The new stereo and the fried alternator

[Mopar Vince]

After "suffering" many months with just a Bluetooth speaker in #projectvertfish, I finally put out some cash to install a sound system that I could actually hear at 75 mph and the top down.
I had done the mad electrical ammeter bypass (Catalog) and installed a 60 amp Denso style internally regulated alternator kit from Mancini racing. It had been working very well keeping the battery charged even with my dual electric cooling fans.
Then came the stereo consisting of a Boss 3" round weatherproof marine rated receiver, Pyle 1000 amplifier, two 8" mids in the car and 2 kicker 12s in the trunk.
Which btw sounded great!
Within about the first hour I glanced at my voltage gauge and was a bit concerned to see the voltage at 16.7 volts.
I was still 20 minutes from home so to lower the voltage I turned on the lights and heater fan and the voltage dropped to 13.9 volts.
Good right?
Wrong!
Because increased load = increased amp draw.
But the car made it home.
So I decided to take my alternator in to see if my regulator was toast (or whatever else)
Turns out I was drawing more amps (new stereo) than my alternator could handle and I actually melted the rotor and stator essentially making my alternator junk.
I'm now going to a 100 amp Denso alternator and I'm going to take a load reading with everything on to check to see if I'll be ok or if I'm going to be driving with no stereo.
Who needs a stereo anyway when you have the music of 500 hp under the hood?

 

[dadsbee]

Must be some forkin stereo to melt down an alternator stator..

 

[Super-Cuda]

After "suffering" many months with just a Bluetooth speaker in #projectvertfish, I finally put out some cash to install a sound system that I could actually hear at 75 mph and the top down.
I had done the mad electrical ammeter bypass (Catalog) and installed a 60 amp Denso style internally regulated alternator kit from Mancini racing. It had been working very well keeping the battery charged even with my dual electric cooling fans.
Then came the stereo consisting of a Boss 3" round weatherproof marine rated receiver, Pyle 1000 amplifier, two 8" mids in the car and 2 kicker 12s in the trunk.
Which btw sounded great!
Within about the first hour I glanced at my voltage gauge and was a bit concerned to see the voltage at 16.7 volts.
I was still 20 minutes from home so to lower the voltage I turned on the lights and heater fan and the voltage dropped to 13.9 volts.
Good right?
Wrong!
Because increased load = increased amp draw.
But the car made it home.
So I decided to take my alternator in to see if my regulator was toast (or whatever else)
Turns out I was drawing more amps (new stereo) than my alternator could handle and I actually melted the rotor and stator essentially making my alternator junk.
I'm now going to a 100 amp Denso alternator and I'm going to take a load reading with everything on to check to see if I'll be ok or if I'm going to be driving with no stereo.
Who needs a stereo anyway when you have the music of 500 hp under the hood?View attachment 1715717054

I ran into a similar problem and decided to create a separate harness of heavier gage wire fed directly from the the battery, fused and noise suppression added as well. I'm running a Retrosound radio, a 500 w amp, 200w subwoofer and 8 speakers throughout the car. Works great, clean sound and no charging/electrical issues.

 

[Scody21]

Should also note if you still have 50 year old wiring in the car you don’t want to add too much more load on the system. The wires deteriorate due to age, moisture and such. Would wire the stereo and fans as AAndrew noted direct from the battery, not of the power lug of starter relay..

 

[Mattax]

What he wrote in the original post is that he rewired the main circuit.
That wiring strategy can be argued about or discussed but regardless he did address the wiring when he began his alterations.

 

[67Dart273]

I'm not sure. the alternator MAY have simply developed a problem IE bad regulator which caused overcharge. The thing should NEVER go to 16-some volts.

 

[Super-Cuda]

What he wrote in the original post is that he rewired the main circuit.
That wiring strategy can be argued about or discussed but regardless he did address the wiring when he began his alterations.

Hey Mattax, I think doing the MADD conversion only addresses the bulkhead connection failures and removing a dangerous situation with the ammeter. It doesn't raise the load carrying capacity of the original wiring. This is how I interpreted the article and modifications suggested but I'm open to any corrections/observations.
I have also done the MADD conversion but it was done to replace the ammeter guage with a voltmeter and to remove the load from the bulkhead connector. Also, replacing as many bulbs as possible with LED's and using a Daniel Stern designed H-4 headlamp system with relay switching also has taken a lot of load off the original wiring . I felt that a wiring harness designed 50 years ago was not up to carrying the load of my new stereo so I decided that a separate harness with separate fusing and noise suppression was the way to go. Worked perfect!

 

[Mattax]

I felt that a wiring harness designed 50 years ago was not up to carrying the load of my new stereo so I decided that a separate harness with separate fusing and noise suppression was the way to go. Worked perfect!

I was really addressing the poster who thought the OP was trying to run a big amplifier on the original system. At least as far as we know, the OP wasn't doing that.

It seems like you've thought out your system and reworked the power feeds.

Hey Mattax, I think doing the MADD conversion only addresses the bulkhead connection failures and removing a dangerous situation with the ammeter. It doesn't raise the load carrying capacity of the original wiring. This is how I interpreted the article and modifications suggested but I'm open to any corrections/observations. ....

I have also done the MADD conversion but it was done to replace the ammeter guage with a voltmeter and to remove the load from the bulkhead connector

Well what MAD accomplishes can be and has been debated. I kindof didn't want to derail the thread. You know I don't consider ammeters to be dangerous but agree that the standard wiring should not be used when certain types of extra electrical equipment is added.

 

[crackedback]

With an OEM wired muscle era mopar you DO NOT want to draw power for any accessories from the battery or starter relay (essentially the same point).

Knowing what the potential loads are is definitely necessary to select the appropriate parts and materials to handle the job.