Originally Posted by
metro_se-r Being that we're going through alternators like hot knife through butter, I would be interested in knowing how this works out for you.
I've been doing a lot of research here. Short answer to my original question is that there doesn't seem to be an off the shelf solution.
From what I've read, no manufacturer ships a 1 wire alternator from the factory, with the exception of forklifts, marine applications, etc. Nothing you're likely to find in your local auto salvage yard.
Some auto parts places will stock some of the standard GM type alternators with 1 wire regulators built in, but these aren't a bolt on affair.
So the next option is to convert the alternator to a 1 wire by replacing the regulator. This is a pretty simple thing, it involves removing the old regulator and swapping out with the new one. But the regulator is specific to the type of alternator, and I haven't had a chance to pop mine open to see what's inside.
Some googling for 'nissan 1 wire regulator' and similar searches hasn't come up with any reliable hits, I believe that our alternators were originally made by Hitachi, and they may not have offered such a regulator. So, I may be back to looking at retrofitting a more common alternator type that has an easy supply of regulators available, if I do move forward with this idea.