Concerning Conversation With DB Electrical

[Gary Lewis]

In the past we've touted DB Electrical as a good place from which to get alternators. In fact, there's a link on the 3G Upgrade page to their website. But I'm rethinking suggesting that people buy from DB as I'm really disappointed in recent communications I've had with them.

I've mentioned in Big Blue's Transformation thread that I've been in contact with DB Electrical regarding the output of their alternators. I've been talking both on the phone as well as via email with a customer service representative there, and basically DB is claiming it doesn't have the data that shows how much current each alternator puts out at a given RPM.

I'm blown away that they are saying that. On the one hand, if that is true then what kind of a company builds alternators but doesn't test them???? On the other hand, if they do have the info then why would they lie and say they don't? I'm sure they have it as I've included at the bottom of this post the documentation that Jim got with the alternator that he bought from them.

What I'm trying to find out is how much current their various alternators for a 1994-99 3.0L Taurus/Sable put out since that alternator is what fits our trucks with a 460. DB sell four alternators for that application (110A @ $104; 160A @ $235; 200A @ $259; 220A @ $302), and I just want to compare their output curves to see if it is worth it to spend the extra bucks for a high-output unit. Maybe they just put out more at the top of the curve and yet put out the same at idle? If so, why would I spend three times as much and get the same results?

This seems to me to be a very reasonable request when thinking of dropping over $300, but to be told they don't have the info questions the credibility of the company. But to make sure I'm not misrepresenting them here's the response I got back after sending them the chart shown below:

"Unfortunately, we do not have the flow charts available for each alternator, but we do believe that our alternators are well equipped to perform at a high quality of standard and are made to last. We hope you’ll give our alternators and a try and that you’ll agree with us."

Am I being unreasonable? Do I need to pull the link to their website in the 3G section? I don't want to be recommending dodgy vendors and I know that John/Machspeed had problems with his unit, as he stated this here: "Scott, I'd skip on the DB alternator. Mine did not last long at all before it went south. Shortly after I ordered mine off Amazon, I came across several reviews stating that a once good product had gone south. I think Jim may have gotten his when things were good. I replaced that DB alternator with an AutoZone unit with a lifetime warranty on it."

Thoughts, please?

[Machspeed]

Gary, it may be that the person you spoke to is just lazy and doesn't care. That, of course, does not speak well for the company, or any company for that matter.

As you noted, I had trouble with my DB alternator. I bought it through Amazon cheaply and rather than go through the hassle of sending it back and possibly getting another bad one, I just went to AZ and got one with a life time guarantee. Adding to that, was the fact that after my alternator went south, I went web surfing and found a ton of complaints on DB Electrical. Several people noted, as you said above, that it was once a good company that went bad. I don't know, all I know is that I wasn't going to risk another failure.

Honestly, I think you should do like I did, pay the bucks, and get one with a guarantee from a major distributor like AZ. If you break down on the road, you can source one relatively quick without hassle.

Don't know that I'd say much more on the subject matter and I'd probably pull the recommendation.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, it may be that the person you spoke to is just lazy and doesn't care. That, of course, does not speak well for the company, or any company for that matter.

As you noted, I had trouble with my DB alternator. I bought it through Amazon cheaply and rather than go through the hassle of sending it back and possibly getting another bad one, I just went to AZ and got one with a life time guarantee. Adding to that, was the fact that after my alternator went south, I went web surfing and found a ton of complaints on DB Electrical. Several people noted, as you said above, that it was once a good company that went bad. I don't know, all I know is that I wasn't going to risk another failure.

Honestly, I think you should do like I did, pay the bucks, and get one with a guarantee from a major distributor like AZ. If you break down on the road, you can source one relatively quick without hassle.

Don't know that I'd say much more on the subject matter and I'd probably pull the recommendation.

Thanks for the input, John.

But I'm not sure it was the young lady I was talking with that was the issue. I think it was the technicians she was talking to who didn't want to be bothered. But in either event it doesn't speak well for the company.

