I just got a Powermaster 165 amp from my local speed shop for the same price as Summit has them, and I had it the next day. Looks like a nice piece too! Considering I've gotta mount it up high on top, I didn't want a nasty looking alternator ruining my fresh engine bay.

 

Thanks, I looked at them and would love a 120 amp chrome, but that will take awhile. So, I chickened out and ordered an OEM replacement AC DELCO from them for ~120 after taxes and it will be here Tuesday. It's a stock replacement so I know it'll fit with no issues, and since I'm not running any extra electrical I think it will be fine.

BTW, both the alternator that was on my car and the K3G I got from the junkyard are Delphi

 

Update: new OEM replacement alternator from Summit arrived yesterday and is installed and running. The voltage seemed correct at first, but then dropped a bit. Seems to be running just over 13, just to the right of center on the gauge. I took it for 3 short drives yesterday, no battery tender. Going to try driving again today for 20-30 minutes at a time and see what happens. If the voltage stays the same, and the car runs and restarts, I'm just going to start driving it and not overthink it. I will also put a meter on the terminals once warmed up to see the actual voltage since these gauges aren't always accurate, maybe my old alternator was running high because it was on its ways out (or because I did have a major loose connection, that was found back in December)! My '98 with 140K miles and auto would drop so low when stopped in traffic in D with AC on that the turn signal would stop flashing, but it kept running and running!

One thing I noticed last night was how bright the dash lights were - I haven't driven this car at night much and its been years, but I remember wishing I could make the dash brighter, but last night I had to turn it down a hair. So I think that is a good sign.

Maybe next winter I'll check all the grounds and connections, and I'm going to look into the big 3 which I just heard about researching the alternator. Next time I replace it though, I'm going to get on of the stock ones wound for more amps.


Lastly, a few notes on the alternator replacement, might have been mentioned here and elsewhere but thought I'd share:

• I wasn't able to remove the alternator from the bracket, but was able to twist and get the bracket and alternator out as one piece and then separate.
• I couldn't get the alternator and bracket as one piece back in there, and I wasn't able to get the alternator in there with the bracket already bolted in place
• I ended up putting the alternator up there, resting on the sway bar, then putting the bracket up there, attaching to the alternator, then bolting the whole thing to the block
• I decided to put the 13mm rear bolt in when the front bolts were still very loose. Glad I did, as the upper front bolt was not through the alternator housing, and therefore I couldn't get the rear in, and glad I found it before tightening all of the front bolts.

Serpentine belt tip: You all probably already know this tip, but I've done the serpentine belts on these a few times over the years, and always frustrated me trying to get everything lined up from under the car and then it falls apart when I try to crawl out and go to the top to tension. This time I finally figured out to put the socket and ratchet on the tension first, then drape the belt over the socket and let it fall down into the gap being held up by the socket. Then, I crawled under and routed the belt, with the socket holding the belt up and in place. The amount of slack was perfect for lining everything up without it popping off. Then, once the belt was in place, I crawled back out from under and simply did the tensioner and was done!

 

Just went for ~25 minute drive, including highway for a bit at 70. Popped up the headlights to see if they would cause the voltage to lower, forgetting my right low beam came unplugged and passed a trooper LOL. But no issues there. Anyway, when I first started the car, the voltage was up near the 3/4 mark, which I assume is probably around 15V. After driving, it slowly creeped down and when I got home, it was just above the 1/2 mark which I think is supposed to be 13V. Put a meter on the battery and read 13.98V, which I think is right where it should be after driving a bit. At this point, I'm just going to drive it like a regular car and not worry until the voltage gets to the yellow And every Sunday evening I hook up the trickle charger just in case I don't drive her for a week or 2.

 

Glad it's working now; current voltage sounds normal for an OE replacement once everything is fully warmed up/hot.

I'm surprised you had such trouble with getting the unit into place though. I've done a couple of these over the years on my various LS1 F-bodies, and it's always popped into place with just a little bit of twisting/maneuvering. I've never had that kind of trouble with a stock case-size alternator.

 

Yeah, I don't know. When I removed it still attached to the bracket, it seemed like it wasn't going to come out at all, but then somehow I twisted it the right way and it came out without any issue. Maybe I just couldn't figure out how to get it back in the same way. But I just thought I'd share what worked for me just in case someone else is having the same issues. Went for a lunch break drive after posting, stopped for a gas cap (P0440) an alignment, then gas, then milk, so that's like 7 starts in 60-90 minutes and everything seems well

 

A couple of years back I installed a new aftermarket alternator that should have fit a Yukon Denali/Cadillac Escalade, 145 Amps, tight fit but it worked in my 1999 LS1 Trans Am.

 

One realization that hit me the other day was that I might have been able to get the silverado alternator in by using the same process of putting it up there without the bracket, then putting the bracket on the alternator, then bolting the whole thing to the block. But oh well, I'm happy with my new replacement.

 

Update on my crummie charging sys.99 TA 140K miles still runs great, charging has improved a tad.

My new power master CS130 the 160amp alternator has helped a bit but not the complete solution. I did reuse my exciter orange wire it was in good shape. an I do have the big3 w/ 0AWG thick cable.


When engine is ideling at a redlight trans. In drive an AC is on low just AC an no blower

(no radio,no headlights just AC).

