Is It New/Big Alternator Time?

[ArdWrknTrk]

The voltage is running at about 13.5, but is coming up slowly. Very slowly while driving, with all accessories off. But I put the battery charger on it yesterday afternoon, so it should be up this morning when I drive it. (Making more runs to get parts out of the lady's shop before it sells, and today Steve/FoxFord33 and I are taking the trailer and getting an FE and an M-Block to sell.)

So maybe it is just taking a lot longer to come up than I expected. I already have the green light from Janey to go with a new alternator, but haven't pulled the trigger yet as I want to see that the battery isn't bad and is the cause of the slow come back. If it is back up today then I think I'll buy the new, big alternator.

Remember that charging a sulfated battery causes a lot of heat, and it isn't wise to do that.

So maybe taking a lot of short trips is actually advantageous in your situation.

At least with AGM there's less chance of warping and shorting a plate.

.

It would be best to determine if there is a fault in the alternator.

Which is why I suggested an amp clamp.

I'm sure it too is getting hot trying to get that beast of a battery to behave as it should.

It may just be that your AGM battery will take a lot longer to shed that sulfation, being that it's packed full of fibers.

Again, I know about the chemistry but not the specifics of trying to recover one of those.

Honestly, having a 220A alternator is only if you regularly need that kind of power (like winching)

It isn't going to do anything for you even with driving lights and a sporadic load like the compressor on.

[Gary Lewis]

Remember that charging a sulfated battery causes a lot of heat, and it isn't wise to do that.

So maybe taking a lot of short trips is actually advantageous in your situation.

At least with AGM there's less chance of warping and shorting a plate.

.

It would be best to determine if there is a fault in the alternator.

Which is why I suggested an amp clamp.

I'm sure it too is getting hot trying to get that beast of a battery to behave as it should.

It may just be that your AGM battery will take a lot longer to shed that sulfation, being that it's packed full of fibers.

Again, I know about the chemistry but not the specifics of trying to recover one of those.

Honestly, having a 220A alternator is only if you regularly need that kind of power (like winching)

It isn't going to do anything for you even with driving lights and a sporadic load like the compressor on.

Yes, the alternator is getting pretty warm. I touched it immediately after one of the 12 minute runs and it was quite warm. And the battery was warm, but not hot.

You are right, maybe the short trips have been good to bring it up slowly, and then the overnight charge last night may have brought it up close to "full". We shall see in a bit.

As for the 220A unit, I have used the winch a few times and the compressor several times, so would like the additional capacity in the alternator.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes, the alternator is getting pretty warm. I touched it immediately after one of the 12 minute runs and it was quite warm. And the battery was warm, but not hot.

You are right, maybe the short trips have been good to bring it up slowly, and then the overnight charge last night may have brought it up close to "full". We shall see in a bit.

As for the 220A unit, I have used the winch a few times and the compressor several times, so would like the additional capacity in the alternator.

I don't think the compressor is an issue.

It cycles on and off. You're not painting a car with it or running a sander.

The winch could prove too much for an alternator that can 'only' put out 160A (as Ryan has documented)

But it really only draws the max at stall. And you're never going to stall a 12k winch in a 6,400# truck... Even if you pulled Big Blue up into a tree.

Which is why I always go back to the amp clamp..

Put it on the alternator... Put it on the winch cable.

Diagnose before firing the parts cannon.

[Machspeed]

Yes, the alternator is getting pretty warm. I touched it immediately after one of the 12 minute runs and it was quite warm. And the battery was warm, but not hot.

You are right, maybe the short trips have been good to bring it up slowly, and then the overnight charge last night may have brought it up close to "full". We shall see in a bit.

As for the 220A unit, I have used the winch a few times and the compressor several times, so would like the additional capacity in the alternator.

Confused! Was the battery low because you left the lights on or is the alternator bad?

Just slightly off topic but surprised to hear you are looking at a DB replacement. Seems we had a discussion not long ago about some issues with these and the company not being what it once was?

[Gary Lewis]

Confused! Was the battery low because you left the lights on or is the alternator bad?

Just slightly off topic but surprised to hear you are looking at a DB replacement. Seems we had a discussion not long ago about some issues with these and the company not being what it once was?

