pwrtrip75

iTrader: (8)

I have a 5.3L in my Nova, I made the bracket to use the older style GM alternator (internal regulator) and used my original Nova wires to hook it up. The problem - Ive gone through 6 alternators in a couple years. It usually fries the voltage regulator and I get super bright lights, sometimes burns the headlights out. Sometimes just slowly starts to die. Once I make a couple passes the alternator starts to whine a little and smell really hot. Its got a lifetime warranty so all the ones i keep taking back to autozone they exchange for free..(haha) Its just getting too routine and sucks. Changed it 2 weeks ago, drove it maybe 2 days, raced saturday night and its dead again.

The Autozone guy asked me if I had it wired wide open?? WTF?? Is there a way to control the voltage regulator? Or are these alternators that shitty that I kill them so fast?

And I know the power really stresses the belt, does it make any difference what HP it makes how it effects the alternator? The engine is around 700hp flywheel.

lowdeuce

What size pulley do you have on the alternator? You might be spinning it to fast on the top end of the track causing it to burn up. I always had a problem to with the voltage regulator on my 66 Chevy II, but I was running a high amp alternator with a stock style regulator. I just replaced the regulator under warrenty every year and it seemed to work out.

Jared

pwrtrip75

iTrader: (8)

The pulley is a serpentine pulley off like a mid 80s GM car, not sure what size.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

interesting... watch...

69LT1Bird

iTrader: (1)

The horsepower doen't matters but the RPM's that you are turning will probably be the issue. What are you turning for RPM's.

pwrtrip75

iTrader: (8)

I want to guess around 7000rpms..

WhiteS13

iTrader: (2)

You need to make sure you're wiring isn't making it run a constant voltage.

A lot of racecars do it this way to keep voltage up at all times. from idle to 8k.. ect.

They do this by jumping the field coil. Usually ends up with what they call a "1 wire" alternator.

Good luck.

pwrtrip75

iTrader: (8)

Can you explain what you mean better? Field coil?? Hiow is my wiring supposed to be? Doesnt a alternator normally charge at a constant voltage?
You lost me here.

Tommy69z

iTrader: (4)

On my LT1, I had similar troubles, had to run a ground all the way from the battery(in trunk) to the back of the alternator.

Scotty_82

iTrader: (1)

charge at constant voltage? yes, but not exactly. The voltage will raise a tic if it senses lower voltage in the system. (low battery)

As I understand it, there are 3 wires to your alternator.
* Obviously the larger wire on the stud is output, tied to system and also back to battery.
* The "sensing wire" is the larger wire on the plug, usually red. It gets tied to the hot wires further back in the "system" where the voltage is a tad lower than at the output of the altenator due to resistance and loads. A lot of guys tie this wire directly to the outplut wire at the alternator, and seems to work, but for the system voltage to be optimum and the battery to be charged 100%, that wire is supposed to be tied in away from the alternator.
* The "field" wire is the smaller wire on the plug, usually brown. This wire is connected to your ignition switch. If it were left hot all the time, it'd drain your battery. This wire, I believe, has to have a tiny bit of resisance in it, or, tied to the "charging" idiot light, which in itself creates a resistance.

OK, that said, here is possible, but not necessarily probable, cause of your problem. I too was toasting alternators, maybe once a year, on my fair-weather street strip S-10. I was using a switch to break the sensing wire, which killed the alternator output while racing 1/4 mile. (I learned this through trial and error) But, I believe, it was also roasting the alternators.

So, if you've got a bad or intermittent connection to the alternator, this is a possible cause of your problems.