While trying to disconnect the alternator battery terminal, the nut being stuck, I broke the plastic washer that keeps the stud away from the frame and it became loose. I tried to seal the cracks and glue the stud so it won’t move using epoxy resin but it didn’t work, the alternator wouldn’t charge the battery and it make some intermittent random noise like it was running free then charging. After I took the alternator apart I realized why it did so. The stud has another nut on the inside that presses against a metal sheet. Without adequate pressure the electrical connections will not be optimal.To fix it, I used a grinding tool to even the inside section of the washer which wasn’t affected then for the gap between the stud square built in washer I used a PCB board which is strong and offers good insulation. After tightening the inside nut the stud was secured in place and it offers resistance from side to side forces. In this configuration the stud can be held with wrench and won’t move. In the original you can’t unless you grind the plastic washer to make room. So if the nut is stuck I think there are two ways to unlock it, either grind the washer or split the end of the stud or give it a certain shape (for example square) to hold against the rotation.

It should work well. Hopefully … no other issues like the coils or other modules.

 

This is likely a very inexpensive terminal package if you wanted to do more.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30211702285...7ede%7Ciid%3A1

 

I noticed it uses a locking nut which is a good idea. Anyway I live in Romania and it takes long for the parts to arrive.
here is how it looks:

 

I noticed it uses a locking nut which is a good idea. Anyway I live in Romania and it takes long for the parts to arrive.
here is how it looks:

 

Now I doesn’t seem to charge the battery anymore. The voltage drops and within 5 minutes it reaches the like 11V then and the temperature of the iron plates is above 100C (tested with a drop of water). Also at cold start the voltage went from 12.4V (battery rest voltage) to a maximum 12.7V so it charges when cold. I also has a vibration like a grinding noise from the electromagnetic force as if some coil was shorted out.

 

They must have Alternator Repair shops in Romania that are familiar with U.S. designed parts. I have my original alternators from both of my Corvettes rebuilt, Vacuum bagged and tagged on a shelf. I am using 120 amp alternator on my C3 and it was about $100 new. The one on my C4 is a standard replacement whereas the one on the C3 is made by an aftermarket manufacturer.

Your alternator is clearly in need of some serious attention and the professional help might be the best option. Have you tested your Corvette for any loads on the battery when the old alternator was plugged in?

Just be sure to charge the battery up so you don't loose any capacity letting it sit partially charged. Keeping your battery healthy is important as the batteries are getting more and more expensive here in the United States.

I hope that you Nilak and your Family have a wonderful Holiday Season!
Merry Christmas!

 

The alternator was working properly before I removed the rocker covers. I disconnected some plug cables, egr connector, evap connector, a/c, water temperature sensor, TPS, two air injection distributor connectors, alternator connector and red large wire then put everything back with the only difference the red wire was loose because of the loosen internal nut. It’s possible the intermittent connection damaged the mosfets.
The battery was like 50% state of charge and on 5 minutes it went to like 20% /11.8V and couldn’t crank the engine anymore. I have a small deep cycle 12V battery and a charger basically a portable charger that I used while the car stood in the parking and I have monitored the voltage with a cigarette voltmeter. I also have replaced the bulbs that stay on when you open the doors or hood with led’s that don’t have extra load on them.


I will disconnect the red wire and read the voltage. I also want to check if I put the ignition on what happens, if something draws too much current. I can also test the alternator with the ignition on and the belt out then to try to turn it fast using a rope but will probably be hard to turn. I also have a thermal camera to check which cables get hot and how quickly when I put the ignition on.
If the alternator is bad there are shops where I can take it to, to replace the coils or mosfets, they should be able to fix it.


thank you ctmccloskey
Merry Christmas!

 

Hello again Nilak,

It is very easy to toast the diodes that convert the AC to DC in the Diode Bridge. I tell people when they ECM is acting strange to start by testing the Alternator's output for any AC voltage slipping by. I am a battery specialist and have tinkered with more batteries than I can think of. On my C3 and C4 I have a small 20 watt Solar Photovoltaic Panel that is attached to the battery with clips. The little 20 volt panels do an awesome job keeping the battery fully charged. Keeping a battery Full is important for a longer life of the battery.