As for getting one with a guarantee, like from AZ, I'm not sure they carry the high amperage units. But if I change it'll be for one of those - assuming they kick out more current at idle than the one I have. And that's where this whole exercise started.

[85lebaront2]

Thanks for the input, John.

But I'm not sure it was the young lady I was talking with that was the issue. I think it was the technicians she was talking to who didn't want to be bothered. But in either event it doesn't speak well for the company.

As for getting one with a guarantee, like from AZ, I'm not sure they carry the high amperage units. But if I change it'll be for one of those - assuming they kick out more current at idle than the one I have. And that's where this whole exercise started.

Unfortunately the one on Darth is NLA as RJM is no longer in business. In all the time I have had it, the only 2 issues were belt slip on initial start and having to replace a regulator due to the brushes wearing out.

I have no idea if these are any good, I just googled a high output alternator for a 1994 Taurus 3.8L:

https://www.powerbastards.com/proddetail.asp?prod=7777-220

 

[Gary Lewis]

Unfortunately the one on Darth is NLA as RJM is no longer in business. In all the time I have had it, the only 2 issues were belt slip on initial start and having to replace a regulator due to the brushes wearing out.

I have no idea if these are any good, I just googled a high output alternator for a 1994 Taurus 3.8L:

https://www.powerbastards.com/proddetail.asp?prod=7777-220

Bill - That might be a great find, thanks! But I say "might be" as I thought it was the 3.0L engine that had the right alternator for us. No?

Anyway, while this thread is about my discussions with DB I did follow up with Power Bastards by sending this email since they didn't answer the phone:

I have an '85 F250 w/a 460 that I've converted to EEC-V EFI and a poly-groove belt system.  And on my forum we've found that a 3G from a 1994 - 1999 Taurus w/a 3.0L V6 has the right clocking and ear/ear distance to fit right in.  I'm running a stock 3G on the truck and it keeps the 1150 CCA starting battery and the 850 CCA aux battery charged - normally.

However, I also have a 12,000 lb winch and a 3KW inverter that powers a 1.5 HP 110 VAC onboard air system.  When one of those is running the battery voltage comes down into the 11's.  So I'm considering upgrading my alternator, and one of the members on my forum mentioned your alternators in this post, although he mentioned your 777-220 and I'm not sure that is the one that fits.  So I'm following up to see if you have a chart showing the output of your alternator as I'm checking the output of the one I have and would like to compare.  (I can do the math on the pulley ratios, which appear to be 6 1/2 & 2 1/2", to get to alternator RPM.)

Last, why are your alternators the "most reliable, highest output alternators on the planet"?

Thanks,

Gary

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

Bill - That might be a great find, thanks! But I say "might be" as I thought it was the 3.0L engine that had the right alternator for us. No?

Anyway, while this thread is about my discussions with DB I did follow up with Power Bastards by sending this email since they didn't answer the phone:

I have an '85 F250 w/a 460 that I've converted to EEC-V EFI and a poly-groove belt system.  And on my forum we've found that a 3G from a 1994 - 1999 Taurus w/a 3.0L V6 has the right clocking and ear/ear distance to fit right in.  I'm running a stock 3G on the truck and it keeps the 1150 CCA starting battery and the 850 CCA aux battery charged - normally.

However, I also have a 12,000 lb winch and a 3KW inverter that powers a 1.5 HP 110 VAC onboard air system.  When one of those is running the battery voltage comes down into the 11's.  So I'm considering upgrading my alternator, and one of the members on my forum mentioned your alternators in this post, although he mentioned your 777-220 and I'm not sure that is the one that fits.  So I'm following up to see if you have a chart showing the output of your alternator as I'm checking the output of the one I have and would like to compare.  (I can do the math on the pulley ratios, which appear to be 6 1/2 & 2 1/2", to get to alternator RPM.)

Last, why are your alternators the "most reliable, highest output alternators on the planet"?

Thanks,

Gary

Gary, the 3.0 alternator fits your polygroove 460 brackets.

