posted
This is probably a dumb question. I have an extra alternator for my 4cyl. Pontiac...if i could manipulate the belts.. could i hook it up the same way the original alternator is hooked up in order to supple more current??? Thanks
SEan
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Posts: 23 | From: nassau, ny usa | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
well, i don't know about munipulating the belts, but i think you could have a special mounting bracket fabricated fairly easily, and i think, thats all you have to do to run two alternators, i think so anyway, i'm not surem but i think thats all you have to do. Hope I helped, Matthew
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posted
the belts are not the problem.. there is an auxilary pully off my serpentine that is not in use... i just am not sure how to hook the wires and whether i will over charge my battery....
Yes i know that buying a bigger alternator is the way to go... but i work on my car stereo and other projescts merely to keep my mind from stagnating.. this keeps the old creative juices flowing when im not in school
thanks sean
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Posts: 23 | From: nassau, ny usa | Registered: Jul 2000
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ok well, first thing is - will the alt fit into the car?
second - it doesnt matter where u put the alt just as long as u put the pully inline with the other pullys. u can always go buy a longer or shorter belt. amazingly enough they have several different lengths of belts.
Third to answer your question about how to hook it up and if it will over charge the batt ---- No it will not over charge the battery u have. Also to hook it up run a piece of 4 awg wire from the alt to the battery. Then u have a field wire to hook up. To hook this up run it to the other alts field wire. Or u can run it to anything that is ignition swiched. Then u might have a dummy light which is a wire to power a sensor that tells u if the alt is charging That in turn makes the alt light on the dash stay off untill it has no charge. hope this helped? peace DK
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what about the fact that a 4 cylinder doesn't have enough power to push 2 alternators at idle? better get rid of the engine driven fan and get an electric one and might as well do the same for the water pump. remember you have a pontiac not a porche who hp and torque would be 3 times greater for the same engine size. good luck though
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would it really take that much more power to run the second alternator... i was just going to run it off the air conditioner pully... my car has no air conditioner... so i was going to utilize that pully!!
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Posts: 23 | From: nassau, ny usa | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
I've been through this a million times myself. Here are some helpful hints.
Like earlier posted, it doesnt matter whree you place the alternator, as long as it is secure and in line with the pulleys. You WILL need a new belt. You are in luck though, they make almost EVERY size belt you can think of. Advance Auto hates me...lol
Hooking up 2 alternators is kinda tricky. The best way to do it is this. Keep your factory alternator in place. Leave all the factory wiring there and forget about it.
Hook up the second (or more batteries) to the second alternator. DO NOT HOOK UP ANYTHING FROM THE VEHICLE TO THE SECOND ALTERNATOR. JUST AUXILLARY BATTEIRES. Hook up the sense wire to a switch that is from the auxillary batteries. Doing this will allow you to "turn on" the second alternator at will.
Power your amps off the auxillary batteries.
You may experience alternator whine and such, but nothing that a noise filter couldnt take out.
Is the engine strong enough?....Yes.....will you lose power?...yes....you can't have your cake and eat it to.
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