Se7enUp Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Is there anything that can be done to reduce the possibility of killing alternators when wading? I have 3 friends who have now done this (waded, then needed to replace their alternators). I know taking the fanbelt off will stop water being whizzed around the engine bay but I have an electric fan so am not sure if this is worth doing.. Can anything like WD40 be used on the alternator prior to getting it wet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 don't think WD40 will do it much good TBH. Not much can be done to waterproof an alternator AFAIK (someone correct me if wrong) may be worth investigating the new breed of alternators that have a clutch pulley on them? could be wired up to disengage when you go wading. otherwise it's finding something to encase the alternator in, or shield it well to prevent splash back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 I've 'killed' my alternator numerous times after filling it up with muddy water - in that it stops working. 10 minutes later it's working again, it's usually only a case of rinsing it through with clean water to get all the rubbish out of the brushes. At worst its a case of taking the alternator apart, cleaning it, and putting it back together again, and accepting increased wear on bearings, brushes, slip rings etc. Alternators are of an open design, they need to be for air cooling, so there's not much point in trying to 'waterproof' them as such, IMHO. A regulator pack for an A127 is about 12 quid, i carry a spare as its pretty easy to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Don't go wading Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robhybrid Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 I thought that water submirsible military landrovers had a key that enabled you to disconect the ignition live to the alternator and attatch that wire to ground, That would stop the alternator from prtoducing power whilst you went in deep water. It would help prolong the life of the regulator pack and other electrics. But the damage of dirt ingress is not prevented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 All the alternators that I've seen that have died off-road was due to the brushes getting clogged with mud and sticking. A quick clean with WD40 frees them up & you're away again. I make a habit of flushing my alternator through with clean water after I've been off-road, then run the thing up to temperature to dry everything off, and douse with WD40 to stop it corroding. So far, so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 I've seen some water cooled alternators on ebay, I think BMW 7 series and Mercedes Benz and Range Rover 4.4 have them, about 150 amp output. The BMW & RR ones at least look sealed. How they connect I don't know.I have to say I was toying with the idea of investigating one of them if available at the right price, rather than allowing airborne filth to do the cooling. That might be a way forward? If you're popping ordinary ones frequently it wouldn't take too long to recoup the price differential. Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 I'm not sure that most water cooled alternators are actually sealed - I think that maybe they just have a water jacket around them so that mud etc would still be able to get to the brushes. Many motorcycles use brushless alternators - it's a pity nobody makes them for off-road vehicles! I picture an oil-cooled modular stacked design with each unit putting out 50amps and a choice of pulley (at least for the lower rated assemblies) 'X-Gen' anybody? Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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