Big2Bird

I'm sure this has been discussed a zillion times, but I am curious as to what guys have used, and how durable it has proven to be.

MelWff

Cannt tell from your post or your profile what year car you have. I think the first question is why upgrade at all? Do you have AC? Have you added anything that is requiring more amperage than whatever is stock on your vehicle. In my case I kept the original 10SI and went from 42 amps to 61 amps.

jb78L-82

There are many reasons to upgrade and not just about amperage which is the most obvious. The more modern alternators like the CS144 are MUCH more reliable than the older 10/12SI OEM ones. The CS144 will run much cooler (longevity) and will provide the maximum amperage rating of a 63 amp 10SI/12SI at IDLE. A 63/80/100 amp 10/12SI will be way overtaxed under higher amp loads than a CS144 which will be "barely breathing" at 60/80/100 amp loads. In addition, the CS144-140 amp alternator will charge a sitting battery much faster than a 41/63 amp could possibly achieve this same task. Just a superior alternator design versus the older 10/12SI's....

Big2Bird

I'm sorry. I have an 81 that I am adding Spal fans.

redvetracr

I do not see an option in your poll for dual alternators.....

Big2Bird

Some things never get old. Hello old friend.

zwede

I have some stuff on my '71 that needs extra juice: Electric fans, EFI, Stereo... so 15 years ago I switched over to a 12SI alternator from a late C3. Forget the rating... 80A??? Anyway, it has been fine, no issues.

Kacyc3

stock replacement from an LT1 roadmonster

Richard454

Yep- two is good - especially if you have internet...

REELAV8R

Similar here. I have an upgraded 12SI 100 amps. Provides plenty of amperage at idle, enough for 13+ volts with everything on including dual spal type fans. I've had it for 5 years or so.
I can't hear it breathing hard from the interior, especially with the side pipes.

Big2Bird

CS 144 seems to be the most popular.
Interestingly no one has chosen the CS130D. I have had one on my 2003 Silverado for 180,000 miles, and it still works.

Of course that doesn't mean it's better, just different.

lionelhutz

AD244 is a newer version of the CS144. The CS130D is also an upgraded CS130. Both would be a little better choice over the models they superseded.

gkull

Many years ago i installed higher watt head lights, then a high powered multi spark ignition, and spal twin fans. Then you have to look at the big factor when adding up all the amps being used. That is at what motor RPM is your alternator actually producing "X" amount of amps

So lets say that you are driving down the freeway at 70 mph and you OD motor is only doing 2200 rpm and your original 10SI and 61 amps alternator is only putting out 30 amps of power. So you would actually be draining the battery driving down the road. It is better to go bigger.

Alternators have a max rpm. Like my powermaster is something like 17,000 rpm. well the small pulley on the alternator gives you a 3 to 1 ratio. before 6000 rpm you reach the max. Power masters send along a larger pulley to gear the rpm down.

this is what I have.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/p...make/chevrolet

mrvette

Hey Jeff, wassup you old sparky??? not talked to you in years now.... Almost 1.5 years ago I flipped through LA on the way home from Grass Valley to see my first Grandson/Son/Wife they north of Sacto......but it was just a touch and go.....

as to the alt question....I have been running a 17SI which is larger diameter, but same mounting, and put on a stock C4 pulley and been running Dual Spals and all sorts of crap for many years...not an issue....I use aftermarket gauges, voltmeter of course......thing is rated at 108 amps, uses same two pin regulator, so a plug in...maybe have to change belt though.....get a metric V pulley maybe, to give the belt more traction.....I have a serp drive on the vette 88-91 vette....

years ago I put a CS 144? alt on a motor home, still fine...charges deep cycle HUGE battery that runs a fridge, as well as the rest of the marine deep cycle batteries.....ran it with a older V belt pulley...the ancient type belt that you have to ask for at a parts house anymore or they give us something that don't ride well because it's metric....

Big2Bird

Hello Gene. Yes, I have been busy with other things for some time. Gonna retire in 6 months. Then, a trip to Bowling Green in the Vette.

mrvette

Sounds like a BLAST, and if you not seen the SW sites yet, Hoover Damn and G Canyon, on southern side, then follow the road to meteor crater, painter desert, petrified forest ....on east to catch Carlsbad Caverns, then through Tejas not to miss Midland Odessa, then south to San Antonio and do the riverwalk loop on foot....might say hello to New Orleans, then sneak up north to BGreen.....I went to BG many years ago with a guy in a yellow ZR1 trying to remember the year of the car...I think '91......hell, long as your there, maybe continue on to Florida and have a few beers, then head up north along I95 and stop off at various spots....Williamsburg Va. Wash DC where you can spend a week, easy, hate to say it but NYC you better off seeing pix......if you head south to Key West you can see all sorts of neat stuff and take an airboat ride on Alligator Alley in the SWAMP!!!! head up the west coast .....tons of sites, then our east coast version of Disneyland.....

Better watch it man, I can spend ALL your $$$$$.....

speedz06

Now, that is cool. Mad max in USA before the end of times.

Cool bean

Thanks for mentioning Bowling Green; I've added that to the list of roadtrip destinations.

On my '74 I've added a rebuilt cs130se which is rated for 130 or 160 amps. It came off a 1992 Caprice which was my donor vehicle for the serpentine system. I dont know what stock rating for that model is, but I had it done at my local shop which is an old scholol place here in S NJ that has done nothing but starters and alternators for two generations. He upgraded my internals and clocked it for my serpentine upgrade.

i'm running dual fans, electric fuel pump, upgraded headlights, vacuum pump, and will most likely do other power hungry upgrades in the future (electric head light motors, etc). The alternature is a one wire set up. The "se" stands for "self exciting" and yes, as mentioned above it charges at low rpms. I also upgraded all my gauges to autometer, which included changing to a voltmeter.

dmruschell

I use the Powermaster 12SI (3-wire configuration) in my 79 Corvette with dual SPAL fans. I had one that lasted for just over 30,000 miles before the bearings started squeaking. When it was first installed, the voltage regulator wasn't working right and sent too much amperage and melted some wires. Once that was fixed, it worked great.

When it died, I tried a CS130 out of an 87 Corvette, just with a pulley swap. Every one I tried would "turn off" for short periods of time. I suspect that the headers I had at the time caused the underhood temperatures to be very high and the alternator to overheat. The CS130 works great on my old Buick and DeLoreans. I bought another Powermaster, and it's been working fine ever since.

bmans vette

As to why to change alternator, there is also upgrading to the single belt system....