I'm just wondering if there's anything I should do as safety precaution before I throw in a 240 amp alternator. Could it fry everything? As long as the voltage remains the same then the current shouldn't matter, right?
TIA 👍🏻

 

No, it won't make a difference. Basically that's just how much power it "can" make depending on the electrical demand/heat-resistance of the system.

So depending on your needs, the 240 is usually only considered for very hot track cars and people with very powerful audio/aftermarket equipment. When the alternator is fully heat-soaked, it's much less efficient so it's needs more grunt to supply the system's electrical demands. Just something to consider depending on your usage. The factory one is fairly weak and a total turd. Had multiple die on me When my last one died I threw in a Billet Tech 170A and have been +14V ever since with an A&A kit in the CA heat.

Now if you're getting a 240A specifically for high power audio equipment, amps, etc. I would install quality, thicker gauge wiring as a precaution.

 

Yep, and where the Billet Tech 170A shines, is it puts out more amperage at idle, then the stock oem Valeo 140amp unit.

Hence at idle, OEM 3 pole design puts out about 14 amps. The Billet Tech 170A 6 pole unit, puts out about 45+ amps at idle isntead.
So, if you are in summer heat, have the A/C on,which turns the raditor fan on and its drawing about 15 amps, the stock alternator can not keep up with the power demand, and starts to put the battery in a drawn down state (until the RPMs rise, and the OEM alternator is putting out more amps). The more that the battery is discharged, and has to be charged up, the sooner that the battery is going to die.

As for the Billet Tech 170A, over the Billet Tech 240a unit (both are 6 pole), the 170 amp unit puts out more power at idle of the two and has less drag on the belt system.

So as pointed out, unless you need the 240 amp unit due to say sound power system needs that the 170 unit can not fill (stock alternator only put out 140 at over 4K rpms), the Billet Tech 170A is the ticket instead. Hence it not really about what the alternator can put out at full tilt, but what its going to put out when the motor is idling with you are stop light and the A/C on instead. So if you do the math, car really only needs about 40 amps to keep up with stock systems, and extra amps over that, is really just to recharge the battery back up quicker from starting the car to begin with. So if you have added radio amps to the car, do a quick amp check of what they are pulling (see what size fuses they are running), add it to the 40 that the car needs in the first place with every thing on, and will tell you what amperage you need the alternator to put out. In most cases of a few smaller amps added in (say 50 amp fuses on each amp), the Billet Tech 170A will have you covered.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...pricing-3.html

 

Very Lucky to have a local alternator rebuilder here in Indianapolis that will rebuild alternators to 270 AMP for half the cost of a Billet tech. I ran into this when looking for an alternator for my F350 dually tow truck, 2 batteries on board. I found this place and now I use them for all my alternator rebuilds.

 

Dano's advice is spot on. Follow it and your alternator difficulties will be gone for the duration.

 

Most of them are complete junk, especially a company called “power bastards” stay far away from those clowns. I have a DCpower 180A and it’s a nice quality unit. 👌🏻

 

What kind of voltage reading do you get on the DC Power 180 at idle with a load?

 

Its not so much the output at full tilt, but changing the unit from a 3 pole, to 6 pole unit that will put out more amperage at idle isntead.
So if the unit was just built up as a 3 pole unit still, you did not gain anything on the idle amperage, and in fact may end up with lower output at idle isntead.

 

I’ll need to check again but I think 13.6-13.8

 

So what makes it put out more at idle? Excuse my ignorance

 

Difference between the 3 pole, verse 6 pole alternator windings.

https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/...and-slots.html

On the old harley's, they use two wire stators, and on the newer bikes, 3 wire stators, which increases the lower RPM output as well.