Testing for any load on the battery when the engine is off is important as there are a few items that can pull a lot of energy. If you can put a Multi-meter in-between the battery and the starter cable to see if any current is being drawn while sitting still. If you have current being drawn then I would. Here in the U.S. they sell a device that plugs into the fuse location and shows you the amount of current flowing through it.

I too use a deep cycle battery in my C3 as it has electric fans that will run after the shutdown of the engine.

You will be better off after a shop overhauls the alternator for you. I bought one from a inexpensive auto store and it hasted less an hour on the engine before the alternator just stopped working. I hope the guys do a great job on your alternator and it doesn't break the bank getting it back to working order.

I have enjoyed trying to help you Nilak and will continue as long as you need answers. It must be nice to have a Corvette in Romania! I would imagine you pay dearly for Gasoline but you have a real "Corvette" and that is always "fun". I bought my C3 Convertible but when my wife and I started our family we bought the C4 for my wife and daughter to drive in. My wife likes the air conditioning and other comforts of the C4 over the early C3 with it's thirsty 427 engine and windy cockpit. My son and I like the C3's power as I built the engine with 12.25-1 compression ratio which makes it fast and fun to drive. Our C4 was able to get into the 30 miles per gallon range on Highways and it is so nice to drive. The C3 and all the compression still runs on Pump gasoline and makes a lot of Horsepower. My daughter has asked for the C3 when I am done with it, she is an aerospace engineer AND a car nut so she will inherit the C3 with her husband after they take a driving class to learn how to drive a high hp Corvette on the roads.

I hope you and your family are enjoying a beautiful Christmas Holiday!
Chris a.k.a. ctmccloskey

 

It’s wonderful that you and your family have common interests so you can support each other. My wife doesn’t know to drive and my son doesn’t seem to be attracted by cars He likes geography and studying (as a hobby) foreign languages.
If you are wondering why I bought the c4… some years ago I decided to buy a sports car to experiment driving on the racetrack after previously going to some kart tracks and driving on my home simulator, and I bought a bmw z4 automatic 3liter. But after owning it for 3years I wanted to change it for something more exciting and to save some money. The annual tax and insurance was about $800per year compared to $50 for the c4 because it’s a historical car. I can buy parts to keep it in good condition with that money. But now the savings go to the higher shipping costs . So I was thinking of a racecar called funyo 5 but it would’d required a trailer. Then I incidentally saw some videos about a c4 and I thought even if it's not that quick and doesn’t have downforce the v8 cross plane engine sound was amongst the most spectacular of all. I also appreciated the use of glass fiber for less rust problems, the clam shell hood for engine access and for admiring the engine which looks nice, the fighter jet cockpit with buttons similar to those of passenger plane, the dash with all the gauges you need including oil temperature, suspension geometry, rear diff, hydraulic steering and a heavy duty manual gearbox so I can experience more control techniques. As a bonus the exterior design which wasn’t a requirement, is also fantastic.
Here in Romania the gas price although higher, it’s not a problem because I only did like 500km in 3 months, I drive the c4 occasionally but at least one trip a week. the challenging part it the longer time for customs clearance and shipping costs when ordering parts. It does 8-10 mpg -city but it’s crowded city and small streets. On the highway the instant mpg is 29 between 80 and 140kph so in my opinion, the engine has higher internal drag forces which is expected for a very large engine. On the race track it did 20.5mpg but with very light braking (I was on old tires).
About the solar panels I was thinking about charging my battery using them but I did some previous tests with a small battery I was planning to use to water the plants on my balcony. I tried with a 15w and a larger 40W panel, with two different charging modules. They charge the battery in full summer sun but when the sun drops they start to draw idle current. The bad part is they draw more energy than they can deliver . maybe a very small charging module is needed.

Thank you!

 

I worked in the Solar Energy Business since the 1970's. What you need is a small diode to keep the panels from "using" power. It is referred as a "Blocking Diode" and keeps the power going ONE way. I would suggest using one of the diodes in the wires leading to the battery. The 40 watt module might charge your battery at a fairly high rate compared to the smaller panel. Sometimes it would be wise to buy a small solar PV Controller that would ensure that your battery is not overcharged. The blocking Diode is like a "Check valve" in a plumbing situation, it forces the power to go in one direction.

