Jeep CJ7

[Bando]

Wow, nice buld man



I just have a little suggestion concerning your alternator:

I'm cant tell what model alternator you've got there, but many like yours have an extra high 100 amp max output level.

Something a lot of guys dont realise is some high output alternators can take up to 5hp of the engines power to spin when the battery is low/in need of recharging and the alternator is charging at its max output level.

Besides using a larger diameter pulley, a little trick some drag racers do is wire a toggle switch up to the alternator plugs ignition feed so you can turn the switch off to temporarily disable the alternators output for an extra burst of engine power whenever needed.

I was just thinking that would be a cool mod to do on your cool jeep kart there...

Hi. The alternator came from chevy sprint 3 cyl. Not a heavy alternator is about 65 amp. I put it to use headlights, brake light, taillights etc.. Only necessary lights. No heavy loads. I did not do any calculations for sprockets and alternator pulley but I can change it at the end, when I can see what happens. I can make changes later if something is wrong.

 

[Bando]

More Pics

 

[gokart14]

thats a long chain hope that works for you

 

[anderkart]

Hi. The alternator came from chevy sprint 3 cyl. Not a heavy alternator is about 65 amp. I put it to use headlights, brake light, taillights etc.. Only necessary lights. No heavy loads. I did not do any calculations for sprockets and alternator pulley but I can change it at the end, when I can see what happens. I can make changes later if something is wrong.

Cool, a 65 amp alternator charging wide open would only have the possibility of robbing your engine of 3 of its 8hp. That's not too bad right?

Yeah I figured you wouldnt be running a bunch of lights and accessories to require your alternator to charge full out all the time, but say: If your battery was only 75% charged (approx 12.25 hydrometer readings) your alternator would still cause a very noticeable load on your little engine just by maintaining the battery at full charge.

I just think you'd find having a toggle you could simply switch off (while trying to climb a big hill for example) would be handy to get all your engines available power to drive your kart anytime you feel its necessary.


Since you have to wire that alternators plug up to some type of switch anyway (so it'll charge and not drain the battery while parked)... all I'm suggesting here is you wire 1 toggle switch between the battery + post and your alternators "IG" and "L" plug terminals.

You dont need to actually install an idiot light if you dont want, but just wire in a simple/inexpensive 2-wire "single-pull/single throw" toggle switch you could use to simply shut the alternator off any time you wanted.

I think your alternator is a Lester part #14684. That's the same alt used on Suzuki Samurai's of that era.

This should be its wiring diagram below. You'd just be wiring it up just like the cars factory harness plug, but skipping the idiot light and using a toggle-sw. instead of an ignition-sw...


PS: it actually looks like you selected pretty good pulley diameters there, that model alternator needs to be spun up to around 5000 shaft-rpm to achieve full output.

 

[Bando]

Thanks anderkart. I understand everything you say, I am an electronics technician. But I had not thought to put a switch for that purpose.

 

[anderkart]

Cool, yeah you'll need some type of switch.

Those plug connections are going into to the voltage regulator that's built inside your alternator, it simply needs power sent to the IG and L terminals to allow the regulator to function. But If those wire 2 connections were powered on all the time, it would simply create a draw and drain your battery completely dead while your kart wasn't in use.

The large/main output (B+) post on your alternator would simply need to be connected directly to the bat+ post with 10 gauge wire.

Your regulator wiring is very low amperage flow, so you could use most any gauge wire or switch you wanted for that circuit.

I was a service tech (and rebuilt alternators) for 17 years at a Auto-electrical shop that specialized/only did electrical type repairs on cars and trucks.

 

[Bando]

This week I spent my time making fenders and installing the brake & trottle pedals. Also I put the jeep body on the chassis. Then the first test drive, everything ok, runs great. No problem with the long chain. About 30 miles with carburetor problems.

 

[Bando]

Test Drive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pypnis9UcgU

 

[Bando]

A little progress...

 

[bighead]

looking killer friend.

 

[Clayton]

Looks good Bando. You make that grill?

 

[Bando]

Looks good Bando. You make that grill?

Yes, jigsaw and hole saw.

 

[Bando]

Grill with headlights.

 

[redsox985]

Did you make sure to use 7 slots like the CJ did or was that just what fit? I like the look of the CJ's 7 slots compared to the 11 (IIRC) slots on the Willy's.

 

[Screendoor]

Nice job, very cool project!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

That really is a work of art!

 

[Bando]

Did you make sure to use 7 slots like the CJ did or was that just what fit? I like the look of the CJ's 7 slots compared to the 11 (IIRC) slots on the Willy's.

Yes I'm sure. I' making a mini cj7.

 

[redsox985]

Cool. I was just wondering if that's just what fit in the space or if you meant to do it. This thing really has a nice look to it!

 

[Amart2591]

This thing looks awesome Bando. Especially for being new to metal construction it looks pretty professional. I'd love to build one of these in the future.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Just out of curiosity, what gauge was the sheetmetal you used for the bodywork, and what are the dimesions and thickness of the tubing used for the body's skeletal structure?