Generator to Alternator Conversion Wiring Question

your 73 should have had a altinator origanally so I'm sure your wires are fine.

I converted my 64 to altinator and the original 64 wiring hands it fine.

Hope this helps

Only late '73 had alternator. Approx VIN 1132414931

But you're right; the same wire size (6.0mm²) was used with either Gen or Alt, so it should be fine.

Speedy Jim

Well , it did but i installed an alternator conversion kit when i got it. A few years ago I installed a wiring harness for a model that had a generator. So, i think a larger 'D' wire from the alt to battery might help recharge it faster.

Hello! I found this at this link:

I thought it might be useful. Jim347a

Here are a few quotes from that link:

Question - In the case of a failing generator, would it be wise to convert to an alternator instead of having the generator repaired?

Rob responded - You can do that if you want to, but it requires a little alteration to the car's wiring. Speedy Jim has the necessary changes to the circuits on his web site.

Question - Does a few Amperes make a difference?

Rob responded - The higher amperage of the alternators makes no difference at all if you have stock VW electrics -- it's only useful if you have spot lights, a big stereo and stuff like that added.

Question - The alternator that by Beetle has is rated at 45 amperes, for Toyota cars. There's one available, specifically made for the Beetle, rated at 51 amperes. Physically, the 51 amp alternator looks about a third bigger and much heavier than the 45 amp alternator. Maybe it gives more power? Will it put less strain on the battery?

Rob responded - The beetle's wiring will handle the VW 50-amp alternator OK, but if you use a higher power alternator than that ('75 VW alternators are available) then you might need to increase the wire size for the charging circuit to the battery.

A bigger size alternator won't reduce the load on the battery. It's main load comes from using the starter motor, and that won't change. A bigger alternator will recharge a flat battery faster of course, but the 30 amp generator does work just fine for most old VWs. The 50-amp alternator was added in 1973 when they added fresh air fans and other extra electrical items to the cars.

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I agree with you. But, would it still be OK to put 1 size smaller gauge/larger wire from the alternator to the battery? Would it hurt anything to try? Why do the say to add a larger wire for a 75A alternator?

because the factory car never had more than a 55 amp alternator... when "upgrading" to a 75 you need the larger wire to carry the higher current.

I swapped the engine, starter, and alternator from a '75 into a '64 (6V generator) without doing any rewiring. I had, however, already installed the "in the back" relay for the starter. I don't know that it would have mattered or not.

- Bill