I left a brand new ($160) battery in my C3 and put an inexpensive Battery Tender on it and in March the battery was bone dry inside. It had literally boiled away all the electrolyte and destroyed the battery. Now I pull the batteries out for the winter months and bring them into my garage where they are cleaned and then charged and maintained for the duration of the cold. I also add Distilled water to my batteries to make up for the used electrolyte. I will not buy a battery that does not have access to the individual cells allowing you to add water to the battery. Here in the United States they are trying to sell "Maintenance Free" batteries and they are not designed to be maintained, simply a throw away battery. I am old enough to remember when we maintained our batteries. A little effort pays off in the long run as batteries are getting more and more expensive.

If your Corvette's L98 is only getting low mileage numbers then either you use the gas pedal a lot or your engine is not running at it's peak abilities. The Oxygen sensor on the older C4 Corvettes were designed to be replaced every 24 months or 50 k miles. The Oxygen sensor is a Vital part of the Fuel Injection system and has an amazing effect on the C4. The older O2's are known for their signals getting narrower and the signal starts getting delayed as they age. For the price and the amount of influence it has on the Corvette they are worth replacing every two years. The newer style Oxygen sensors are Heated so they come on-line faster when the car starts. When you replace the Oxygen sensor the Corvette performance and economy should improve.

The other item that might cause your Corvette to use more fuel is a faulty reading from your Coolant Temperature Sensor. If the sensor thinks it is colder than it really is then you will use extra fuel to compensate. In bad cases the exhaust will have black smoke and this is really bad for the catalytic converter as it will get plugged up in a hurry. This can be tested and verified by comparing the resistance value measure and comparing it to the chart in the Factory Service Manuals to see the temperature it is reading.

On the L98 engine they installed the Manifold Air Temperature sensor on the intake plenum and that gets Hot and the accuracy is not the same. If you re-locate the MAT to someplace in the airflow but not mounted on a heated surface. The MAT is used to determine the temperature of the Combustion Air and when it is heated by the intake plenum it tells the ECM that the combustion Air is Hotter than it really is which costs power. If the MAT sees a cooler temperature it will allow the engine to make more power. It s one of the places you can find a bit more horsepower, maybe not much but it all adds up.

On our C4 I replaced the Catalytic Converter and installed a Cat back Chambered Exhaust System which uses no mufflers. Baffles are welded inside the pipes to do the quieting. The noise is more like that of a side pipe but it goes out the back of the Corvette. My L98 sounds ferocious running through the chambered pipes, a lot more growl than the original exhaust system. In the end I measured and the new Higher Flowing catalytic converter and the exhaust let the C4 gain almost 14 hp!
The device I used to verify the power level was a Gtech Pro and they allow you to enter the precise weight of your C4 with you in it and from there it can calculate the horsepower level very accurately. Unlike the telephone software that does similar stuff the Gtech operates with a much faster processor and is more accurate. My old Gtech even came with a set of shift lights, It would see the torque start to drop and the light would go off indicating time to shift. I like the Gtech as it allows me to make a change to my carburetor or anything and I can find out right away whether it helped or hurt. It is way more accurate than the "Seat of the Pants" Dyno and it will use a variety of ways to measure the horsepower.

What is the octane rating of the fuels available in Romania? Here in the U.S. we have three basic grades, 87 Octane, 89 Octane and 92 octane are common. The Corvette I have uses the 87 Octane fuel with no problems, if the EGR goes bad the L98 will develop a taste for Higher octane (more expensive) fuels. The EGR keeps the car from pinging or detonation and with the EGR the engine runs cooler. If the EGR has been deleted or disconnected the combustion temperatures will go up and the emissions will get worse. I see people thinking that if they put the High Octane fuel in their Corvette it will run better but it works the other way around. Being able to run on regular is a big plus for these cars, I had a Cadillac STS and it was a beautiful car but never got anything but 12 mpg and it demanded premium fuels. On my C3 I inject Water and Methanol (literally just Windshield Washer Fluid) into the engine while running and the 427 loves it. It makes the fuel equal to 115 octane and it cools down my combustion process so it really helps my engine. They said it would boost my HP by doing this as well. IF I lived someplace where the fuel is expensive I might consider adding the water/methanol injection system just to make the Corvette more affordable to drive. I just don't know if they would let you do something like that being a modification on the original engine. On my 427 it looks like I have Nitrous but really it is just the water/methanol injection system. You can use anything you want in it as long as you stay below the point where the alcohol will burn by itself which is near 60% (I think). Windshield washer fluid in Virginia has less alcohol than it does in Wisconsin. The highest sold here in the U.S. is 50% alcohol I believe. With the fuel being equivalent to 115 octane you can use more timing to make more power with little detonation risk.

