Lucas ACR Alternator Repair Kits

[Miniliteman]

Just to confirm it is not the earth connection, can you take a big diametre cable and connect it between the alternator housing and the chassis or better the - side of the battery. And check again.

[Rally Pack 2000]

11 hours ago, Miniliteman said:

Just to confirm it is not the earth connection, can you take a big diametre cable and connect it between the alternator housing and the chassis or better the - side of the battery. And check again.

Thanks I will check that with a jumper cable

[Rally Pack 2000]

On 25/07/2023 at 05:32, Miniliteman said:

Just to confirm it is not the earth connection, can you take a big diametre cable and connect it between the alternator housing and the chassis or better the - side of the battery. And check again.

I think you may have nailed it, the alternator bracket isn't cracked or anything its all pristine and shiny but as you mentioned the earth to the alternator housing is deficient. Like you suggested I ran a cable from the battery to the housing and it went from 12 volts to 14 volts. Although it seems OK now after some contact lubricant at both bolts to the alternator it seems stable and high without the cable. I suspect my use of stainless washers hasn't helped with that. Thanks! Not even my auto electrician could pinpoint that one but he did suggest to buy the Voltmeter to help monitor where and when the problem occurred so with both suggestions I think it may be solved.

[Miniliteman]

Result! Although it is ok now I would clean and dry the parts where you have used the contact cleaner. Maybe use a bit of fine sanding paper before you connect it all again.

[Rally Pack 2000]

2 minutes ago, Miniliteman said:

Result! Although it is ok now I would clean and dry the parts where you have used the contact cleaner. Maybe use a bit of fine sanding paper before you connect it all again.

I still suspect the original Lucas one was actually faulty though. It used the same bracket setup and stainless washers for a few years before it started the alternator light dim flickering at night. But I think the threaded bolt hole on the Lucas  housing provided a better earth contact to the bracket. The result was a fault that looked the same on both but was in fact two different things. That's what threw me.

[Rally Pack 2000]

On 26/07/2023 at 22:28, Miniliteman said:

Result! Although it is ok now I would clean and dry the parts where you have used the contact cleaner. Maybe use a bit of fine sanding paper before you connect it all again.

Problem is back again. I thought I made sure all the earth connections were solid and put in star washers and all but the issue keeps appearing. I do think the regulator in the new alternator is erratic and only kicks in occasionally and that's giving me a false impression where the fault may be. Im not sure you can replace the regulators on these Chinese copies though?

[Miniliteman]

Google "Lucas ACR alternator regulator" and you will see that you are not the only one with a Lucas alternator that is giving trouble ....

Take the cover off and see if the regulator can be replaced. Could be as simple as some brushes that are faulty or worn on an angle.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Miniliteman

[Rally Pack 2000]

2 minutes ago, Miniliteman said:

Google "Lucas ACR alternator regulator" and you will see that you are not the only one with a Lucas alternator that is giving trouble ....

Take the cover off and see if the regulator can be replaced. Could be as simple as some brushes that are faulty or worn on an angle.

Yes I need to find out if these Chinese replicas are full replicas and can exchange the regulators as well. The brushes cant be worn I only just put the thing in and it basically did this from the start but i wouldnt discount faulty ones from the get go.

[Rally Pack 2000]

On 16/04/2023 at 19:00, Miniliteman said:

That looks alot like a Bosch body. Don't buy a bling one, please ...

Now pretty much convinced the new alternator is faulty. Auto electrician agrees. BBClassics is fine to replace it but they dont have any of them left so the choice is the 65amp Chrome Blingy one or a 45amp regular one?

[Vista Estate]

6 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Now pretty much convinced the new alternator is faulty. Auto electrician agrees. BBClassics is fine to replace it but they dont have any of them left so the choice is the 65amp Chrome Blingy one or a 45amp regular one?

If I remember correctly the same alternator is used on an MGB. The mg owners club do an uprated 55amp lucas for around £55. Worth checking. They do deliver to Aus.

https://www.mgocspares.co.uk/product/geu216/alternator-16-17acr-55amp-gxe2211-lra100-geu2206-alt114

[Rally Pack 2000]

7 hours ago, Vista Estate said:

If I remember correctly the same alternator is used on an MGB. The mg owners club do an uprated 55amp lucas for around £55. Worth checking. They do deliver to Aus.

https://www.mgocspares.co.uk/product/geu216/alternator-16-17acr-55amp-gxe2211-lra100-geu2206-alt114

Thanks for that. I will see if I can get a replacement for the one that I already purchased for I go buying any others. Those seem a good price though. It was the postage originally that made me go with BBClassics, to here it was exceptionally cheap compared to everyone else.

