If you don't want to read the story there are pictures at the end.

My '74 vette came to me with a '67 vintage 55 amp SI-10 alternator with a '81 rebuild stamp (the part number indicated it was from a tractor or a combine). With new stereo components, electric fan, disco-ball, etc. I needed more juice. I thought about a hopped-up 140 amp SI-10, but when I found out the stator is only rated at 150 amps I passed. I wanted a true high amp alternator not a wannabe on steroids. The next choice was a CS-130 but after reading about how unreliable they were I passed. That left the CS-144 which comes in a true 140 amp version with higher idle output and circuitry designed for more modern electrical components. Only problem is it is 5/8" larger from mounting hole to mounting hole and about a 1/4" deeper. I needed to find out if I could fit it in but a rebuilt unit from the zone is $120 with a $60 core. Too pricey to experiment with it. So I head to the local pull-a-part. The best source for CS-144's are 90's Caddies. So I start looking under all the hoods in the GM section and I come up on a '93 Coupe de Ville that had been rear ended. The hood is still down and when I opened it there sits a yet to be scavenged engine that had been garage kept and was imaculate. The 2nd generation CS-144 alternator bolted to the top of the engine looked almost new and when I removed it, it still had the NAPA rebuild tag on it dated March 05. I took it up front and when the guy told me $35 I nearly crapped my pants. I stopped by the zone on the way home and had them spin it up and all tested well, what a find.

Here is a photo comparing the SI-10 and the CS-144:



At sometime in my cars sorded past bubba cut a piece out of the Alt/PS bracket just below the PS adjust slot so I had a trash bracket to experiment with back at the lab.

I slotted the mounting hole, slid a big washer on the bolt and bolted it all back up with the CS-144. I had to add 3 washers to the stud on the exhaust manifold to get it to fit. I also had to re-clock the alternator 180 degrees from 1:30 to 7:30 to get a hair clearance at the valve cover. This also put the rectifier vents farther away from the head for a little better cooling.

Here is a picture of the bracket I ordered from Riks Corvette and the trash bracket with the alignment washer J.B. welded in it's final position:


Once I determined where the hole needed to be I cut the mounting hole off of the new bracket and using my mock-up determined how much material I would need to move the hole to the new position. I marked it on the trash bracket and cut it from the bracket. Now I have 3 pieces that need to be made into one. I can't melt metal but my Wife's cousin can. He did a fantastic job, You can't even tell it wasn't always a single piece

Here is a picture of the new bracket and the trash bracket with paper taped to the back so you can see how much material was needed:



Here are some pictures of the final install sans wiring:










Turned out much better than I had imagined. Now I can finish modifying the wiring harness.

David

 

Now thats a great post. Excellent photos of the adventure.

 

 

Very nice job.

How does the wiring convert? That is not the same junky alternator as most GM late 80s into the late 90s. They have lots of issues. Do those alternators wire the same as the junky ones?

 

So changing out the front serpentine pully with a v-belt pulley from the old alternator (I assume) was no problem?

 

GM used some junk alternators in the 80's and 90's they are the CS-130's. The CS-144 cools better and is much more reliable.

The CS-144 wires the same as the CS-130 and essentially the same as the SI-10. See my post here:
Converting from a SI to a CS alternator

Where wiring is concerned you just have to account for the increased amperage. I'm doing a major re-wire so it's no big deal. I'm eliminating the charge wire from the alternator to the starter and running a 0 gauge wire to a 175 amp fuse on the fenderwall, then all the way back to the battery compartment. I'm also upgrading and moving the fuse block from the inside of the firewall to under the the center storage compartment door. All the power feeds will come from there. I'm going to run the alternator sense wire all the way to a junction block back by the battery and the L-terminal or Lamp wire to a new alternator warning light in my modified gauge bezel. You would also have to replace the ammeter if you have one with a voltmeter. Thats no big deal I'm replacing the gauges anyway.

 

The pulley changes over without modification. It's a little tricky getting the serpentine pully off because of the compression ring. After you remove the nut and star washer you have to press the pulley in slightly to release and remove the ring, then it just slides off. I used my monster vise to compress it and a screw driver to pop it out.

 

What model are the brackets from. I coulda used something like that.

 

They are the stock brackets. I think they are the same for all C3 454's