Which Alternator to Get...
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Which Alternator to Get...
Well, I have the feeling my Alternator may take a **** soon, my volts are usually around 10 or less.
My Fans are constantly on, which uses a lot of power, same with my 8000k HID's. I want to buy an Alternator that can power everything just fine, without sacrificing quality.
I can get OEM Reman Alternators for around $100, but they're 102 Amp. I've been seeing 120, 130, 160 Amp Alternators on Ebay for an unusually low price.
Would it be wise to go with a Higher output alternator?
Thanks
My Fans are constantly on, which uses a lot of power, same with my 8000k HID's. I want to buy an Alternator that can power everything just fine, without sacrificing quality.
I can get OEM Reman Alternators for around $100, but they're 102 Amp. I've been seeing 120, 130, 160 Amp Alternators on Ebay for an unusually low price.
Would it be wise to go with a Higher output alternator?
Thanks
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I'm pretty sure they're constantly on, but that's not even the point, lol.
I just want to make sure that If I buy one of these High output Alternators, it wont die in a year. And also, If I went with a Brand name Remanufactured 102 Amp Alternator, will it be enough to power everything.
I just want to make sure that If I buy one of these High output Alternators, it wont die in a year. And also, If I went with a Brand name Remanufactured 102 Amp Alternator, will it be enough to power everything.
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#8
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I'm pretty sure they're constantly on, but that's not even the point, lol.
I just want to make sure that If I buy one of these High output Alternators, it wont die in a year. And also, If I went with a Brand name Remanufactured 102 Amp Alternator, will it be enough to power everything.
I just want to make sure that If I buy one of these High output Alternators, it wont die in a year. And also, If I went with a Brand name Remanufactured 102 Amp Alternator, will it be enough to power everything.
#12
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I'm pretty sure they're constantly on, but that's not even the point, lol.
I just want to make sure that If I buy one of these High output Alternators, it wont die in a year. And also, If I went with a Brand name Remanufactured 102 Amp Alternator, will it be enough to power everything.
I just want to make sure that If I buy one of these High output Alternators, it wont die in a year. And also, If I went with a Brand name Remanufactured 102 Amp Alternator, will it be enough to power everything.
Its perferct. I have a 427ci and a 1,000 watt amp with an under-drive pulley. Never drops below 14 no matter what. Not even at idle with the A/C blasting, stereo cranking, wipers on, rear defroster on, headlights on.....thats how I test it.
The reason I asked why the fans run all the time is: Because any time you're on the highway at a steady cruise speed....the fans should NEVER come on. Even if they're set at 173 to come on. But....what t-stat do you have? If have anything higher than a 160 t-stat, you're defeating the purpose of having the fans come on at 173 and all you're doing is wearing out your fans.
.
#13
Check all your wiring, including grounds. If everything looks good, pull the alt, have it tested for free at AutoZone.
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second keyword is "ebay"
alternators are simple devices. The output you get, in terms of current at a certain voltage, is based on the size of the alternator and how fast it spins. For your car/engine, you are restricted to a certain size/model of alternator, otherwise you won't be able to bolt it in or hook the belt up to it. Given that, the more an alternator can output (in terms of current) the more heat it will generate. The first problem with high-output alternators is they are different guts inside the same casing which can only provide so much cooling to begin with, and most would argue the oem designed the alternator around this fact so it would be reliable. Second, output of the alternator is dependent primarily on rpm, and there's two parts to this- consider what rpm your engine normally lives at most of the time, usually idle to 2000 rpm. The slower the alternator spins the less cooling it gets via the fan on it's pulley, so that's problem 1; the other problem is output is dependent on rpm.
What you're not told about a high-output alternator is at what rpm it is capable of outputting the necessary amount of power you need. It is called a high-output, not higher power, and what they do is rate the output in amps which is deceiving! Most of the time the alternator only outputs greater amperage at higher rpm which is usually more power but the higher rpm makes it irrelevant. The other deception, still related to power, is they trade off voltage for more amperage, so while at a low rpm they may claim the alternator is capable of producing more amps there is less voltage. If you have a voltage lower than 13 volts then you are still discharging your battery, and have dim lights and things don't work. This is what usually happens. The real solution is to do a pulley change on the alternator to a smaller pulley so it spins faster at lower rpm, or simply run the engine faster- it's all simple physics, to get energy out you have to put energy in somehow, and it is done mechanically by the speed of which the alternator spins... for the most part. Otherwise it's the general size of the alternator- how strong the magnetic field is and the amount of windings on the rotor and stator. Again, because it's the same physically sized alternator, more than likely it's not going to output more power in the lower rpm range.
Now i'm not saying all "high output" alternators are bad or falsely advertised. But given that these high output alternators are (a) on ebay and (b) priced unusually low, do not buy them. The real high-output alternators will first cost you more money, usually > $300, and they will or should be bigger.
So unless you want to fork out cash for a a real high-output alternator, stick with the oem alternator that's a name brand from a reputable part store- napa, advanced auto, autozone, etc. and get one with a free lifetime replacement warranty.
smaller alternator pulley:
http://www.alternatorparts.com/pulley_size.htm
http://www.alternatorparts.com/FAQ.htm
Installing a higher output alternator that is the same size as your original alternator will not give you more power at idle.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/alternator1.htm