flathead31coupe
Well-Known Member
what is the best and easiest up grade for my factory dart charging system
1966 dart factory charging system up grade ?
- Thread starter flathead31coupe
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TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Basic question, basic answer.
Dual field alternator and a solid state regulator.
Dual field alternator and a solid state regulator.
1963dartgt
Well-Known Member
This, works great and get great idle voltage without anything fancy.Basic question, basic answer.
Dual field alternator and a solid state regulator.
Rapid Robert
Well-Known Member
#1 clean ALL terminals/connections in the electrical system including the ground paths & yes toss the problematic electromechanical reg & get a solid state unit.THEN if you need one of the dual field terminal 70's alts then upgrade & an option, several of the non Mopar alts are far better in function. You want the ammeter needle to be close to 12 O'clock at all times which tells you the system is in equilibrium, that the alt is supplying what the system needs plus just keeping the battery topped off. highest amp OE alt (other than the Leece Neville big beast which is good but is heavy & requires its own specific bracketry) is a 78 amp alt for an 85 M body & it needs a slight fore/aft adjustment (stator in the middle of the alt cases is thin compared to the earlier wide ones) & it might need the common chebby swing arm bracket, a chrome one is sold commonly for $10. but some of those alts (not the chebby ones ) may produce higher total amps but possibly less at lower RPM's which hurts you even more (just for a daily driver) unless you are relaying in alot of extra draws like stereos/lights etc which needs the extra capacity.
flathead31coupe
Well-Known Member
So I can use that factory amp gauge....
Rapid Robert
Well-Known Member
I like it & never had an issue with em tho a few have(I think loose/corroded ammeter terminals are the bulk of the prob) & I add a voltmeter to switched 12V. I would highly suggest doing the bulkhead parallel bypass which is running 2 wires straight thru, the two main in/out power wires instead of the 2 pairs of male/female brass terminals for those two circuits. add 4" inches of wire(s) on the backside of the bulkhead under the firewall with that mod so if you need to seperate the bulkhead halves at a later date you can pull the front half out/forward. On the rest of the bulkhead terminals use a small bristle brush on the male ones and a spare male one on the female ones (a new female one if needed is a NAPA 725145-99 cents). then spray clean the terminals with brake kleen & ask Radio shack for their recommendation on something on them to enhance conductivity/reduce corrosion. check terminal alignment with the bulkhead halves going together, dont want to force anything.
My ammeter failed a few months after installing a 60A alternator leaving me stranded 30 miles from home, the quick fix was to move one wire to the other post on the ammeter thus completing the circuit and I was up and running in ten minutes .
When installing a higher amperage alternator do that and run a 10 gauge wire from the alternator to the starter or battery and install a volt meter.
When installing a higher amperage alternator do that and run a 10 gauge wire from the alternator to the starter or battery and install a volt meter.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Maybe. Easier w/ a 1963 or 1965 car (you didn't tell us). Otherwise, do the "fleet wiring" to avoid the iffy 57 terminals in the bulkhead which like to melt. Many posts. Search "MAD Bypass". I use shunt diodes so I don't over-range the ammeter regardless of what alternator I later install.
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