[dwc]

I'm aware that the GM/Delco alternators have been used, but I'm not certain it's a bolt-on swap. A friend installed one on his '71 Spider last year, and had to mill a fair amount of metal from the rear of the mounting boss on the alternator. To clarify, the alternator sat too far forward on the timing cover before the milling. If you need specific details, let me know and I'll get in touch with him, and he can send some pictures of what was necessary. I also don't know if the Delco alternator has an output terminal (D+) for the indicator light on the dash. My recollection from owning a mid-80's Chevy was that there was the B+ cable and then a 2-wire plug that connected to the internal regulator.

I had a 1750 GTV in the late 70's that I did a lot of rallying with, and I managed to find a 75-amp Mopar alternator that did bolt directly on, and with it, I was able to use all the extra lights at once.

Something you might investigate on your '88, before swapping alternators, is the voltage output you've got now. For whatever reason, the Bosch units seem to have their regulators set a bit low, at least the ones I've seen. My '87 was barely making 13.2 volts, but had no trouble making its rated 70 amps. I changed to an adjustable voltage regulator, set at 13.8 volts, and the difference in how things work, like the power windows and wipers is pretty dramatic. These regulators are available for ~$22, and you'll get a new set of brushes at the same time. I also upgraded the B+ wire from the alternator to two 8 ga. wires. One goes to the terminal block on the left inner fender, and the other runs directly to the starter B+ terminal. I measured an additional 0.5 volts at the fuse box and it seems to keep the battery more fully charged, too. Everyone makes a big deal about poor grounds on Alfa's causing trouble, but every circuit has two sides, and the supply side can sometimes use some attention, too.

Regards,

Dean