up in a vice at the bench, allows for best control. You get 2 pulleys with that bracket to align the pulley of the alt in-and-out.
Click to expand...

I am planning to do just the normal alternator relocation, still keeping the ac but using the lower ZJ alternator bracket, and the upper 91-95 YJ ac bracket to move up the alternator. The issue I ran into is the compressor style that I have. The writeups are all written for the later model 4.0s where this isn't an issue, just changes the mount to move the alternator up and eliminate the mechanical fan. The problem though now is adapting my AC compressor to the new style mount. The link I posted is for a bracket that bolts to the compressor, then gives me some small channels for the new 4 bolt mount on the engine bracket, to align it correctly with the serpentine belt... The problem there is it is ANOTHER $40 + s&H from anywhere... Or I spend an hour or so with an angle grinder and a drill press and some angle iron and I make one lol. I would LOVE to just buy the bolt on bracket, but can't really afford it right now... I suppose I will just have to update when I get a chance lol.

Thanks for your post,

Paint
 
Was doing some work on the Jeep today and long story short, alternator may be bad, testing it tomorrow... However, I was looking at new ones and think I may have found another issue, the relocation bracket combo seems to assume it is being done on a later model (Non-Renix) 4.0, which through my price hunting I have noticed there are different alternators for the Renix 4.0's and the HO's.

Does this mean I'm going to have to swap alternators now too?

Thanks for the help,

Paint
 
the wiring is different on the HO alternator than it is on the renix. you cannot put an HO alternator in a renix xj.
 
zachandandy said:
You can put an HO alternator in a renix, if you run an external regulator. Not worth the hassle IMHO.
Click to expand...

That is where I was intending to go with this, I have been doing some more digging on this whole thing, and it does seem I can do it this way. Going to the scrapyard today for the ac bracket, a radiator for a friends car and an HO alternator if they still have any out there and don't want a lot for it... Though I think they wanted a lot for one last time I asked... Wondering if the one from the ZJ 5.2L engine I have out back might work at all...

Figuring to do this so as to just modernize the other half of the engine, that and I already have everything out already that would have to be swapped around, just need the donor parts to put it back together... I wonder if there is a scrapyard voltage regulator I could use for this whole thing too...

Paint

Paint
 
zachandandy said:
You can put an HO alternator in a renix, if you run an external regulator. Not worth the hassle IMHO.
Click to expand...

Well, brought my alternator up to a local place today, and he says the bolt that broke can't be replaced and it is therefore bad, or at least cheaper to just replace it. I know I can replace the bolts on it absolutely no problem, however I still think it may be bad, or at the very least it is quite old...

Also through talking to him, once I was able to explain what I am doing so he could understand, I would need a replacement alternator (IE: the HO Alternator) and a $34 voltage regulator that they sell there. I can still use the red wire I have now, but would need to change the plug on the other harness piece that connects to my current alternator (no pun intended...) again not a big deal. For the shop to install the voltage regulator on a alternator I bring in, is another $25 but if I buy the alternator and the regulator from them, no charge to install...

I guess the next step is to just decide if I want to buy new, rebuilt, or used on craigslist/forum, and go from there... Thinking I should maybe do a writeup for this as I have not found anything close to this upgrade written up anywhere yet... Any thoughts on this maybe?

Thanks again for the input.

Paint
 
techno1154 said:
You may find this useful.

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/zj-136a-alternator-into-4-0-renix-xj-109847/
Click to expand...

EXACTLY What the kind of thing I was looking for thanks! Got the ZJ alternator out back I can use so will just end up being the cost of the brackets (3 total) and the voltage regulator... THANKS AGAIN!

ironman2712 said:
you may find this link usefull...
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1050913
a am in the midle of relocating bigger alt in my 89 renix, got 140 amps bosch from audi/vw tdi model, tommorow will make alt and a/c bracket fit togheter with diy bracketry, will post picswith results
Click to expand...
I thank you for the link, but I am still keeping the ac in mine... I found a bracket that will adapt the older 2 front to back bolt compressor, to a 4 top down style on the new upper bracket. The ONLY downside to doing everything this way is now I HAVE to do my electric fan upgrade now. Was going to wait, but the new upper bracket also eliminates the fan mounting spot. Can still wait a bit I suppose, at least until I finish all the floor work, but it will be the same difference still so might as well do it now while I'm working under the hood...

Thanks again for the help guys,

Paint
 
I figured I would update you guys, I pulled the alternator from the ZJ engine I had (oddly enough sold the engine like 4 days later FINALLY), cleaned it up nice with a wire wheel, and putting it in a vice using a bolt, I then used the wire end of my drill wire wheel to "drive" the pulley, and hosed out all the innards with some No-Flash contact cleaner. Brought it up to O'Reilly and we tested it, passed with flying colors! Ordered in the nice Borg Warner "Select" voltage regulator, equivalent to what the guy used in the one writeup, today and it should be in tomorrow or the next day. I also have a bunch of grounding wires I snagged from my brothers firebird he parted out, which I will be using for the wire runs on this project. Got all my brackets powerwashed and looking nice and clean now, just waiting on the VR to come in, and I need a idler pulley bearing which I will just pick up when the other parts come in... I guess I will update you all with at least a pic or 2 when we get it done! Thanks again,

Paint
 
Alternator is in! All wires are run and ready to hook up as well but I ran into a couple new issues here now too.

1) I bolted the alternator in and now it doesn't spin!!!! Any idea what may be causing that? Long day on VERY little sleep or I would have checked into it a bit more, figured I would ask here though...

2) The ac compressor now seems to be too tall with the new bracket, REMOVING IT IS NOT AN OPTION, so I need to figure out how to make it fit with the hood. I am thinking I may have to put a hood scoop in or something, anyone else ever run into this problem? Any suggestions perhaps?

Thanks again all, if I get the chance I will upload a few pics tonight of it mounted.

Paint
 
Fixed it! It was the top bolt being just barely too tight. Loosened the bolt and it spun freely. Tightened it back down slowly till it stopped again, then tapped the back ear with the spacer in it till it freed up, repeated till tightened down enough and spun freely, no problems now :) As soon as I get my power steering pump replaced, and the ac compressor adapter plate, and get my new idler bearing pressed into the idler pulley will be good to go for a belt :)

Paint
 
cadillac 140 amp alternator is direct bolt in, no shimming spacing required, and plugs in! I did make a bracket for the rear.



 
Ill find out i through the box a way . Off the top of my head a 95 deville
 
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