Small Alternator

[river1]

Are there any alternators out there that a guy should watch out for that are designed to turn backwards on some surpentine belt systems? I know power steering pumps can be a head ache when mixing and matching?

i don't believe the alternators care which way they turn.

i got a small alternator from the local rebuild shop a while back. it was made by ND and was told it was from a toyota. i measured it to be just a bit 1/2 or so, bigger than the tractor one. just another option.

later jim

[wayne petty]

taxpyer...   most alternators will work in either direction...   its the fans that make the difference...  

since most fans have layed over blades... with that blade.. it can only operate without overheating the diodes for a short while...

many have optional fans with straight out from the center blades... those can work in either direction...

beware... some have a second fan inside the case... check that one out also..


i wonder about the way the stator windings are stacked ... as they are ///_///_///_///_  

a reverse rotation alternator might need the stator wound backwards..
\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\   but it probably really done not matter much...

[chimp koose]

Ok, while we are on the small alternator topic, how many amps will I need? electric fuel pump,fan,mini starter,tiny heater fan. No pwr windows ,door locks ,door poppers,ac or any of that stuff. Bare bones hot rod.I have a small alternator from a chevy sprint that I was told is 30 or 40 amps.Is it enough?

[enjenjo]

Yes that's the pulley that came with it. When changing over old Allis in the past, I just used a stock pulley adapted the the alternator.

Problem is, there's no charging system on the tractor at all now, I guess I'd have to find a pully for that type of belt and adapt it to the alt. Another idea was to use a motorcycle alt on the tractor, all it needs to do is charge the battery.

Speedway has the pulley. Or you could get one off of most old generators.

[wayne petty]

i really don't think so....

40 amps is cutting it really close... but if you don't run all the of the list at the same time... you might get away with it...

bare bones ... minimal full time run devices...  

you also want to know... that alternators don't like to run for long above 60 percent of their max output..   these might be different..

i also wonder... if some serious alternator rebuilder could install high amp diodes in the rectifier bridge...  i looked at the wagner alternators site and they sell replacement parts for that alternator..

its really important ... to have a volt meter on the dash...  so you know your state of charge and charging voltage...

you need to add up the accessories that run all the time.. like the electric fuel pump...  5 to 7 amps...    the electronic ignition.. 5 amps + or-

head lights ... 14 amps... ... do you use daytime running lights at reduced output???   you will have to measure those...

the engine cooling fan only cycles on and off... ... 25 to 35 amps...  but only for a minute or two.. out of 5....

perhaps.. there is room for 2 alternators ....  one on each side of the motor...    

its really a shame.. that nobody has come out with an magnetic ring.. bolts to the flywheel ... the dust cover will have the stator windings built in...  so you could run with just that..  with that much speed.. you would only need a partial stator.. it would not have to wrap all the way around...

[enjenjo]

Ok, while we are on the small alternator topic, how many amps will I need? electric fuel pump,fan,mini starter,tiny heater fan. No pwr windows ,door locks ,door poppers,ac or any of that stuff. Bare bones hot rod.I have a small alternator from a chevy sprint that I was told is 30 or 40 amps.Is it enough?

Most GM alternators in the 60s were 35 Amps. So with a basic system 40 should be enough. Like I said, for more money, Powermaster has versions of this that go as high as 100 amps.

One thing about these small alternators. They are a permanent magnet type, which is what allows them to be smaller and lighter. Therefore it is charging all the time. So the regulator sends the excess power to a heat sink that converts it to heat and radiates it away. So you want to match the rating to the demand more closely than you would with a larger alternator.

[UGLY OLDS]

I have a small alternator from a chevy sprint that I was told is 30 or 40 amps.Is it enough?

[/quote]


The Ugly Olds has : Stock lighting ...Heat & A/C system...Radio ..HEI ignition..A "cell phone charging port" ..( Better known as a Lighter) A tooter & a 3rd brake light ...Same 37 Amp alternator "donated" by a "no frills" '68 Nova still chugging along ....

That electric fan is going to be the killer ....I vote for a 60Amp......
(Common GM A/C cars ) ...


Bob......

[38HAULR]

its really a shame.. that nobody has come out with an magnetic ring.. bolts to the flywheel ... the dust cover will have the stator windings built in...  so you could run with just that..  with that much speed.. you would only need a partial stator.. it would not have to wrap all the way around...[/quote]

.
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Did Henry Ford do something akin to this with the T Model?
Frank.

[PeterR]

its really a shame.. that nobody has come out with an magnetic ring.. bolts to the flywheel ... the dust cover will have the stator windings built in...  so you could run with just that..  with that much speed.. you would only need a partial stator.. it would not have to wrap all the way around...

That is exactly the arrangement on an outbourd motor.  They are quite low output though because being permanent magnet the output varies with RPM and load, and if a serious size they would cook the battery at high revs and low load.

[enjenjo]

Some one is making an alternator that fits behind the water pump pulley. Unfortunately it would not work in this application.