8n alternator replacement

[JoeinTX]

It's been 6 or 7 years since I had the little 8n redone and thankfully I've had to do very little wrenching on it in the time since. My battery quit charging lately so I decided the alternator was probably the culprit. I took it down to Autozone where they tested it and sure enough it was dead but they had an exact replacement for it in stock and I got it. As I was putting the new one on I kept having trouble getting the bottom bracket bolt screwed back in. I finally noticed that the bottom bracket bolt hole on the new alternator was drilled 5/16 but the bolt and bracket on the tractor were 3/8. Huh. I didn't think they'd sell the same model of alternator with potentially different sized bolt holes but I took the new one back and we compared it with the old one I had turned in to them and sure enough the old alt had a 3/8 bolt hole. Their speculation was that it had been drilled and tapped to take the 3/8 bolt and bracket on the tractor. They guy who redid the tractor is still in business but he is about 120 miles away from me.

So, anyway, just funny sometimes how such simple things can get complicated. I think I'm going to look locally for a machine shop that can mill and thread the threaded bit of the 3/8 bolt down to 5/16 while leaving the shaft the current size to fit the bracket on the tractor.

 

[mitch becton]

joe before you go to that much trouble go by talley auto electric 2100 west pioneer parkway see tom he is the owner let him see if he has a housing to correct problem might even have a good used one have known these guys for many years very honest and respected in the business his phone number is 817-467-3863 good luck

 

[Truro411]

Why not just drill the hole out? It's obvious the last guy did and it worked out fine for you. I did the same on mine...drilled it, installed it, forgot about it.