I am sorry but I have to ask, Where did you learn your English? You write very well in a language that is not your primary. I have been in 44 countries around the world and I only speak Spanish as well as my English. I have never been in your part of Europe but hope to one day before I get too old to enjoy it. The closest to Romania I have ever been was northern Turkey and that is still a ways off. I have lived in Turkey, Viet Nam, Bolivia, Guatemala, Colombia and Ethiopia and traveled to way more places in my career as a Solar Engineer. I installed entire Village Power Systems to villages in the Mexico who had no electricity yet. I basically brought them into the 20th century and gave them electricity and running water at these small villages in remote locations in Mexico. It was a wonderful feeling helping these people improve their conditions. Suddenly they had TV screens with teachers from far away interacting with the local kids.

I am off to wrap presents and do holiday stuff but I am here and anxious to help in any way I can!
Merry Christmas Nilak!

 

That’s some interesting useful information and you have an impressive professional experience. Regarding my English, this language is very popular in Europe, at least I’ve also went for training for my job (ATC-regional control) in UK, Florida several times and English language skills are required. For how much I spend reading and talking I perhaps should’ve been better but I don’t talk too much in my native language, that explains it. My son on the other hand is good, he knows more of the intricate details of the language. When he was at the kindergarten back in the day, the teacher would take him to other classrooms to teach together English now his English teacher consults him when they deal with more complex stuff.
About the car, I’ll try to analyse the things you mentioned, as an idea the car idles and runs fine, there is no smoke of any sort visible at the exhaust and no soot inside the tips. I could but a sensor just in case then test both to see the difference. As for the octanes, we have for example 95, 98 and 100, and also recently the added 102+ racing fuel at a nearby station but that’s double the price. Obviously the water/methanol in a more convenient option. Not sure how much is required for a naturally aspirated low compression engine like mine. As you guessed being a certified historical car, only minimal modifications are permitted. I have also an SUV which has GDI engine and I have designed a gasoline injection system to clean the valves, it’s ready to be installed but I’m kind of afraid of a risk of fire that fuel lines involve, the best suitable lines and coupling should be used. Anyway this engine is less prone to carbon deposits.
That Gtech should be interesting if it has a fast processing. A few years ago I designed a bicycle computer that was supposed to calculate power but the accelerometer sensors needed to be more accurate to make the correct measurements or a very well stabilized holder would’ve worked.
For the PV panels I have tried 2 different module models and both discharge the battery more than the sun can charge them in a few hours of sunlight. it’s possible the modules are optimized for an array of few panels so they charge a lot more while the sun shines. I could try for example a relay controlled by the panel voltage only that switches off when then voltage is above 14.7V and a diode to prevent discharging, basically it needs a near zero standby current. I’ll do some testing again to se what’s going on.

Alternator Update:
I have ordered a new one made in Europe, looks exactly the same but not 100% sure, anyway it wasn’t that expensive.
I did some diagnostics on the old one. The current through the ignition activated wire is low, like under 1A. With the stud wire (output) disconnected the voltage readings 0.5-0.7V, The car draws also about 2.5A from the battery in this configuration so clearly no significant parasitic loads. With the wire connected it charges the battery at 2A (at current Soc) and 13.7 and above at higher rpm. However it makes some vibration and noise and it heats up quickly, I would estimate about 200W or more of power lost in heat while producing only 31W. So the efficiency is extremely low, ~15% or less. Clearly the alternator is faulty.

