What alternators are you Silver Top Zetec chaps using in the Caterham?
I have a Jimmy the Fish/Dunnell 2.0 litre silver top and the alternator is getting a little noisy. Mine is a Valeo but the info has worn away - it's probably a 432836 but for RH use.
Trouble is I have had no success in finding one so alternatives are now required.
TIA.

Have you checked out options from Brise?
I can supply these - sevenspeed.co.uk

Mine has a Nippon Denso, £10 from a bloke up the street. Much smaller than the Lucas and a better voltage. The Brise ones are the same (similar) but at huge price mark up plus you still need to modify the bracket. As I said before, beware some of the Denso ones, they are Chinese fakes. Plenty in breakers for small money.

Look at this thread form last week.

http://www.7-dna.com/forums/index.php?action=vthread&forum=2&topic=389

Thanks guys!
Apparently the original Valeo is still available but with a lead time of 5-6 weeks (or so...).
All other info has been logged for possible future use - great stuff

Dorchester I'm chasing one down now myself

Mine is a standard Sierra Alternator, they're cheep as chips - why use anything else? don't know the Alternator number, guess the sticker has fallen off mine

Because in a Caterham fitted with a Zetec there is very little space to fit such a large alternator. OK, there is more space on the exhaust side but with a Blacktop water pump location that is not an option. The Denso is little more than 1/2 the size, produces 45 amps and is well known to be pretty much bullet proof. The one on mine came off a 1988 Daihatsu Charade GTTi that had been modified up to 200bhp and thrashed unmercifully for most of its life.

Fitted my Zetec back in 2001. Since then it has been fitted with 5 Lucas Recon units all of which failed within 2 years (one lasted a week). I fitted a Motorola unit off a Transit (1978 according to the sticker) which looked horrid but worked perfectly for 4 years, only took it off to fit the small Denso, sold it to a Tiger owner. But it was still as big as the Lucas units. The 3 Denso alternators I bought from a national Kit Car parts supplier lasted a max of 20 miles each, they were all Chinese fakes, confirmed by Denso. The Daihatsu unit has now been on for 4 years, loads of space around it,long may it continue to work.

CaterhamZ
It's big for sure but fit's in mine on TB side without complant. My Z install ain't standard so maybe that's the reason it fits easily
Worse bit for me was steering column fouling standard 2 litre Z oil filter mount, 1600 Z oil pump sorted that.
Did your daihatsu Alternator have the correct drive pulley as standard?

No. Used the machined alloy multi Vee pulley that had been fitted to all my Lucas and the Motorola units. Exact same diameter shafts. Perfect fit.

Where are you getting the valeo from Dorchester?

Well, I can get my unit rebuilt by a local Weymouth company - ABM starters in Weymouth (01305 812331) Quoted £50. They have the information for the Valeo 432836 in their system.
A company called RaysonsRadiators in Yeovil 01935 471474 are having the Valeo due in at their suppliers in around 5-6 weeks at £195.80 +vat.
Malpas Online are quoting £73.42 +delivery of £7.50 for their equivalent unit S.359661.
All the replacements are for LH units which, I am well informed, can be easily converted to RH operation.
I do not have the Valeo number for the RH version but was told that it was the same 432836 but noted as RH...
In my case I really want a replacement - JIC my current unit goes boobs up.
Hope this helps

Dorchester
I have now been reliably informed that the RH version of the Valeo alternator is a 9AR2707G.
Still bl***y hard to source...

Hello all just a word of caution about alternators on your Zetec. I had to move mine to under the carbs after changing the engine mount (made of expensive cheese from Raceline.....) anyway the washer behind the pulley failed and this caused the belt to come off. As the belt is close to the brake lines...... Yep no front brakes a close call and change of pants needed . The nice Mr Chris has since moved the brakes lines to run behind the chassis tube. So please check the pulley is aligned just nice etc.

I had a similar 'near miss' as the fan on my alternator cracked nearly in half...
Luckily, I spotted it (due to the vibrations...).
Replaced the fan with an older one, which is made of much stronger stuff!

Its not just the belt. When I originally bought my Zetec alternator kit (under carb version which used the old style Lucas external fan type alternator) when I tensioned it up using the supplied belt the fan was actually touching the brake pipe. If I had not spotted it the fan would have damaged the brake pipe on first start. I was not happy. Referred it back to the supplier he simply said that all chassis were different. I pointed out that his blurb said the kit fitted all chassis in a certain age range which mine was well within, still insisted it the buyers responsibly to check and sort. A shorter belt sorted it but a less observant builder than me could have had a huge problem.

With the small Denso alternator there are no clearance issues. Not only is the alternator way smaller but the fan is internal.

A friend once experienced a disintegrating alternator fan on his x-flow engine car. Happened at Snetterton on the long back strait, parts of fan actually cut a hole through the side skin as they escaped just missing the N/S brake pipes. Could have been interesting at the end of the strait with no brakes.