Add An Extra Alternator To An Iltis

I have outlined the basic steps necessary to install a 12 volt charging system in an Iltis. This is the type of project that will involve a lot of trial and error. You will have to fabricate some things up as you go. First of all you will need to remove the engine skid plate and also the protector plate that is at the bottom of the inner fender just behind the passenger side tire. This will give you access to the area where the extra alternator will be mounted. These plates can be reinstalled when your done.

In these two pictures you can see the general area that the alternator will be mounted. The bracket will be bolted to the front of the engine block using the two existing tapped holes in the front of the engine block, they are 8mm threads.

Now as seen in this picture, I used a couple bungee cords to hold the alternator in place so I could figure out what type of bracket I would have to build. You will want to make sure that the alternator pulley is in perfect alignment with the crank pulley.

In this picture you can get an idea of what the bracket I built looks like, I used 3/16" plate. How you design and build the bracket is totally up to you. Just make sure the alternator has lots of clearance and room for adjustment to tension the belt.

Once the alternator is securely mounted on the bottom then it's time to move to the top. I picked up my alternator at a local junk yard, so I was able to find a suitable top mount that gave me a good amount of take up for the belt. As for the belt, I removed the outer belt from the existing system and ran a new belt from the crank to the new alternator. I used a belt with a length of 36 ¼" (920mm). You will have to remove the crank pulley in order to get the new belt in between the crank pulley and water pump pulley.

After the new alternator is completely mounted you may want to test run the engine to make sure the belt is not squealing due to misalignment and also make sure the new alternator is mounted rigid and not vibrating at different engine speeds. Then comes the wiring, which is relatively easy with the alternator I used. It is an internally regulated GM Delcotron 10-S1. Apparently this alternator was used on a lot of different GM vehicles for over a decade, because of this mass usage it seems to be one of the cheapest and easy to find on the market. You will also need another battery to complete the circuit which fits into the Iltis storage compartment nicely.




In the picture above you will find a complete wiring diagram. There are a total of three wire terminals marked on the alternator, #1, #2 and the main output of the alternator. Basically what you need to do is hook the #1 terminal up to a 12 volt power source (the battery) that can be switched on and off, you can use a toggle switch but if you forget to turn it off it will drain the battery. Another option is to use a 24 volt relay with the signal wire hooked into the existing 24 volt system and then the 12 volts wired across the contacts of the relay. You would have to find a part of the existing 24 volt system that is powered when the Iltis is running and off when its not. This wire that runs to the #1 terminal on the alternator is called a "Trigger Wire" it tells the alternator when the voltage drops and the system needs to be charged. The #2 terminal can simply be hooked up to the positive side of the battery constantly along with the output wire of the alternator. It's a good idea to add a circuit breaker into the system between the battery and alternator.


That's it! Your ready to start using 12 volt accessories on your Iltis!

Any questions? E-mail me...iltisvw@hotmail

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Thanks goes out to Rod for his help with this project...