Many thanks for your help!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

 

Air Traffic Control, that makes sense as English is the international language in Aviation. I am a Private Pilot who owned a Cessna 172 for many years. It was built in 1958 just like I was so it was the perfect airplane for me. I used to fly all over the east coast but now with homeland Security I have to get pre-flight approval and a password for in-flight activation. The airport where I kept my Cessna was about 2 miles from where they keep the Air Force ONE at Andrews Air Force base near Washington DC. I was allowed a ceiling of 1500' until I was about 20 miles south and then I had more room to play. It burned 6 gallons of gasoline cruising at a little over 110 mph. It was so old that the factory radios had Tubes in them. I upgraded them but it was funny to see that.

Languages are tough for some people but learning them when young is the way to go. I started Spanish in First grade thru High school so I have no accent like most Gringo's. I have had Mexicans and other Hispanics ask me where I am from after I get back into my Spanish mode. I had two Italians coming to the Middle East to work on a project with me. They spoke NO English and I speak NO Italian so I spoke to them in Spanish and they spoke to me in Italian. I understood about 50-60% of what they were saying at first but got real good after six weeks together out in the dry deserts. A gentleman at a restaurant heard us speaking and he came over and complimented me on my Italian, I looked at him and told him what we were doing and he was amazed. My Brother lives in Germany and his wife is Russian and they have a son. The son speaks English, Russian, German and a bit of Korean and German. He asked my brother one day, what language are we using? My poor brother only speak English and he got a kick out of his multi-cultural Son with all the language skills.

Your solar panels sound strange as I have never seen one pull any significant current when the sun goes down. They make very inexpensive solar regulators to go between the battery and the solar panel. Here in the United States people are putting solar panels on their rooftops top make electricity. The biggest system I see is that the government is giving out tax credits if you buy a solar system. This is what KILLS business' when the government gets involved. I installed basic one Solar Collector and a water heater for $800 and made a profit doing it. Then the government got involved and the systems became between $4000 and $6500 and people installed them where there was NO sunlight just to get tax credits.

The "normal" parasitic load on the batteries is about 35 mA. Anything more will mean charging the battery all the time. The seat limit switches are known to cause larger parasitic losses when they go bad.

That is great news about getting a new alternator! I am sure the problems will go away once the charging system is fully functional again. Charge the battery fully before you install the alternator and then watch it after it starts up. Just for your information, many cars are never able to fully charge their batteries with the built in charging systems. I strongly suggest a top off charge every so often just to keep the battery full at all times.

That must be tough being an ATC, the pressure is great to make everything go smoothly. My neighbor used to be the senior ATC man at the Washington National Airport and did it for a long time. He was one of the ATC people that were ordered back on the job by then president Reagan. He went back to work and was rewarded for his move. Being a Pilot I do appreciate the people like yourself who do that job! Which airport do you work in? Do they have many private planes in Europe like we do in the U.S.?

The Gtech was a valuable tool when experimenting with the various settings of the carburetor or whatever I was working on. According to the Gtech my C3 should be in the very low 11's or the 10 second range at a quarter mile track.

The alternator that I had fail after purchasing it was a bad bearing that slipped out and shorted the alternator out. I learned that when you buy a inexpensive rebuild then that is what you will get.

Keep us posted and let us know when How the Corvette goes!

Best regards,
Chris

 

Hi Chris,

I’ve worked as a tower ATC for 5 years at Constanta Airport which is now a Nato base, from 2002 when the Afghanistan war started. They were taking off and landing continuously day and night, planes, fighters and helicopters, and would warm up the engines for at least half and hour. It was an interesting experience anyway. Now I’m in Bucharest at the Area control and we deal with traffic all over Romania. We used to take care of the G class as well but in the last years small planes become much more popular and now it’s managed by the FIC.

I’m still dreaming about flying but the safety record for small a/c in our country at least is not that good, anyway I’ve “jumped” a few times in perfect weather off a hill with a paraglider and flew like 300m, must be one of the most fun form of flying. With cars things are easier especially when time is an issue. They can be fun, going around a track is kid of similar to keeping an airplane on the right track/altitude, since it requires you to balance the the car and keep the desired racing line not only with the steering wheel but also with the throttle and brake inputs.

