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The great alternator question... #125399 09/24/08 09:15 AM 09/24/08 09:15 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,980 30 Rock JS29 OP master
JS29 OP master Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,980 30 Rock	I've been read all I could find, and there are a lot of varying opinions on replacing/upgrading alternators on our old mopars. So much so, almost feel more lost than when I started. What are the stock (amp) specs for a 70 alternator? Would swapping out my anemic alternator with this one be worth it? All I want to do is prevent dimming lights and keep my radio powered at idle while stopped in Drive. BTW, aside from an aftermarket CD-Radio, I am not running any other non-stock electrical items (no electric fuel pump, no electrical fans, no amps, etc...) If I did swap out with the 50amp linked above, would I need to do any rewiring as recommended with other high-amp upgrades? Thanks

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: JS29] #125400 09/24/08 10:19 AM 09/24/08 10:19 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 31,046 Oregon A AndyF I Win
AndyF I Win A Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 31,046 Oregon	I developed the Denso swap to solve those problems. The stock Mopar alternators are very lazy at low speeds. The Denso alternator solves all the problems and it bolts on with very easy wiring mods. I switched my car over a long time ago and would never go back to a Mopar alternator.

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: AndyF] #125401 09/24/08 01:34 PM 09/24/08 01:34 PM
Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 6,096 Valencia, España NachoRT74 master
NachoRT74 master Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 6,096 Valencia, España	lates 70s, eartliers 80s stock mopar alts gives good power... and you have also upgrade kits option: http://store.alternatorparts.com/daimlerchrysler.aspx With a Charger born in Chrysler assembly plant in Valencia, Venezuela

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: JS29] #125402 09/24/08 01:53 PM 09/24/08 01:53 PM
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado D denfireguy top fuel
denfireguy top fuel D Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado	Quote: I've been read all I could find, and there are a lot of varying opinions on replacing/upgrading alternators on our old mopars. So much so, almost feel more lost than when I started. What are the stock (amp) specs for a 70 alternator? Would swapping out my anemic alternator with this one be worth it? All I want to do is prevent dimming lights and keep my radio powered at idle while stopped in Drive. BTW, aside from an aftermarket CD-Radio, I am not running any other non-stock electrical items (no electric fuel pump, no electrical fans, no amps, etc...) If I did swap out with the 50amp linked above, would I need to do any rewiring as recommended with other high-amp upgrades? Thanks To answer your question, there should be no trouble in just swapping the alternators out. Your current draw is not much different than your original Mopar. You may have doubled your radio current draw but that would going from 2 amps to 4 amps. No big deal. Craig 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: denfireguy] #125403 09/24/08 09:42 PM 09/24/08 09:42 PM
Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7,664 IN A ahy master
ahy master A Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7,664 IN	There are lots of upgrades... for the wiring I think its a good idea to avoid sending charging current through the bulkhead connector. Even with the stock alternator its a point of failure. A simple wire, 10 guage or heavier, from the alternator output to the starter relay with a length of fusible link included will take care of the problem. Then you can upgrade to a later model higher output Chrysler or Denso alternator with confidence. You will need to add a voltmeter to track charging system performance as the original ammeter won't work. My

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: ahy] #125404 09/25/08 10:35 AM 09/25/08 10:35 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,980 30 Rock JS29 OP master
JS29 OP master Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,980 30 Rock	Quote: A simple wire, 10 guage or heavier, from the alternator output to the starter relay with a length of fusible link included will take care of the problem. Being a complete auto electrical novice, are there varying "levels" for fusible links? If so, what would be a good one to get for a 60amp alternator upgrade?

