Great avatar!

I think most dual alternator systems are actually totally separate systems (at least the ones I've seen). What do you have that would max out a CS??!!

Here's something I saw...maybe you need something like this to do the controlling?

http://www.amplepower.com/products/dual_alt/index.html

 

Thanks for that link...should be what I need. I know that dual alts are used in great amounts in the car audio world where several hundred usable amps are needed at idle.

I have a lot of high amp requirments and things planned for this car. Most alts wil only achieve 60 - 100 amps at idle. You go over that and it's the battery taking the brunt. I want about 200 idle amps available but don't want to spend $500 - $700 for a re-wind alt that won't quite do what I want even. Not to mention I got two spare alts, and one is brand new.

I just want to find a way to make it work right. I like that adapter link you posted...
...and thanks...she's a hotty huh? You recognize her yet?

 

I know exactly whats going on. The results are exactly what I would expect even though they are not what you wanted. There are a number or reasons why there was no apparent change in your situation. I will try to explain them. I do not know if you have a basic understanding of electricity so I will try to do the best I can.

First off an alternator is a voltage source that is regulated. It produces or attempts to produce a fixed voltage regardless of load current. The voltage is generally set to 13.8v. Lets assume that your first alternator was doing exactly that - 13.8v at the big terminal on the back of the alternator as measured from that terminal to the case. Now you have to understand that the resistance of the wire will produce a voltage drop porportional to the current flowing thru it. So since the voltmeter you observed is not directly connected to the back of the alternator, any voltage drops in the wires that have current flowing thru them will be seen by the meter. So now with nothing turned on in the car you will read very close to the 13.8v. Now turn on the headlights and A/C and current for these devices must flow thru the big wire on the back of the alternator. Well guess what. There is a voltage loss across that wire. And now the meter shows the lower voltage since it is not connected directly to the alternator. This is normal and to be expected. The alternator will still be delivering 13.8v but the wire is loosing some voltage. It gets worse as the wire gets smaller and with the addition of connections. All these connections have resistance and hence a voltage drop when current flows thru them.

So that is whats happening. Do this. Connect a good quality digital voltmeter directly to the back of the alternator. Black to the case and red to the B+ terminal (big red wire). Start the car and everything turned off and read the voltage and then turn on all the electrical consumers you can. Read the voltage again. It will drop a very small amount as compared to the dial guage on your instrument panel. Drop probably in the neighborhood or .1 to .2 volts or so. But your guage will probably show over a 1.5 v drop.

Increasing the alternator capacity to a 100 amp unit wont do anything for the voltage unless the old unit was not able to supply the load. It probably was big enough to do the job. So a bigger alternator is not going to change the voltage drop problem. You will get better voltage regulation from the bigger alternator especially when the RPM is lower but thats it.

Now if your original 63 amp unit was not big enough to do the job, then you should see a major improvement. But since you didn't, I suspect size was not the issue.

 

If they have a plastic fan, they're 144s. If they have a metal fan with a metal disc in front, they're 130s. Mine's a 144 with the 130 fan...plastic fan had a few broken vanes.

 

Did you look at that adapter? You think that'll work for me? I'm still tracking down a company that makes a dual alt setup for GM trucks with big stereos. They'll have the info I need for sure.

 

That link sure didn't say much about that product. I think I'd call and talk to them, but it sounds like what you'll need to do the twin alts.

 

They were a bit vague huh? Did make the point since I will have two regulated alts charging a single source.

I also think it's look pretty cool.

 

If you need to have high output then get a single unit that can do the job. Here are some on this site. There are other sites that offer similar this is just an example of what is out there. There are high output models for most vehicles listed here.

http://www.4alterstart.com/highoutputalternators/

 

I know all about those sites and their high output alts. They are several hundred more than I want to pay, and their amps at idle are usually the same or less than stock units. They advertise otherwise, but they also test higher RPMs.

 

Yes idle rpm is a big factor on output. Too bad there isnt a simple way to vary the speed so that you can spin it faster at idle but not overrev it when your hot-roddin around town. A mini set of variable pulleys would do the trick but look like crap under the hood.

 

Not only that, but I'll be running a serp system, and the pulleys are already undersized. Hard to get smaller.

 

Go too small and it will slip for sure.

In another post someone mentioned figuring out who the girl in your photo is but I didn't see who or if it was ever posted.

 

First I'll say that what she's weraing is not a bathing suit at all...it's paint. All of it.

Also, it was I'm Batman that knows, and I think I told him in a PM.

 

I could tell it was paint thing right away. I've gotten quite few emails with photos in the past. I wish I could paint like that..... and paint those who like to be painted that way too of course..... Makes me forget about corvettes for a brief moment.

 

At a club here last Holloween, there were about fifteen girls that all showed up painted. Most were just topless but one or two of them had NOTHING on. That was frig'n hot man.

 

Which. Club. Was. That?!? I think we've gotta hit that one up!

 

Good explaination. I will check this reading today from the back of the alternator. Next option is to take the new alt to a box store parts store and let them put it on their machine. Also...would there be no change in volts at the battery between off and running? Thanks guys...

 

Tonic. I'm planning on returning again this year...Heh heh.



The battery will see a slight increase in voltage, but only after the alt runs for a few minutes. The alt will run at teh same voltage for the most part no matter what, unless there is a huge load on it. Just test it at the with both everything on and then off. You won't see much a drop from a healthy alt. Not to mention it shouldn't drop too far under 13V.

 

I've seen some craziness at Tonic, but nothing like that! I'm in.

 

There were the painted girls, and the rest had on some form of underwear or lingerie formed into a costume. I remember this one hotty who was a football ref. Her skirt was so short it was more like a belt. Had the long white stockings on, and cute little black school girl shoes...

*Takes cold shower.*