10-11 s 1/4mi is crazy fast. You need to have good knowledge of to prepare the engines and good mechanical skills. What helps is there is a wide variety of components available for these engines.



I did some testing on the panels I have. The 10W one is monocrystalline and the 40w one is polycrystalline.



sky overcast

bat rest volatge 12.38V; capacity 4Ah. (scooter type)

panel 10W

parasitic 0.8mA dark / no controller

pv controller, parasitic 4.5mA /in dark

pv controller - panel charging 1.2mA

charging no controller 2.27mA

charging no controller / through glass 1.2mA



15h/9h night/day 7.8mAh net gain per day



40Wpanel

parasitic 19mA dark

charging cloudy: 2.2mA /no pv controller

cloudy through glass discharging at 6mA



The battery I used for testing is small, and even 4mA of discharge over a period of one month can be enough to discharge it in a cloudy season like now. Anyway, it would not have any noticeable effect on a car battery. I’ll do some test on a sunny day but they seem pretty weak idk.



I’ve also looked at some LTO battery cells, they sell a 40Ah 2.4V one for like $70, and you would need 6 to make a pack to use it on a car. It’s not possible to use the entire capacity though. They have the advantage over Lifepo of safety, very high cycle life 9-20k and higher surge current 15c, higher charging rate, better cold performance but are quite expensive. Compared to Pb ones, they are still lighter 7kg for a 6 pack.

Best wishes!

 

I would stay away from any newer technology batteries unless your alternator is designed to charge that type of battery. I would stay with a Flooded lead acid or maybe an Absorbed Glass Mat battery as they don't need recharging very often. Most cars are designed for the FLA batteries and will not charge the other types properly. This is very important issue.

I fly model aircraft and they use a Lithium Polymer batteries that are rated at 3.7 volts each and go up from there by the number of 3.7 cells used in the pack. The larger 14.4 pack could easily start a car but the car could not charge the battery. The Lithium Polymer batteries are very light and store an incredible amount of power. They also catch fire when pushed too hard....

On my motorcycle I have tried the newer SHORAI Lithium Iron "extreme-rate Power-sport's" Starter Battery and it weighs about 1 kilo and required a specialized charger (another $100). I used it for one season and it died, one of the cells went south and now it will not hold a charge even when left on the charger. It was an expensive lesson to learn that the battery could not survive on the 350cc 2-stroke Yamaha for one season. It was nice because the open circuit voltage on these batteries is ~14 volts normally which kept the turn signals from making the headlight get dimmer when flashing. The charger on the motorcycle was not able to charge the battery as it could not go high enough voltage wise. The ten pound reduction in weight from the battery change made it more fun to ride as every pound less made it easier to teach the boys on their Ducati's a lesson they won't forget. It is not the size of the engine but how daring or good the rider is. I raced motorcycles when I was a young idiot. I then drove around Washington DC as a Motorcycle Courier for a company that did Type setting in lead (the OLD way to print things.) I survived and moved to Florida for College.

Is it hard for an English speaking person to get around in Romania? I would love to see that part of Europe at some point in my life. With my brother living in Germany I have a "base" to operate out of. I have always wanted to explore Europe and see it first hand. Knowing the language barrier I am a bit concerned. Once this silly COVID goes away maybe I can start to travel again.

Civilians flying their own planes makes life more challenging for the air traffic control system but the safety record is pretty good. I was taught to fly by a guy who used to fly B52's for the USAF. He then taught me for $4 an hour using my own personal aircraft. When I took my check ride to get my license it was a 20 minute job as the lady examiner just happened to know my instructor and how tough he was. I missed one question on the written exam so it was fairly easy to get licensed. Being color blind they won't allow me to fly at night time but I don't like night flying to start with. I bought the plane in Georgia and flew it home at night 4-1/2 hour ride with one stop for fuel. I paid $20,000 for my 172 and sold it for $25,000 after putting over 250 hours on the air-frame. There are newer civil aircraft that have ballistic parachutes in them just in case. Driving to Michigan takes 10 hours, it took 4 hours to get there in a 172 and on the way home I had a 220 mph tailwind so I made it home in less than 1.5 hours. It beats driving far in this country, that is for sure. I feel safer in the air than I do on the highways anymore. I was taught to spin my 172 just in case of an accident. I can spin the 172 and recover in 400' so a stall/spin shouldn't be a big issue as I was taught by a great instructor. He won the McKay Trophy in the U.S. Smithsonian Air and Space museum for saving a damaged B52 from being abandoned at Sea and returning it to a base with four engine out on the starboard wing.

