Mondial alternator help

I have a few questions regarding the Mondial alternator. My car is a 1981 euro model. The alternator charges fine, but has started making rattling bearing noises. The noise gets better as the car warms up, but never goes completely away. Also at night I can detect a slight pulsing in the brightness of the headlights and interior lights that varies with rpm's. So its time to do something about it, and I have been reading up on what I can using the search function, but still have a few questions.

1) Are Mondial and 308 alternators the same model? There are tons of threads about 308 alternators, but very few for the Mondial specifically.

2) I am a habitual "while-I'm-at-it" guy. I would like to eventually upgrade to higher wattage headlights and maybe an upgraded AC system, so the idea of replacing the stock unit with a higher Amp alternator appeals to me. What is the consensus on the best way to do this? Get the stock unit rebuilt with higher output internals? How about using a 328 alternator instead? I believe they are 85 Amp vs. 65 Amp for the 308. Or retrofit a different modern alternator with a separate voltage regulator?

 

Thanks - I did not realize the belt was different on later cars. So I guess that means I would have to find QV water pump, alternator, and drive pulleys as well....I imagine that would be difficult and/or pricey? I have seen a lot of posts where folks say "just be sure not to damage the alternator pulley...it is the only Ferrari-specific ($$$) part!".

 

Thanks for the diagrams! Pictures being worth 1000 words and all....

Pretty much sums up that it would be quite an in-depth undertaking, especially as far as parts hunting goes. Looking at the diagrams though, how about fabricating a double belt drive to the alternator by simply welding a second outer pulley to the existing crankshaft drive and alternator pulleys on the existing early model configuration. You would have the existing common belt to drive the WP and alternator and a new second belt just between the drive pulley and alternator.

Fabrication fantasies aside, is it for sure that the Mondial and 308 alternators are interchangeable? If I just end up buying a new unit from Autozone or wherever I want to make sure I get the correct one. I have seen in other threads that the 308 unit is the same as from a Fiat 124 and possibly a Spider.

 

So I finally got around to taking the alternator off tonight, and of course the usual Insurmountable Roadblock comes up, just as it always does during most all simple mechanical procedures.

The problem is I can not get the alternator mounting bolt out. It is mounted from the back side of the alternator, and I can not push it all the way out because it hits the oil dipstick tube dead-on.

My immediate question is: Is the dipstick tube easily removable? It seems like I can feel a nut around the bottom of it where it meets the crankcase. I just want to make sure I don't break something here if I attempt to take it off, or need some back-ordered-til-October gasket or o-ring to re-install it. I suppose another option would be to just cut the bolt in half.

The bolt in question is arrowed in the picture. In the picture it seems the head of the bolt is facing out, so this is backwards from my car. (Disclaimer: not my engine in the picture, mine is much dirtier!)
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Great info, many thanks! It is a 2V car....1981.

Taking the tube off seems almost to be more trouble than its worth. I am leaning towards just cutting the bolt in half. Before I do though, can anyone confirm that this isn't some weird length Ferrari-specific magical bolt that will be impossible to properly replace?

 

I cut the &*%#$^@ bolt. The dipstick tube could not be removed, despite much colorful language, because the bottom male-male fitting wanted to unscrew from the block instead of the fitting that attaches the dipstick tube (just like Verell said it would!). It is impossible to fit any sort of wrench or other device around the lower male-male fitting to hold it in place while the alternator is in place. It is recessed too deeply among the motor mount and various edges of the engine casting itself.

Also, for future reference, if you cut off the last inch or so of the threaded end of the bolt where it pokes through outer side of the alternator, the bolt will still be approximately 0.0001 inch too long to slide out the back and free the alternator. You have to cut the bolt from underneath on the back side of the alternator. This is not a big area to work in and most tools won't fit. I tried various things and eventually used a dremel cut off wheel on a flexible extension.

So now all I have to do is find a match for the alternator that was in my car and find a new bolt. Below are pictures of the alternator. It is a 65A unit. My immediate question is if I order one of the 80A or 85A alternators listed above in Steve's post, will it fit? Is the only difference the internals or are the casing and mounting points different?
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What kind of turnaround time do you usually have on your rebuilds? There is a rally here on Saturday I want to make, that's why I was leaning towards trying to find somewhere with one in stock. From looking at diagrams and pictures, I believe mine will swap with the 308 alternator which swaps with a Fiat Spider. The Autozone website has a picture of the one they stock for the Fiat and it looks the same to me. I will hang on to my original one and probably get it rebuilt to a higher Amp rating when I drop the engine at the next major service.

 

Any tips on getting the pulley off? I tried hitting it with an impact wrench with the fan/pulley restrained, but turning the nut just spins the shaft inside of the pulley. So the nut/shaft is rotating as a unit inside the pulley/fan. I have it soaking in PB blaster for the moment.....

 

This was strange. For some reason the nut was stripped on the shaft of the alternator. So the shaft was not spinning when I was turning the nut, just the nut itself. (Yes I was turning it the correct direction!) After a few turns it started spinning freely in place and I finally was able to pull it off. Maybe this was what was causing my noise all along? The pulley came off after persistent light-medium tapping with a wooden dowel on the pulley, and then tapping down on the shaft while holding the pulley. (would be much easier with my gear puller I loaned to a buddy!) That sucker was really on there good.

Anyway, about to grab a fresh beer and head back out to the garage. Got to have this all back together and running by 8:00 AM (hopefully with several hours of sleep somewhere in there) so I can make the rally by 9:30!! Need to change the oil, too. Nothing like the pressure of an event looming in less that 12 hours to get the wrenches a-spinnin'!