Alternators

[70wayfarer]

i run a 100 amp single wire alternator. bought a cheap chinese one that lasted not very long. then bought a tuff stuff alternator which looked identical to the last one. anyway that lasted not very long either.
both of these failed ones i had checked by my local auto electrician and his opinion was " they are rubbish units, ya get what ya pay for".
what is a good reliable brand. are the powermaster any good. peoples opinions on the please.
cheers

 

[racerdan80]

Powermaster, no problems with my single wire unit

 

[AJ/FormS]

How much power are you pulling thru these?

I like the Chrysler units cuz
A) the regulators are replaceable separately, for cheap
B) it is almost always that the regulator fails, and
C) the alternators are rebuildable in the field for cheap
D) the brushes are easily replaced about once every 100,000 miles and
E) The armatures are nearly indestructible. In 46 years I have replaced one.
F) they are just so doggone handsome

Having driven Chryslers since 1971, I have re-bearinged a few, and on occasion soldered in used diodes, pirated from an old junker.
These are so easy.
I gladly put up with a bit of extra wiring, for these benefits.

I also like the old GM single-wire units, on account of the diodes are easier to replace, and so are the internal regulators. If I had to have a single wire alternator I would get an OEM Gm-er.
.

 

[spl440]

90 or 120 amp Denso out of a late 80's early 90's dodge truck. Also external regulated. Will need different brackets. Got mine out of salvage yard, $25.

 

[70wayfarer]

my engine is set up to use gm style alternator. runs ecu, fuel pumps, fans etc. have spoken to a few people and seems like the Powermaster units are the way to go. cheers

 

[68cuda408]

I run delco cs130's in big and small blocks with efi. the pulley is easily changed to a v-groove, uses one resisted "exciter" wire and one 8 gauge bypassing the bulkhead to the starter solenoid battery terminal. LA blocks are 1989 k3500 gas engine and BB 93 buick century 3.3. 105a all day if needed, but must use the resistor to prevent early burnout.

 

[70wayfarer]

I run delco cs130's in big and small blocks with efi. the pulley is easily changed to a v-groove, uses one resisted "exciter" wire and one 8 gauge bypassing the bulkhead to the starter solenoid battery terminal. LA blocks are 1989 k3500 gas engine and BB 93 buick century 3.3. 105a all day if needed, but must use the resistor to prevent early burnout.

View attachment 1715048347

ok , so i just run the one heavy wire to the battery via a rear kill switch.
these alternators are advertised as one wire hook up, and you say a resister should be used to make it last. is this why the last two have failed maybe. how is said resister hookeed up then. cheers

 

[68cuda408]

I'm guessing that you are running either a self exciting (modified regulator) or "full fielded" where the exciting wire is connected directly to the battery terminal of the alternator. The web is full of descriptive drawbacks to doing this with CS alternators. The Jeep guys have mastered this conversion. Pirate4x4.com has a really in depth read on this. I bought my resistor kit from GM but Painless, USautowire and others make them. So, what I've done after learning the hard way....dedicated battery charge cable (as you have), ignition source with resistor to the sensing lead on the connector pigtail (brown?) and the heavy red connector lead to the battery terminal. There's no need to waste the extra money on "hot rod" alternators when they all do the same thing and the factory units are more than capable, just add the wire and resistor. BTW the resistor was used in place of the battery/charge light and is wired directly to the regulator allowing actual system demand to be determined. It's also most commonly available as a 10/12 to 130 conversion connector, just cut off the 10/12 end and wire the yellow ti sense and the red to battery.