While learning to fly that idiot would have engine failures on takeoff just to see what I would do. I learned to fly on very little runway 400' of grass followed by a runway that was 1300' long. My home airport was 2665' long and I used very little of it when landing. Being involved in the Aviation Industry you need to learn to fly. My daughter and her husband are both Aerospace Engineers and neither can fly them selves. Flying is handy when you live in a vast country like the United States. My instructor actually had 2 airplanes when I was being taught. One was a 1964 Cessna 172 and the other was some Mooney. When he was transferred to Texas he pulled the engine and instruments out of the Cessna and put them in the Mooney. The Mooney was FAST compared to the 172 so he would go everywhere in the Mooney instead. Today I heard he has five separate flyable aircraft and only he and his wife fly. He was terrified of going fast in my C3 Corvette. One morning I put him in the Corvette and showed him what acceleration really means.... He never got back in the Corvette and he never tried to get me to race him in his 172 with my Corvette....

Sorry to wander all over the place but it has been fun talking with you Nilak! The solar panels need to have a small blocking diode and they will never pull any power again. Your Corvette is probably better off with the deep cycle battery than any of the new technologies out there. I do carry a 4 amp battery pack to charge cell phone and jump start cars when I am out and about.

Where did you train in Florida? My Daughter went to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University down in Daytona Beach, Florida. I understand they teach ATC procedures there as well as flying and other things. I was amazed at the number of private aircraft that came to take the kids home after school was out. I saw dozens of private twin engine aircraft loading their kids gear up to head on home. There are dozens of communities in the U.S. that have their own private runway and hangers at each home site. Flying is a pretty big industry both commercial and private here in the United States. My all time favorite is the famous SR71 Black Bird spy aircraft. They are so beautiful it is hard to imagine them flying faster than a speeding bullet....

Have a great day! And of course Now I will wish you a very Happy New Year!

 

We were training at PanAm in Miami but after the pandemic started we didn’t renew the contract anymore.
To have your own private plane is a bit more complicated here, an old Cessna 172 stars from 45000€ and you need about 10.000 to get a license plus maintenance/hangar costs…not impossible if you give up other things. Also you need a bit of determination for such a move.

About to he pv panels, either with a diode and/or a 15V rectifier or a dedicated controller the discharge is pretty low for a car battery (as opposed to handeling a small battery I did the testing) but I haven’t see these charging at a fair rate not even in the summer, but I’ll check again on a sunny day.

LTO batteries have good reviews with very good performance in cold weather. You need to make a pack, install a bms, build a case and M8( I think) terminals (us style). The cell voltage varies between 1.6 fully discharged and 3V but recommended interval is 1.8-2.8. With a 6 pack you have 2.45V that’s what the alternator will charge at - this is 85% state of charge, and 2.15V would be 20%, which means 65% usable capacity. They cope well with floating charge but it is not the case with a 85%soc. basically that’s a good storage soc.You would charge the battery if voltage drops under 12.9V but it would still be ok right above the minimum limit 9.6V. They have pretty low internal resistance so they can draw a lot of current and can be charged in a few minutes with a fast charger. However, the alternator may have trouble charging if the battery absorbs too much current, that can be figured.

Many people know at least a bit of English in Romania, or other countries around like Greece so it should be easy to work around any situation.

