April 27th and May 3rd On April the 27th I fixed an oil leak on the oil filter. I noticed oil spread around the engine bay after the York trip, but the oil level hadn't dropped noticeably. It was just weeping slowly from the union on the bottom of the oil filter. The brass fitting was slightly loose in the bottom of the can. I needed to remove the filter to tighten the fitting, as the drain plug was in the way while the bottom hose was connected. On May the 3rd, it was time to replace the generator. Again, during the York trip, I noticed the Jeep voltage was only 25 volts and slowly falling during the trip. Testing a few days later showed that I wasn't getting any power from the generator. Rather than trying to fault find on the generator, I opted for a replacement 24 volt alternator. This would solve another problem with the voltage regulator. For several years, I've had problems with the regulator, getting it to give a consistent voltage. The output would change with temperature and drive duration and on occasions went up to 34 volts. The picture below shows the engine bay before work started. The large generator is below the oil filter, with the regulator on the left, fastened to the firewall.

I couldn't see any of the attachment fittings on the original generator and had to disconnect everything via feel. The original Hotchkiss generator powered a radio system in the Jeep and so it is rather large. I almost ruptured something trying to lift it out of the engine bay. The large mounting bracket is still attached to the engine block in the first picture. The rear end of this bracket also supported the back of the starter motor and also had a clamp holding the fuel pipe. The second picture show the generator and mounting brackets removed.

Fitting the new alternator was fairly straight forwards. Its new support bracket was a direct fit to the engine block mounting holes. However, I knew something wouldn't work out. There wasn't anything to support the starter motor and fuel pipe. The pipe would be free to vibrate against the new mounting bracket if it wasn't supported. I had a piece of suitable steel and made a new bracket for the starter. After bending, the pre-existing holes lined up where I needed them and only needed drilling to a larger diameter.

With all the mechanical side of things complete, I connected up the wiring. The warning light and cables weren't mounted until I'd tested the system. When the ignition was turned on, the warning light illuminated and when the engine started, the light went out. All good. With the engine a little above idle, the digital voltmeter ( fitted under the dummy radio in the back ), was showing 28.6 volts.

With everything working and now no need for the original voltage regulator, that was also removed. It was another weighty item that was no longer needed. I then used one of the regulator mounting holes to fit the alternator warning light. This is under the instrument panel, out of general view, down by the passengers feet.

With the tools packed away, I went for a short drive around the village to check the output at different speeds. The maximum voltage was 29.2, but generally around 28.8 volts. Turning the lights on gave a brief 0.2 volt drop before it returned to normal. It took most of the day, but I'm happy it's all up and running again. I'll keep the old parts to be sold with the Jeep in years to come, so who ever buys it has the option of repairing the generator and returning it back to standard.