[Rally Pack 2000]

Still awaiting the replacement to come from BBClassics but I wasn't sure how long that would take nor am I comfortable with these Chinese replica ones. (Made by WAI Global in Shanghai China). So I stumbled across a Local seller offering an original Lucas 17ACR made by Lucas Electrik Turkey. What was interesting that although the mounting points and standard, Lucas rear plug are the same as older Lucas ACRs this one didn't have that really distinctive rear shape but instead a much shorter rear plastic cover making the unit more compact overall similar to the average Bosch unit. I have never seen one before nor did I even know there was a modern Lucas made 17ACR. Anyone heard or seen one of these before?

Interestingly the factor clearly labels this a 17ACR Right Hand Version. But all the sellers of Lucas type alternators would call this a left hand version for Pinto engines. I have always thought this strange to call the Left hand version for cars where it would be mounted on the Right hand side of the car.  So someone has been getting it wrong all this time.

Complete with hologram authenticity label

Same Lucas 3 pin plug with two large pins and one small and holding clip.

Two Lucas 17ACR 45amp Alternators Old vs New

The regulators and rectifiers in these older Lucas alternators aren't what you would call long wearing or reliable so Im hoping this newer design may address some of those issues of the older type. There does appear a few mm difference in the pulley mounting distance so fingers crossed there is enough flexibility in how these things mount that it still all aligns perfectly.

[Vista Estate]

Interesting find. I wonder if they are available in the UK. Probably not with BREXIT. 🤬

Have BB Classics dispatched your replacement. If not ask for a straight refund.

Let's hope the Turkish one fits OK.

[Miniliteman]

Think LucasElektrik in Turkey isn't a Lucas company, they just use the same font for their products and same green colour. Official Lucas products come from Lucas Automotive. Same thing happened with Bosch; company in Poland or Czech Republic made Bosch-like products using Bosch font and packing but the company name was Bocsh.

[Rally Pack 2000]

4 hours ago, Miniliteman said:

Think LucasElektrik in Turkey isn't a Lucas company, they just use the same font for their products and same green colour. Official Lucas products come from Lucas Automotive. Same thing happened with Bosch; company in Poland or Czech Republic made Bosch-like products using Bosch font and packing but the company name was Bocsh.

It says that its trademarked from Lucas Industries UK on the box and the hologram authenticity sticker on the unit. So presumably they bought the rights as you say to make their own 17ACRs. But the casting quality appears finer than the original British Lucas one and has to be better than the Chinese one. Where the Chinese ones seem direct copies of the classic English ones even down to their not so favourable regulator and rectifier designs these Lucas approved Turkish ones seem to incorporate more modern internals. Hopefully that will translate to a long term reliable unit for RP2000, fingers crossed.

[Rally Pack 2000]

Well I wasn't expecting that but the replacement from BBClassics arrived today just one day more than it took for the Lucas Elektrik one to arrive from the same state. All they had left were the Chrome Blingy ones. Its stand out over a regular one thats for sure. But once in place deep down I dont think it would be as "Street Machine" like as I was worried about. So Which one should I fit then? Poll? lol

Now while the first unit from BBClassics was faulty the friendly and extremely fast way to get me a replacement sent was pretty exceptional so it is a seller I would gladly deal with again. these replica alternators all come from the same source really and everyone here has has no trouble with them so I take them at their word that this type of event was just an unlucky one. But their response to the problem was as good as you could hope.

[Johnny Boy]

Good result.

[Vista Estate]

8 hours ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Well I wasn't expecting that but the replacement from BBClassics arrived today just one day more than it took for the Lucas Elektrik one to arrive from the same state. All they had left were the Chrome Blingy ones. Its stand out over a regular one thats for sure. But once in place deep down I dont think it would be as "Street Machine" like as I was worried about. So Which one should I fit then? Poll? lol

Now while the first unit from BBClassics was faulty the friendly and extremely fast way to get me a replacement sent was pretty exceptional so it is a seller I would gladly deal with again. these replica alternators all come from the same source really and everyone here has has no trouble with them so I take them at their word that this type of event was just an unlucky one. But their response to the problem was as good as you could hope.

