Best alternator option?

[Littlebeefy]

I did end up having a falling out with my mechanic over this one. He refused to do the upgrade so I'm now looking for another mechanic in the Atlanta area. Let me know if you have a recommendation. Probably gonna post the request as a separate thread.

Now that is interesting. Did he give a reason WHY before he refused to do the "upgrade?"

That's a fair question, L85. His issue was that he only wanted to either fix the existing unit or replace it with an identical refurbished one. When I asked him what was in it already, he didn't know and said he would "ask the guy at the parts counter". He doesn't like to vary from stock so I think I've gotten as far as I'm going to get with him. I need to find somebody I can work with that will go beyond "repairs". I've reached the limit of what I can do with my puny tool set and limited experience so I need to find a more adventurous guy for my team! Any recommendations on who or where to look?

[ArdWrknTrk]

You are familiar with The Prince Of Darkness?

I don't have a recommendation for anyone in Atlanta, so you are probably right to start another thread to get input.

As for the alternator being able to always provide enough output at idle to keep the battery voltage at 14.4, the 1G can't if you are running the blower on high and the headlights at the same time. In fact, I'm not sure it can w/o the blower motor on High as all the ones I've been around have had the headlights dim at idle, which means the voltage dropped.

And I don't think the 2G can as the info I've seen on its output shows it isn't much better than a 1G.

The real revolution came with the 3G. It has more output at idle than the others have at full tilt.

And a much better diode board, and dual internal cooling fans creating a wind tunnel, and.....

[Gary Lewis]

And a much better diode board, and dual internal cooling fans creating a wind tunnel, and.....

Yuppers. And an internal regulator that the 1G doesn't have.

[ArdWrknTrk]

That's a fair question, L85. His issue was that he only wanted to either fix the existing unit or replace it with an identical refurbished one. When I asked him what was in it already, he didn't know and said he would "ask the guy at the parts counter". He doesn't like to vary from stock so I think I've gotten as far as I'm going to get with him. I need to find somebody I can work with that will go beyond "repairs". I've reached the limit of what I can do with my puny tool set and limited experience so I need to find a more adventurous guy for my team! Any recommendations on who or where to look?

"Parts swappers" are NOT mechanics.

This guy obviously didn't even know about what he was working on.

Let alone have the sense to figure out what you were asking of him.

They live their lives going through the motions without caring enough to understand it.

You're way better off finding someone who cares.

[Littlebeefy]

You are familiar with The Prince Of Darkness?

I don't have a recommendation for anyone in Atlanta, so you are probably right to start another thread to get input.

As for the alternator being able to always provide enough output at idle to keep the battery voltage at 14.4, the 1G can't if you are running the blower on high and the headlights at the same time. In fact, I'm not sure it can w/o the blower motor on High as all the ones I've been around have had the headlights dim at idle, which means the voltage dropped.

And I don't think the 2G can as the info I've seen on its output shows it isn't much better than a 1G.

The real revolution came with the 3G. It has more output at idle than the others have at full tilt.

All right, Gary, you have me intrigued. Prince of Darkness is Joseph Lucas, founder of Lucas Industries, currently owned by ZF Shaftenflaaaagenhagggen, right?

And what do you have against the guy and how does it tie back to the alternators?

Help connect the dots for an ignorant soul.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yuppers. And an internal regulator that the 1G doesn't have.

Load Response Control that neither one of them have!

[ArdWrknTrk]

All right, Gary, you have me intrigued. Prince of Darkness is Joseph Lucas, founder of Lucas Industries, currently owned by ZF Shaftenflaaaagenhagggen, right?

And what do you have against the guy and how does it tie back to the alternators?

Help connect the dots for an ignorant soul.

It's not ignorance.

Lucas had it right with things like positive ground.

But many of us with MG's, Landies, Brit bikes, had nightmares and woke up cursing him.

The jar of replacement electronic smoke is a classic gag, and I used to have one with titanium tetrachloride in it.

[Gary Lewis]

All right, Gary, you have me intrigued. Prince of Darkness is Joseph Lucas, founder of Lucas Industries, currently owned by ZF Shaftenflaaaagenhagggen, right?