Ps. battery check. I have check the density of the cells with the battery fully charged and it reads between 1.24-1.26 kg/l fully charged (actually I’ll have to check this, I’ll do a slow charging and measure the voltage, then check the charger also) , it seems a bit low.
alternator update:
the alanko alternator arrived. It’s built very similar to the old one although not designed for a corvette. The aluminum frame fits perfectly but I had remove the 3 long bolts that holds the frame together to rotate the rear against the front 180deg to match the location of the stud terminal, connector and rod that attached to the engine block. Another difference is the pulley, which looks about 10% larger in circumference.
I measured the current and the car draws between 2.5 and 25A. I used a clamp on multimeter (I have some doubts about the reliability of this amp meter ). Anyway, It still got a bit hot, around 100C I would say. Voltage during charging was between 14.4 with the headlamps on and 14.7V

Thanks Chris,
Happy New Year!

 

here is the manufacturer datasheet:

 

Those are some pretty great results from the testing of your new alternator! That should be more than enough power and it fits right in place of the original? Is that the same amperage output as your original came with? Rock Auto shows the alternator being rated at 105 Amps were the stock size.

I might suggest that you keep the original alternator and have it overhauled unless it is not the factory original unit that came on the Corvette. I do that with the electric starters and Alternators and Power Steering equipment. Then I take them home and wrap them and tag them and stick them away. Having the original parts never hurts. Here in the United States they like to charge a "Core" Charge on components like that. I see that even RockAuto shows core charges on certain re-manufactured alternators. When I have purchased "New" alternators there is no Core charge.

I still thing you should charge the battery in the car with a 10 amp charger just to get the electrolyte all stirred up when it gets to gassing stage (appears to be Boiling). Your battery will get charged up pretty quickly once you have the new alternator hooked up! I just like charging it up on a old fashioned charger just to ensure the battery gets fully charged.
Good Luck!

Chris

 

It’s identical to the old one (Delco Remy) except the pulley is slightly larger, I don’t find any problem with that except it will run at slightly different efficiency/performance intervals and few mm extra stress on the tensioner. The rated power is the same, 105A. I’ll keep the old one too, I’ve found an aftermarket stator coil and a rectifier if they need to be replaced.
I suppose 25A current demand (roughly 360W some are inductive elements though) is normal taking into account the ignition coil, injectors, fuel pump, some solenoids, all electronics, etc, and with say 60% efficiency there is 600w means ~240W lost which explains why is heating up but I still don’t know how quickly it is supposed to heat up or how much.
Fast charging only works when the battery is below certain SOC, but the alternator should be able to charge it fast initially then I can leave it overnight to top it up. It’s also harder to use for me as I would need to take the battery out of the vehicle because I don’t have access to a power supply near the car. Still it’s good to know they need some higher charging rate from time to time
Thank you

 

update for the new alternator
it still runs hot. After an 1/2 trip I measured 90C on the frame, with lights off, next day with headlamps on I put a drop of water and it boiled so over 100C, also very hot to touch. There was no smoke and the winding wires insulation looks good but that can first affect the belt upon shutting down the engine. I checked a belt temp rating and it was 90C which is probably the limit of most belts.
The output cable and the PLIS connector wires don’t get hot.
I’ve also checked the old alternator and one of the diodes had failed, it doesn’t block the reverse current anymore. It is possible some diode failed on the new one and it puts the two of the coils in short circuit on one half of the sine wave. I bought an oscilloscope to see the output rectified wave. I would look 3 pulses of 14V then 3 gaps 0V if one diode failed. I suspect the new alternator failed for the same reason, loose connection, maybe the cable has broken at some point when I lifted the harness to make room for the rocker covers to come out. I will inspect the harness.

 

Here are some wave patterns from the oscilloscope.
The alternator tachometer output is 250Hz @2500rpm according to the datasheet. At about 850 engine rom I measured 2300rpm for the alternator and the oscilloscope reads 600us — 1660Hz. With 2 pulses per phase, 3 phases, and 12 poles/6 pairs it means 2766rpm for the rotor. Anyway, the pattern looks ok except for the spikes (maybe some interference) ; the tests were done at idle. I got 18A charging current, 40A with the radiator fans on, 50A with lights/ fans on. At 40-50 it warms up but normally at 18A it cools down quickly within a minute to like 50C. At 40A and above it warms up, maybe it’s just normal.




These patterns are inverted (negative pole was on the alternator stud). The last one is at 40A.