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: JS29] #125405 09/25/08 10:42 AM 09/25/08 10:42 AM
Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 6,096 Valencia, España NachoRT74 master
NachoRT74 master Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 6,096 Valencia, España	http://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/electrical.html there is a info table there about that and as Usually, I allways will post MY link about some good upgrades some upgrades on charging system, on a Mopar way and a nice informative discussion about everything related here: https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=4646894&page=0 the link I posted about the upgrade is there too Last edited by NachoRT74; 09/25/08 10:48 AM. With a Charger born in Chrysler assembly plant in Valencia, Venezuela

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: NachoRT74] #125406 09/25/08 12:02 PM 09/25/08 12:02 PM
Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 10,218 Someplace you aren't S SomeCarGuy I Live Here
SomeCarGuy I Live Here S Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 10,218 Someplace you aren't	Even if you don't do away with the bulkhead pass through, you can improve things A LOT by just simply taking the lug off one stud on the AMP gauge and hooking it to the other side. That will cut the gauge out and make for a nice and neat wiring solution at the same time. I want my fair share

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: AndyF] #125407 09/25/08 02:30 PM 09/25/08 02:30 PM
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,431 Michigan MarkZ Worthy
MarkZ Worthy Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,431 Michigan	Quote: I developed the Denso swap to solve those problems. The stock Mopar alternators are very lazy at low speeds. The Denso alternator solves all the problems and it bolts on with very easy wiring mods. I switched my car over a long time ago and would never go back to a Mopar alternator. Mopar alternators have VERY lazy idle charging characteristics. I recently had this problem with my 5A. Power windows, seats, door locks, and a mild stereo only compounded the problem. Stepping up from the stock 60 amp to a 73 amp round-back made little to no difference. I picked up the 60 amp Denso kit from Mancini's and remedied the issues. Charges like a new vehicle. 1987 Fifth Avenue - 512/518/D60

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: AndyF] #125408 09/25/08 04:37 PM 09/25/08 04:37 PM
Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,516 Santa Cruz, California L Lefty master
Lefty master L Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,516 Santa Cruz, California	Quote: I developed the Denso swap to solve those problems. The stock Mopar alternators are very lazy at low speeds. The Denso alternator solves all the problems and it bolts on with very easy wiring mods. I switched my car over a long time ago and would never go back to a Mopar alternator. I can vouch for that. I have Andy's 120 amp denso kit on the 440 in my 66 Coronet and the voltage is rock steady. It also sits lower which cleans up the engine compartment a bit.

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: Lefty] #125409 09/25/08 06:11 PM 09/25/08 06:11 PM
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 576 Escondido, CA kick_the_reverb mopar
kick_the_reverb mopar Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 576 Escondido, CA	Another vote for the Denso, I use a 120 amp one on my small block, and it works great (after I made sure I had the right bottom pulley size, per AndyF's advice). Ran "Hey mister, something's wrong with your car, it idles roughly" - number one comment I got in Israel when daily driving a 70 Barracuda with a lopey cam. Currently working on - 1966 Dodge A100 van 318/auto Finally - disc brakes on the front. In the plans - rear disc brakes, B&M 250 blower

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: JS29] #125410 09/25/08 09:15 PM 09/25/08 09:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7,664 IN A ahy master
ahy master A Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 7,664 IN	Quote: Quote: A simple wire, 10 guage or heavier, from the alternator output to the starter relay with a length of fusible link included will take care of the problem. Being a complete auto electrical novice, are there varying "levels" for fusible links? If so, what would be a good one to get for a 60amp alternator upgrade? The guideline for fusible links is to go 2 sizes smaller than the main wire. So 10 guage main wire would take a 14 guage fusible link. Autozone and NAPA usually stock the fusible link. The 10 guage wire should be fine for an upgraded stock alternator up to 75 amps or a small Denso. Bigger than that and the main wire should be heavier - 6 or 8 guage. NAPA stocks the heavier wires.

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: ahy] #125411 09/27/08 09:36 AM 09/27/08 09:36 AM
Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 2,833 Connecticut FurryStump master
FurryStump master Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 2,833 Connecticut	I went with the 60 amp internally regulated, it was easy. Eddy heads made mine a little tight, but I was able to modify an old adjustment bracket, and make some sleeve spacers. I also have not much more that a stock electrical load. I also routed the main power feed seperate from the bulkhead connector,and wired in two relays into the head light harness to stop the main power from running through my ing. switch and dimmer switch. Very happy, NO dimming lights, I didn't change my fusible link because my alt is only the 60 amp version. best of 11.24 at 119 mph 1.60 60’. 68 340 S Barracuda Fastback F.A.S.T [IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/2mnnnnt.jpg[/IMG]

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: FurryStump] #125412 09/27/08 10:35 AM 09/27/08 10:35 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md 3 383man Too Many Posts
383man Too Many Posts 3 Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md	It's a good idea to upgrade the alt to a newer style that will charge more at idle. It really don't matter if you put a 300 amp alt on as it will only put out what the car needs and then the volt regulation will cut it back once the battery volts is in the 13.0 to 15.0 range. Ron Last edited by 383man; 09/27/08 10:36 AM.