I would try the Turkish one as its more compact and you could be the guinea pig for us all 🤣🤣.

If that's ok you could then move the bb one on.

[katana]

just looking at the comparison the quality difference is clear - just look at the pulley profiles - bumpy lumpy chinky or smooth straight taper with the turk, same with the fans ! Likely they'll both work but maybe for longevity,Jthe Turk gets my vote!

[Miniliteman]

Difficult to see from just one photo but agree with katana. Unless the offset of the fanbelt-pulley is too big.

[Rally Pack 2000]

6 hours ago, Vista Estate said:

I would try the Turkish one as its more compact and you could be the guinea pig for us all 🤣🤣.

If that's ok you could then move the bb one on.

 

5 hours ago, katana said:

just looking at the comparison the quality difference is clear - just look at the pulley profiles - bumpy lumpy chinky or smooth straight taper with the turk, same with the fans ! Likely they'll both work but maybe for longevity,Jthe Turk gets my vote!

 

3 hours ago, Miniliteman said:

Difficult to see from just one photo but agree with katana. Unless the offset of the fanbelt-pulley is too big.

Well as fate would have it while the Turkish one got the vote it appears your views on quality just by one photo were totally correct and it won by default anyways. On close inspection, (Lucky I didnt fit it first before plugging it in) the Chinese Chrome one has its rectifier totally out of alignment that the pins are shifted so far to one side that you could never get the Lucas plug in it. I dare say it could be disassembled and centred but it really shouldn't be necessary and I bet most wouldn't even spot the issue till they had installed it and wondered why the plug wasn't going in. I know some often see me gripe on here about the quality of Chinese stuff and think im overly pedantic even bigoted about their manufacturing standards but this is why I constantly harp on about it. Both alternators faulty out of the box.

Original Lucas Unit that came out of the car.

Chinese Chrome Unit

Lets hope the Turkish Unit fits without issue. As Miniliteman says there is a slight pulley length difference but Im hoping that the rear mounting collet on these type of alternators can be shifted one way or other to compensate.

[Rally Pack 2000]

Took the cover off the replacement shiny replica alternator and the rectifier had just been installed crooked so unbolted it and straightened it up. Then thought it was pointless to put it back in its box without testing it so popped it in the car and started it up.  Having only ever used my little voltage monitor on faulty units I didn't realise how stable and constant they are supposed to run at 14 Volts! LOL So that was a pleasant surprise but then I thought rather than change it for the 5th time why not just leave it for now and use it and save the good Turkish one for when this one craps out next month. It is a bit too um ....... blingy though, was there ever a Lucas Decal or something on these things in the past that I can possibly cover up some of the chrome? LOL

Its a bit chilly here 25 degrees inside the car in Winter while still under cover ....... brrrrrrrr

[Vista Estate]

24 minutes ago, Rally Pack 2000 said:

Took the cover off the replacement shiny replica alternator and the rectifier had just been installed crooked so unbolted it and straightened it up. Then thought it was pointless to put it back in its box without testing it so popped it in the car and started it up.  Having only ever used my little voltage monitor on faulty units I didn't realise how stable and constant they are supposed to run at 14 Volts! LOL So that was a pleasant surprise but then I thought rather than change it for the 5th time why not just leave it for now and use it and save the good Turkish one for when this one craps out next month. It is a bit too um ....... blingy though, was there ever a Lucas Decal or something on these things in the past that I can possibly cover up some of the chrome? LOL

Its a bit chilly here 25 degrees inside the car in Winter while still under cover ....... brrrrrrrr

You're making us all jealous with the temperature @Rally Pack 2000. Did they supply you with sunglasses for the alternator 🤣.

Now you've got to shine up the rest of the engine bay and the car. 🎆🎆💎

[Rally Pack 2000]

Ok well my nice new shiny replacement alternator for the first faulty one sh*t itself over the weekend. It started producing 16.5 volts (hope it didn't cook my battery) and the alternator warning like jammed on. I tried to unplug it at the back at the coffee and cars meet and you could feel the rectifier seems to be loose inside. After that coming home it stayed on about 11.5 to 12 volts only. I can see some new old stock UK made rectifiers and regulators, Im going to try get a couple of each and try get these Chinese crappers to do the right thing. If the Chinese cant make a primitive Lucas ACR replica that works it cant bode well for the complete electric cars they are churning out.

[Miniliteman]

Get a Bosch one