Alternator

HB Chris

HB Chris

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I noticed a faint glow from the Alt warning light this morning. My first thought was well, there goes another $125 or so for another one. But, I removed the brushes and found the problem. It only had maybe 25K miles but were badly worn. Took five minutes to remove as the lower screw is next to PS hose and the problem was fixed for only $20. So check your brushes first, I didn't even have to disconnect the battery.
 

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HB Chris said:
That is the complete piece which includes the integral brushes.
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I believe that part includes the voltage regulator as well as the brushes (yea, the solid state regulators are tiny).

Chris: It looks like one of your brushes was more worn than the other. I wonder the ring that brush rides on was poorly finished in the rebuild, making it abrasive. Probably not worth replacing or investigating - either wear from the brushes will eventually smooth it off, or you'll need another set of brushes in another 25K miles. Might be worthwhile keeping a spare in the trunk caddy.
 
Jim at Mesa said it was common to have one worn more than the other, don't know why. Replacing every five years won't be a big deal and you get lots of warning with the dim red lamp.
 
100 watt driving lights, 100 watt high beams, and air conditioning for 8 hours and 600 miles tonight through The Middle Of Nowhere, FL

Honolulu said:
and what does one need an 85 amp alternator for, rather than the stock 55 amp? Are you welding?
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Honolulu said:
and what does one need an 85 amp alternator for, rather than the stock 55 amp?
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Chris convinced me to make that same upgrade, so I'll give my answer to this question:

Since my coupe is pretty much stock, I certainly don't need more amps - my little Becker Europa II and sealed beam headlights probably don't even draw 55 amps.

The beauty of the later alternator is its internal, solid state regulator. These are more reliable than the original, external, electro-mechanical regulators. They also provide more accurate voltage, though again I doubt that matters in my application.

If BNR had offered a 55 amp alternator with internal regulation, that would have been fine for my application. Conversely, if someone really planned on drawing 55% more current (85/55 - 1 = .55), they should probably upgrade the gauge size on their wiring harness.
 
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Stevehose said:
100 watt driving lights, 100 watt high beams, and air conditioning for 8 hours and 600 miles tonight through The Middle Of Nowhere, FL
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Hmmm, I thought home air conditioners were electrical but not car's.
 
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