It won't fit any of our 1980-1987 trucks except the Windsors with top mount alternators.

As I've said many times before, if you want a 130A 3G on a V-belt truck you want the 8.25" C-C mount found on the 3.8 V-6,

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, the 3.0 alternator fits your polygroove 460 brackets.It won't fit any of our 1980-1987 trucks except the Windsors with top mount alternators.As I've said many times before, if you want a 130A 3G on a V-belt truck you want the 8.25" C-C mount found on the 3.8 V-6,

Thanks for the clarification, again, Jim. For some reason I can't seem to remember that. So perhaps I need to record it for my, if not posterity's, sake.

 

Looking at our page on 3G conversions (Documentation/Electrical/3G Conversions) we don't really say what fits what. So let me try this on you:

 

• 7": This smaller ear/ear spacing fits the Windsors with top-mount alternators and the trucks that have been converted to serpentine/polygroove belts.

 

• 8 1/4": The larger spacing fits the other Bullnose trucks, although the thickness of the ear will probably cause the arm to have to be straightened slightly.

 

If this is correct then I need to redo the 3G page(s) to incorporate this info.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Thanks for the clarification, again, Jim. For some reason I can't seem to remember that. So perhaps I need to record it for my, if not posterity's, sake.

 

Looking at our page on 3G conversions (Documentation/Electrical/3G Conversions) we don't really say what fits what. So let me try this on you:

 

• 7": This smaller ear/ear spacing fits the Windsors with top-mount alternators and the trucks that have been converted to serpentine/polygroove belts.

 

• 8 1/4": The larger spacing fits the other Bullnose trucks, although the thickness of the ear will probably cause the arm to have to be straightened slightly.

 

If this is correct then I need to redo the 3G page(s) to incorporate this info.

We need to clarify that there are two body sizes (135mm-4 hole 95A and 148mm-2hole 130A output)ANDTwo C-C mounting distances. (7" spread and 8 1/4")If you look at the alternator Bill linked it is the small body (4-hole, 135mm diameter case) which would have been the 95A model.The 148mm 2-hole style obviously has a larger area diode board, and I suspect is better able to shed heat from the rectifier diodes.Everything you *else said above is correct.

[Gary Lewis]

We need to clarify that there are two body sizes (135mm-4 hole 95A and 148mm-2hole 130A output)

AND

Two C-C mounting distances. (7" spread and 8 1/4")

If you look at the alternator Bill linked it is the small body (4-hole, 135mm diameter case) which would have been the 95A model.

The 148mm 2-hole style obviously has a larger area diode board, and I suspect is better able to shed heat from the rectifier diodes.

Everything you *else said above is correct.

Thanks. But do both body sizes have both mounting distances? Not sure it matters but I'm just curious. And it might help me think through how to explain all of this.

Looking at the 3G page I see that a lot of cleanup and clarification is needed. So this won't be an easy thing to do. But, our 3G page is one of the highest-rated pages on the internet for the 3G conversion, and it is one of our most-visited pages. So it deserves to be done well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Thanks. But do both body sizes have both mounting distances? Not sure it matters but I'm just curious. And it might help me think through how to explain all of this.

Looking at the 3G page I see that a lot of cleanup and clarification is needed. So this won't be an easy thing to do. But, our 3G page is one of the highest-rated pages on the internet for the 3G conversion, and it is one of our most-visited pages. So it deserves to be done well.

Yes, the 95A and 130A are both available in both mounting distances.

The best I can say it is that if you have V-belts you want the 8.25" mount, because if you have the 3.5" radius of the 7" mount the alternator becomes 'trapped' and can't really swing to adjust.

I'm pretty sure the 300 I-6 takes the 8.25" mount no matter what belt style. (Needs confirmation!)

Otherwise polygroove trucks take the 7" mount.

One thing I should point out... the smaller body (95A) 3G alternator does not require the Windsor cast bracket to be cut in order to fit. (so Bill's 220A link would be ideal for EFI Windsors)