Alternator issue
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Alternator issue
Well this weekend I replaced the battery in my car for the third time in four years. I'm thinking the alternator on my '75 (which is fairly new too) is not pulling enough juice to keep up with all the electronics in the car. Jegs and Summit both have 100 amp alternators but I'm not sure which one to use. Anybosy make this swap. Also they are one wire alternators. Is that hard to retrofit? Does anyone sell a direct fit 100 amp replacement? As always any help is appreciated.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,943
Likes: 44
From: Florham Park NJ Port Credit Ontario
Re: Alternator issue (TTop Tony)
Tony, I believe the Summit Alt is a 1 wire unit. Have you checked you dont have a short somewhere?
What brand of battery are you using?
What brand of battery are you using?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Re: Alternator issue (Stewart's74)
Well with my wiring skills ( or a lack thereof) there very well could be a short but would a short take over a year to materialize? I'm using autozone's duralast batteries. Luckily they have replaced them each time for a fraction of the cost. I don't understand what one wire means. Where does the alternator gound out in that case?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,943
Likes: 44
From: Florham Park NJ Port Credit Ontario
Re: Alternator issue (TTop Tony)
I think the term "One Wire" means that it uses the GM plug. It will still utilize the Hot lead which bolts to the alt.
Thats my guess and I'm sticking to it.
Oh and one more thing, I had a bunch of starting issues, thought I had a short somewhere etc.
Thurns out I had a POS battery (twice). I switched to an Optima Red Top. All the problems are long gone.
[Modified by Stewart's74, 10:25 AM 3/23/2004]
Thats my guess and I'm sticking to it.
Oh and one more thing, I had a bunch of starting issues, thought I had a short somewhere etc.
Thurns out I had a POS battery (twice). I switched to an Optima Red Top. All the problems are long gone.
[Modified by Stewart's74, 10:25 AM 3/23/2004]
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Racer
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 325
Likes: 0
From: Feenix Az
Re: Alternator issue (TTop Tony)
A one wire requires an initial rev to start the voltage regulator because there is no ignition wire to tell it to start. I bought my first 100 amp chrome unit and found it had miserable performance at low RPM (after being started) . I changed the pulley which helped a bunch but the voltage regulator failed after about 2000 miles. :smash: :smash:
I bought a second unit from a different source that is either a one or three wire unit (convertible). This second one works great :cool: with the original pulley even at low RPM. If you are interested I can try and find a manufacturer's name on it.
Dane
I bought a second unit from a different source that is either a one or three wire unit (convertible). This second one works great :cool: with the original pulley even at low RPM. If you are interested I can try and find a manufacturer's name on it.
Dane
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Re: Alternator issue (Enad)
Thanks Dane I couldn't find anything on why a one wire was used. But I did find another thread where a Powermaster alternator was suggested for the same issue. I got one at summit. It has the same three hookups as mine.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Re: Alternator issue (TTop Tony)
Is the search feature of the forum working much, if at all???
I suppose not, but really this is the 100th time I have posted this solution...
the alt you want is out of a say '79 Seville, with rear window defogger, known in the trade as SI17 or 17SI, whichever.....it's larger than a stock alternator for our cars, but is a bolt on swap...plugs and all.....rated at 108 from Delco, it's fine....
GENE
I suppose not, but really this is the 100th time I have posted this solution...
the alt you want is out of a say '79 Seville, with rear window defogger, known in the trade as SI17 or 17SI, whichever.....it's larger than a stock alternator for our cars, but is a bolt on swap...plugs and all.....rated at 108 from Delco, it's fine....
GENE
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Re: Alternator issue (mrvette)
I saw your old posts Gene I don't have a local AC Delco distributor that I know of and there website didn't have a listing that I could find for the alternator your mentioning.
Quite honestly I think I'm barking up the wrong tree anyway. This weekened when I parked the car in the garage I pulled too far forward. I put the car in nuetral and tried to roll it back and it wouldn't budge. I'm thinking maybe its a problem with the starter. I haven't had time to really look into it though.
Quite honestly I think I'm barking up the wrong tree anyway. This weekened when I parked the car in the garage I pulled too far forward. I put the car in nuetral and tried to roll it back and it wouldn't budge. I'm thinking maybe its a problem with the starter. I haven't had time to really look into it though.