And what do you have against the guy and how does it tie back to the alternators?

Help connect the dots for an ignorant soul.

That's the guy! For one, I owned a Triumph 650 twin with his electrical system. Another, I lived in England for a while. And, I've done enough reading and talking, so understand a bit about Lucas.

But, I didn't realize that ZF owns Lucas Industries. Perhaps the Germans have turned things around?

 

[LARIAT 85]

As for the alternator being able to always provide enough output at idle to keep the battery voltage at 14.4, the 1G can't if you are running the blower on high and the headlights at the same time. In fact, I'm not sure it can w/o the blower motor on High as all the ones I've been around have had the headlights dim at idle, which means the voltage dropped.

And I don't think the 2G can as the info I've seen on its output shows it isn't much better than a 1G.

The real revolution came with the 3G. It has more output at idle than the others have at full tilt.

A 3G alternator obviously puts out more amps than a 1G alternator. There is no doubt about that. I am just not so sure it's as bad as you claim.

I think the main reason for the 3G was to meet the ever-increasing demands of vehicles as they changed to electronic fuel injection and they became more and more electronic. The 1G was used for over 20 years when vehicles still had carburetors and were largely analog, and they were just fine. Again, the one on my [carbureted] truck has lasted for 35 years with only one rebuild and it is still on its original regulator! And that is with the power-robbing HULK of the stock-style positive engagement starter motor. I haven't had to replace my battery any more than I have on any of my newer vehicles.

But maybe I am lucky or something. I just drove my truck and I let it idle while I turned my blower on high with the headlights on, and they did not dim at idle. I am running a rebuilt Motorcraft 65 amp 1G alternator. It was rebuilt by a local rebuild shop in my area about 9 years ago.

But I will freely admit that I am not in the habit of doing that, even with my newer vehicles. I can count on one hand how many times I have ever turned my blower motor on high on any of my vehicles, much less while the headlights were on. I was always taught to make sure everything was turned OFF before starting a vehicle, and to turn off whatever I am not using at the time. It just seems like common sense to me.

I just thought of something: maybe it was because of these old low-po alternators that I was taught that?

[ArdWrknTrk]

As for the alternator being able to always provide enough output at idle to keep the battery voltage at 14.4, the 1G can't if you are running the blower on high and the headlights at the same time. In fact, I'm not sure it can w/o the blower motor on High as all the ones I've been around have had the headlights dim at idle, which means the voltage dropped.

And I don't think the 2G can as the info I've seen on its output shows it isn't much better than a 1G.

The real revolution came with the 3G. It has more output at idle than the others have at full tilt.

A 3G alternator obviously puts out more amps than a 1G alternator. There is no doubt about that. I am just not so sure it's as bad as you claim.

I think the main reason for the 3G was to meet the ever-increasing demands of vehicles as they changed to electronic fuel injection and they became more and more electronic. The 1G was used for over 20 years when vehicles still had carburetors and were largely analog, and they were just fine. Again, the one on my [carbureted] truck has lasted for 35 years with only one rebuild and it is still on its original regulator! And that is with the power-robbing HULK of the stock-style positive engagement starter motor. I haven't had to replace my battery any more than I have on any of my newer vehicles.

But maybe I am lucky or something. I just drove my truck and I let it idle while I turned my blower on high with the headlights on, and they did not dim at idle. I am running a rebuilt Motorcraft 65 amp 1G alternator. It was rebuilt by a local rebuild shop in my area about 9 years ago.

But I will freely admit that I am not in the habit of doing that, even with my newer vehicles. I can count on one hand how many times I have ever turned my blower motor on high on any of my vehicles, much less while the headlights were on. I was always taught to make sure everything was turned OFF before starting a vehicle, and to turn off whatever I am not using at the time. It just seems like common sense to me.

I just thought of something: maybe it was because of these old low-po alternators that I was taught that?

The main reason was because of the demands of electric cooling fans, and the need to get away from the 2G 'fireplug'

You need output at idle if your Taurus is stuck in traffic with the AC blasting and those fans are pulling down 70A while you sit there.