WD21 Alternator Relocation

[Taoism]

Anyone ever tried it?

 

The factory location is one of the most retarded things I have ever seen. I have no idea what they were thinking, other than maybe a lack of space elsewhere to fit it. The designers probably didn't envision anyone getting a Pathfinder in deep enough water to submerge it, but at the stock location it could. get ruined just going through a deep puddle/stream from water splashed into it.

 

I kicked all the A/C components to the curb and the spot the compressor lived in looks like a good place for the alternator to live. The mounting could be a solid mount and use the tensioner that used to serve the A/C compressor I think. The pulley sizes for the two components on the crank appear to be the same size.

Any thoughts?

[OldSlowReliable]

I spent a four day dune trip doing water crossings and didn't ruin my alternator....and i mean DEEP water crossings, one of which flooded my airbox and cabin with sand/water....didn't wreck my alty...I don't think anyone has relocated theirs either :\

 

On a separate note, since you ditched your AC, why not put the compressor back in, and modify it for onboard air?

[MY1PATH]

I have never damaged an alty from water intrusion. I've had my pathy halfway up the doors in water for several minutes and no harm.

Mean Green claims their alty's are waterproof if your looking 2 upgrade.

[Taoism]

Maybe Nissan uses better quality alternators than I am used to.

I have lost 3 from submersion, 2 in an old full size Blazer traversing muddy water deeper than I probably should have been in and one in an old Starion TSI during a late winter flood. The Mitsubishi one never actually got under water, just washed over by water forced up from underneath while moving the car to higher ground from the 16 inches of water it was sitting in.

I was told by a gearhead friend that if the water is clean it may or may not short out the alternator, but in the case of my blazer it was probably dirt and/or mud left behind in the alternator that killed it. He said I probably could have cleaned it out and replaced the brushes and been all good. Wish I had known that back then.

[TerranoNZ]

Can't say I've had any problems either

 

[Simon]

It's not water that kills them. It's typically muddy soup that kills them. The mud gets packed in and they overheat. I've done hundreds of deep water crossings without issue, but have killed 2 alternators in deeper mud where the alty got packed.

[Kingman]

My alternator has 207k on it and plenty of water driving and it still works fine. Like Simon said, mud is the real killer, most of the time. My buddy's Montero Sport has been through 2 alternators in a year because of water. Though I think that's just because it's a POS.

[Formerly_94PathyMan]

My alternator has 207k on it and plenty of water driving and it still works fine. Like Simon said, mud is the real killer, most of the time. My buddy's Montero Sport has been through 2 alternators in a year because of water. Though I think that's just because it's a POS.

 

X2, they are Street Utility Vehicles, not Sport Utility Vehicles...LOL

[MY1PATH]

My alternator has 207k on it and plenty of water driving and it still works fine. Like Simon said, mud is the real killer, most of the time. My buddy's Montero Sport has been through 2 alternators in a year because of water. Though I think that's just because it's a POS.

U sure its the original and not an original reman?

My pathy has had 4 or 5 (every 4 years or so) and all of them failed becuase of the VR would lock open because the pre 90's were only 60 amps.

[87pathy]

same here, 14 years on mine and only lost the VR once.

 

I ran it with a bad VR (18v+) for over a year, just turned everything on all the time.

[MY1PATH]

same here, 14 years on mine and only lost the VR once.

 

I ran it with a bad VR (18v+) for over a year, just turned everything on all the time.

 

 

yeh, every time my VR failed I'd just run everything or I would cook the battery and pop bulbs.

Gotta give credit to EXIDE tho, battery was cooked pretty good, once when it was new and once rt b4 I put the 180Amp in. Its constantly crystalizing on the neg terminal, had leaked quite a bit when it got cooked the 2nd time but it will still start the engine after about 30hours of the dome light being left on. I been waiting months for it to give up the ghost b4 I get my optima but I don't think it will for another year.