She’ll charge for about 30 seconds then she drops, so I either have to shift trans to neutral to kept AC on or leave in drive an turn off AC.

Another observation is if I’m at a quick redlight an leave the trans. In drive w/ AC on if she doe’s drop (lower the charge) as soon as I move forward the charge increases.



Not sure whats happening w/ moving forward if it’s the slitest increase in RPMs increases charge, I’ve tried this in driveway doesn’t take much more RPMs to increase charge. Now driving off from redlight she charges normaly well above the 12 o’clock position (I think it 12VDC).



I have a sleeper type cam my idel is set at 590RPM.



Additionaly when stopped in drive an after around the 30 seconds just shifting to neutral increases charge however the RPM stays at 590RPM. So maybe the trans has something to do w/ this charging issue. Thanks for any charging tips.

 

at idle....what is the output of that alt ? seems like its not enough for the load

 

I know to mearsure amps (current) the multimeter must be inserted into the circuit.not sure if the alt.s output would fry the thin prob leads?

can I connect multimeter directly to battery an mearsure VDC?
how do you suggest mearsuring the alts. output. weird that I only have this dam charging problem is in hot summer.
thanks for advising

 

I think to test the amperage you have to have the alternator “load tested.” You can check to see if the alt is putting out 14 volts though.

 

OK I know a battery store that doe's the load test free to. w/ hood open I can also confirm the electric fans 1 &2 come on or both.
the ppl at power master suggested I install a thick battery cable from alt.s case to neg of battery ( I may have done that but I think I connected to engine block like it's always been. maybe theres a differnce? my big 3 is from alts case to engine block.

I do have the big3 w/ 0AWG thick cable. 0AWG thick cable from out of alt. directly to battery positive. out of battery neg. to body.

on alt.s case to engine block, not to the neg of battery but I'm willing to try, I thought a ground was a ground. so your (PM tech surport) saying alt. case to neg of battery is different?

" The power wire that you are running from the alternator to the battery" positive is just thck 0AWG cable no fuse.
car idels at 590RPM I'll confirm it changes when AC is turned on. so doe's idel change when AC is on?( I don't drive the TA much anymore but should know this)

another thing about the AC being on at idel stopped I believe my 2 cooling fans come on right away. these fans 1 &2 come on only during certain times like if it's 100* ambient temp an I'm stuck in traffic I believe both are on. then during a time this hot only 1 fan stays on even after engine is turned off.
I bet the ECU turns these fans off when the car starts moving BC she'll start charging, I'm sure those 2 fans are sucking up some serious electrical power another reason this issue only happens in hot summer in winter they never come on even stuck in traffic.thanks

 

Does the engine actually ever die or you just get a voltage drop with the accessories running? Your engine doesn’t have underdrive pulleys on it does it? If it was me I probably wouldn’t bother with wrestling the new alternator out to have it tested. I’m thinking if it was bad you’d have had a dead battery within the first drive. If it turns out that it does have under drive pulleys a higher amp alternator will help some.

 

Are you using the OEM crank & alternator pulley diameters? With OEM at 800rpm idle speed, alternator shaft rpm is ~2500 vs ~1850 at 590rpm. Does behavior improve if you use the OEM idle RPM of 800?

 

Yeah I’m thinking he may have underdrive pulleys as well. It has all the classic symptoms anyway. That or crappy wiring.

 

Just an FYI, but the OEM idle speed of 800rpm is only for the M6 cars. For an A4 it was 550rpm in gear, 650rpm in P/N. But with him having a built engine, I'm surprised that idle speed would have been kept so low (590rpm). Even with a little B1 cam (221°//.558"//114° single pattern) I still bumped my A4 idle speed to 800rpm (I couldn't really imagine wanting to go lower than 750rpm even with that small cam).

 

responses in red above. I believe the battery souucres tester tests the alternator while it's on the car not nessesary to remove (like at autozones machice tester. thanks

my car is a A4 I should have clairified shifting from drive to neutral. what I haven't tryed yet w/ new sc130 alt. is throttle up a bit while she's still in drive, will try an report back. thanks

no stock sized pulleys.

I have a baby cam it makes alot of torque down low an the lope isn't realy noticable unless you know cams. 216-224-551-551x115 346ci.I studied alot about tuning settings but realy didn't think much of idels RPMs. the tuner discussed idel RMPs briefly, I opted for the stockish idel the cam lope was much more noticeable the higher the RPM I like stealth .
what do you think about the alternators case being grounded directly back to neg. of battery? like is there a differnce than a body or block ground? I thought ground was ground. maybe I can do both leave the alt.case to engine block ground an add alt.case to neg of battery. isn't that referred to as the big 4?
I think the cooling fans 1 &2 while stopped come on an suck down the charge ,like when the initial stop happens it takes about 15-30 seconds for the suckdown to occur.
do these fans turn off immediately when car starts to move increasing the charge bc I can not touch the throttle an just the the torque convert move the car then she reverts back to charging of course charge increases w/ increase in throttle.
thanks

 

Based on the voltmeter, this is 100% normal, my man.

 

Based on the voltmeter, this is 100% normal, my man. You can get the idle setting adjusted in the tune (N/D, AC on/off) if it bothers you.