Ditch the alternator?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Apr 3, 2018 | 02:47 PM

mowpow

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Mar 2009

Posts: 114

Likes: 2

From: Mansfield Texas

Ditch the alternator?

Converting my C5 to strip only and I'm entertaining the though of losing the alternator. Anyone done this and how long can the car go without the battery going dead?

Thanks,

Apr 3, 2018 | 02:50 PM

grantv

Le Mans Master

Joined: Sep 2014

Posts: 5,278

Likes: 539

From: Kelowna BC

Does it rob that much power? Ditch the battery instead?

Apr 3, 2018 | 03:25 PM

mowpow

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Mar 2009

Posts: 114

Likes: 2

From: Mansfield Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by grantv

Does it rob that much power? Ditch the battery instead?

Yea it's a good point. I'm trying to free up as much stuff on the motor as possible to allow for more room and less weight. But the more I'm reading, the more I'm feeling this is a bad idea (fuel pump being electric is one). The other thing I have to figure out is if I keep the alternator, how can I run another bracket smaller/lighter than the bracket it's on since I ditched the power steering.

Apr 3, 2018 | 04:07 PM

grantv

Le Mans Master

Joined: Sep 2014

Posts: 5,278

Likes: 539

From: Kelowna BC

Gut the pump, but leave the shell, bracketry and pulley?

Apr 4, 2018 | 08:11 AM

leadfoot4

Team Owner

Joined: May 2001

Posts: 87,376

Likes: 1,593

From: Western NY

Keep in mind, that most electronic ignitions need ample power, 100% of the time, to perform at 100% efficiency. Lose the alternator, and you lose that power, especially when you'll probably be running an electric fuel pump..........

Apr 4, 2018 | 08:59 AM

4XLR8N

Le Mans Master

Joined: Apr 2012

Posts: 7,818

Likes: 2,267

From: Brighton MI

Quote:

Originally Posted by grantv

Does it rob that much power? Ditch the battery instead?

The vehicle's electrical system cannot function properly without a battery.

Apr 4, 2018 | 09:21 AM

C6_Racer_X

Safety Car

Joined: Jun 2017

Posts: 4,786

Likes: 425

From: North Georgia, USA

Quote:

Originally Posted by mowpow

Converting my C5 to strip only and I'm entertaining the though of losing the alternator. Anyone done this and how long can the car go without the battery going dead?

Thanks,

Way back in the day (30 ish years ago), I worked on several nationally competitive Showroom Stock race cars. One of the more well known "cheater mods" was the 10.xV voltage regulator. The regulator would be modified so it wouldn't charge above 10.8V or so (maybe a little less), and The battery would be fully charged (13.5V to 13.8V) at the start of a race or qualifying session. It'd still have to spin the belt and pulleys, and the armature in the alternator, but there was no load on the engine to charge anything because the stator coils were de-energized.

Generally, the battery would come back after a 15 minute or 20 minute session still well above 11.5V. Sometimes it would last for a full 35(ish) mile regional race and still be over 11 volts, but usually, it was back charging (at the lower voltage) by the end of a 45(ish) mile national race.

I've seen that mod on German and Japanese 4 bangers, Mazda 2 rotor engines and even some Japanese inline six engines. I've never done that on a Corvette, or any American V8, but I can't imagine the results would be much different. Todays batteries (especially if you go with a light weight Lithium Ion battery) are better, and it would probably run longer.

Apr 4, 2018 | 11:35 AM

mowpow

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Mar 2009

Posts: 114

Likes: 2

From: Mansfield Texas

All good points here, I think I'm going to stick with the alternator, I have some questions about that so I'll start a new thread. Thanks all!

Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Joe Kucinski

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

Brett Foote

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Michael S. Palmer

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Pouria Savadkouei

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Joe Kucinski

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Joe Kucinski

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Michael S. Palmer

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Joe Kucinski

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Joe Kucinski

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Verdad Gallardo

Apr 4, 2018 | 02:07 PM

Chris Stewart

Safety Car

Joined: Apr 2000

Posts: 4,326

Likes: 140

From: Weatherford, TX

I ditched the PS and relocated the ALT to the AC position. Used a Ford Explorer alternator driven by a 4 rib belt. Added an electric water pump, so there's no need for the main serpentine belt. There's a thread somewhere around here on it.
Alternator relocation info:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...nger-side.html

Attached Images

Last edited by Chris Stewart; Apr 4, 2018 at 02:33 PM.

Apr 5, 2018 | 10:47 AM

#10

mowpow

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Mar 2009

Posts: 114

Likes: 2

From: Mansfield Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Stewart

Cool thanks Chris, I like your setup! Thanks for the link, that is one I found originally but I missed the text in there that talked about the wiring, I will give that a shot.

Looks like you did steel braided lines for the transmission cooler? What electric water pump did you go with?

Thanks,
Jake

Apr 5, 2018 | 11:43 AM

#11

Chris Stewart

Safety Car

Joined: Apr 2000

Posts: 4,326

Likes: 140

From: Weatherford, TX

Yes braided lines everywhere and thanks. I got the Meziere pump.

Apr 5, 2018 | 12:10 PM

#12

GCG

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 3,275

Likes: 739

From: Miami FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4XLR8N

The vehicle's electrical system cannot function properly without a battery.

That's correct. The battery acts as a capacitor, to "smooth" the alternator's output.

Apr 5, 2018 | 12:51 PM

#13

dmaxx3500

Team Owner

Joined: Jan 2008

Posts: 30,894

Likes: 1,189

From: chicago

I don't think you will gain enough to lose it,you need a fully charged batt to run the ign.,and some tracks you cant find power outlets,are you going to carry a gen? ,,the less things you can bring with the easier things are at the track

unless you load everything in your race semi and 53' trailer

Reply Subscribe

Reply Share

First
Prev
1 / 1
Next
Last

Forum Jump