The battery was dead due to an idiot leaving the lights on all night. But it didn't come up nearly as fast as I thought a 3G alternator should bring it up.

But the four 12 minute trips plus the battery charger all night had both batteries at 14.5V this morning. Took the charger off and went to town to get tarps to cover the three engines that'll be on the trailer this afternoon, and three tires to set them on. (Gotta hurry as I have company coming this evening.)

The voltage went to 14.4 after the start and then slowly came down to 13.9 as everything got a bit warmed up - and I was running the A/C this time. The fully-warm steady state voltage is 13.8 with that regulator, so I'm sure that's where it is headed later today. So the alternator and the battery work, but the alternator just can't bring the massive battery up all that fast.

As for DB Electrical, we can talk about that later today. But I don't know a better (less-bad) place to get a high-output alternator than there. However, I'm open to suggestions - although not Power Bastards as they won't even talk to me.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Confused! Was the battery low because you left the lights on or is the alternator bad?

Just slightly off topic but surprised to hear you are looking at a DB replacement. Seems we had a discussion not long ago about some issues with these and the company not being what it once was?

Gary's not happy because his fancy (completely discharged) battery isn't recovering instantly.

But pumping massive amps at a dead battery is exactly what you don't want to do.

And now all that sulfate has to slowly dissolve out of the matrix.... hopefully.

If Big Blue is showing 13.? V running and not going down, his alternator is functioning.

But there's only one way to measure output.

[Machspeed]

Gary's not happy because his fancy (completely discharged) battery isn't recovering instantly.

But pumping massive amps at a dead battery is exactly what you don't want to do.

And now all that sulfate has to slowly dissolve out of the matrix.... hopefully.

Gary, see you later today!

[Gary Lewis]

Gary's not happy because his fancy (completely discharged) battery isn't recovering instantly.

But pumping massive amps at a dead battery is exactly what you don't want to do.

And now all that sulfate has to slowly dissolve out of the matrix.... hopefully.

If Big Blue is showing 13.? V running and not going down, his alternator is functioning.

But there's only one way to measure output.

Jim - Do you read lips?

Yes, you are right - on all counts.

John - Sorry I can't contribute more to the conversation but I'm loading a worn-out 460 on the trailer at the mo, and soon the T-19 is to go on. But Steve/FoxFord33 is due in an hour so I have to be ready so we can go get the other two engines.

[Nothing Special]

.... The winch could prove too much for an alternator that can 'only' put out 160A (as Ryan has documented) But it really only draws the max at stall. And you're never going to stall a 12k winch in a 6,400# truck... Even if you pulled Big Blue up into a tree....

I'm not really thinking that Gary needs a lot more alternator, but lifting a truck into a tree is one of the easier tasks that a winch might perform. Pulling the truck out of a mud hole, or up over a rocky ledge are much more likely to stall out a winch. Those are the places that a winch that's only rated for twice the weight of the truck is marginally big enough, and a snatch block might be in order. And a sustained pull through sand or snow are will overheat a winch and bring the battery down, requiring pauses to let the winch cool and the battery recover.

[ArdWrknTrk]

.... The winch could prove too much for an alternator that can 'only' put out 160A (as Ryan has documented) But it really only draws the max at stall. And you're never going to stall a 12k winch in a 6,400# truck... Even if you pulled Big Blue up into a tree....

I'm not really thinking that Gary needs a lot more alternator, but lifting a truck into a tree is one of the easier tasks that a winch might perform. Pulling the truck out of a mud hole, or up over a rocky ledge are much more likely to stall out a winch. Those are the places that a winch that's only rated for twice the weight of the truck is marginally big enough, and a snatch block might be in order. And a sustained pull through sand or snow are will overheat a winch and bring the battery down, requiring pauses to let the winch cool and the battery recover.

Getting "unstuck" is definitely more of a challenge.

Honestly at some point traction becomes the issue unless you're chained off to a tree or something.

I'm used to wreckers and flatbeds so everything is hydraulic PTO.

Certainly slings and snatch blocks are essential for recovery.

I don't know that much about how easy it is to overheat a winch, but I do know that (like any other motor) that winch isn't drawing max amps unless it is stalled.