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: JS29] #125413 09/27/08 11:59 AM 09/27/08 11:59 AM
Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada DaytonaTurbo Too Many Posts
DaytonaTurbo Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 21,318 Manitoba, Canada	JS29, I am in the same situation as you, no non-stock items other than a CD player. I put in a 60 amp alternator out of a 75 Dart SE slant 6 and it charges fine. At idle I don't even notice my lights dimming. I do drive the car at night lots, but always in town where there's so much ambient lighting you don't even need headlights really, so I don't even notice the lights dimming, and I idle at 600rpm in gear. They probably do dim, I just don't notice it. Then again I run stock headlights, which weren't the brightest at the best of time, but again, street lamps throw so much light that the only use headlights have to me is to alert other drivers of my car's location. Has no problem running the CD player though, that never skips a beat. Yes there are some great alternator conversions out there, but if you really don't need all that power, why go through the trouble? 60 amp alt does me just fine, the rest just adds to the charm of these old cars.

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: Lefty] #125414 09/27/08 12:52 PM 09/27/08 12:52 PM
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,001 Coram, NY Pool Fixer master
Pool Fixer master Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,001 Coram, NY	I've had my denso on my big block for over 6 years. it's a 130amp out of an 02 ram van. bolted to stock big block brackets and I added a 4g wire from alt to pos stud on starter relay. I also cleaned the bulkhead connector real good and bypassed the amp gauge. best money I have ever spent on the car. you can get cheap denso's on ebay all day long 4713844-altswap1a.jpg (284 downloads)

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: Pool Fixer] #125415 09/27/08 01:17 PM 09/27/08 01:17 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 871 WA 98043 thecarfarmer super stock
thecarfarmer super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 871 WA 98043	How 'bout some semi-hijacking... I've got a couple of these alternators, one of which has a multi-rib belt. I'm interested in changing my 383 over to multi-rib when I get around to going reverse-cool w/ an SBC pump. What years of 3.9/5.2/5.9 should I look for to steal a crank pulley? -bill Seduce the attractive, and charm the rest. ****** 489 C.I.D., roller cam, aftermarket heads, tunnel ram, stock '54 Dodge rear axle assembly: which of these doesn't belong?

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: thecarfarmer] #125416 09/27/08 04:18 PM 09/27/08 04:18 PM
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,709 NJ central S Scamp408 master
Scamp408 master S Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,709 NJ central	Any pics on a 69 and earlier small block?

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: Pool Fixer] #125417 09/27/08 04:28 PM 09/27/08 04:28 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 4,247 Newfoundland C codfish master
codfish master C Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 4,247 Newfoundland	Quote: I've had my denso on my big block for over 6 years. it's a 130amp out of an 02 ram van. bolted to stock big block brackets and I added a 4g wire from alt to pos stud on starter relay. I also cleaned the bulkhead connector real good and bypassed the amp gauge. best money I have ever spent on the car. you can get cheap denso's on ebay all day long OK. So you ran a new wire from the alt to the starter relay. Did you leave the original wire hooked up as original? Or does it have to be removed for this upgrade to be effective? And does anyone know if the Denso, or later chrysler alternator will work with my new , March brackets on my 440? thanks codfish

Re: The great alternator question... [Re: kick_the_reverb] #125418 09/27/08 04:57 PM 09/27/08 04:57 PM
Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 5,337 the house on the left. C cogen80 master
cogen80 master C Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 5,337 the house on the left.	Quote: Another vote for the Denso, I use a 120 amp one on my small block, and it works great (after I made sure I had the right bottom pulley size, per AndyF's advice). Ran have any pics of the sm blk install?

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