for me it is more important to see how easy it is to replace the part.
while I don't drive cross country in my old car anymore, there was a time it was important that if I were in podunk, I could get a new alt or VR to get me moving again.

So the chain mattered as much as the part being a "stock" part for something.

So while powermaster may have a lot of conversion pieces, if I have to wait 2 weeks to get it, I am not as interested as the standard m-body alt with a few mods to the car, that I can pick up with a lifetime warranty for 50 bucks anywhere.

Same goes for the VR. thought I use a single field vr instead of the modern dual field.
Mostly because at the time,you could still pick up single field alt's.
So I had the most felxiblilty with that set up. which ever one they had, I could wire in.

Same goes with the gm stuff. might work,but requires being able to swap pulley's, so not as interesting to me.

Of course I went eventually with the magnum engine and the "modern" accessories, still using the single field VR and the 120 amp alt.
so I am good for a while in being able to pick up replacement parts at the local parts house.

My alternator was not a conversion piece, just the standard round back. I got in in two days from Summit.






[quote=Andrewh]for me it is more important to see how easy it is to replace the part.
while I don't drive cross country in my old car anymore, there was a time it was important that if I were in podunk, I could get a new alt or VR to get me moving again.

So the chain mattered as much as the part being a "stock" part for something.

So while powermaster may have a lot of conversion pieces, if I have to wait 2 weeks to get it, I am not as interested as the standard m-body alt with a few mods to the car, that I can pick up with a lifetime warranty for 50 bucks anywhere.

Same goes for the VR. thought I use a single field vr instead of the modern dual field.
Mostly because at the time,you could still pick up single field alt's.
So I had the most felxiblilty with that set up. which ever one they had, I could wire in.

Same goes with the gm stuff. might work,but requires being able to swap pulley's, so not as interesting to me.

Of course I went eventually with the magnum engine and the "modern" accessories, still using the single field VR and the 120 amp alt.
so I am good for a while in being able to pick up replacement parts at the local parts house. [/quote

I run the chrome one from Summit on the 65.Its been on at least 10 years and never a problem.My kid ran a new type on his 62 300 for years and never had any problems either.My 65 dosent jave a lot but the 62 had big stereo amp etc.Both upgraded headlights etc.Rocky

As far as single wire goes, you lose the feature of remote sensing. The 2 or 3 wire setup senses voltage in the harness and adjusts alternator output to correct. Single wire senses at the alternator. Voltage drop in the charge wire will reduce system voltage and slow battery charge. Single wire works OK if the charge wire is heavy gauge and short.

For serviceability, the Powermaster is great. Basically any reman alternator (round back or square back) in stock at any AP store will bolt in place and get you home if needed. If the alternator in stock happens to be a dual field, just ground one field, hook it up and go.

A nice option for the ammeter is to convert it to a volt meter. It will look stock at a casual glance and works great. You can DIY or send the cluster to a gauge shop. There are several posts on this and an article in MA.

I have a fresh alternator I had converted to one wire. Thinking of changing it back. It's my backup alternator.

I always had bad luck with stock Mopar alternators. So i just tossed in the towel and got a GM alternator out of late 80s model and it works great!! Yes i had to fabricate some brackets but now the lights don't go dim at idle and my big audio system never has an issue of running out of juice.

Unless the wiring on your 62 is defective, or has brittle wire covering, it will handle the 78 amps just fine. Unless there is an issue, you won't need 78 amps very long, if ever. The extra capacity is a nice perk that will ultimately recharge your battery faster after a long draw.

There is a lot of talk about the bulkhead connection, and the amp gauge bypass. Does your 62 even have a bulkhead connector? It seems to me that the 62 was before the famed bulkhead connector, and was also produced with a real amp gauge. I also believe the headlight switch (or the ignition switch) was the primary voltage source on the 62, not the amp gauge like the later models of the 60s era cars.

Upgrade to the dual field 78 amp alt and the electronic voltage regulator (well grounded) and enjoy the ride. That system will last for years. Gene

I found an AC/Delco 60amp round back rebuilt on Rock Auto for $52. I'm going with that. We'll see how it works out. My harness under the hood is a newer repop so I'm not going to worry about the additional amps. Thanks all.