Normal doesn’t mean desireable. Even less on actual driving conditions &/or cities. Into the country could be diff because a car iddling could be not the regular stage like at constant traffic light stops and transit.
It is/was also normal get burnt the bulkhead, specially at alt path (not so much at batt path)… this is/was due the constant batt load request to be recharged, claiming more load and for LONG time than the car needs itself after a low alt output stage running throught the system unable to handle it. So just because is normal must we still keep accepting that destiny?
Normal is also that dusty/rusty contacts due environment conditions on engine bay and abuses along the car life increases resistance to the system, making it even worst.
Yes, upgrade the alt, upgrade the alt path up to the amm and live happier with it.
The best solution is get an alt able to keep the car load demand at the minimum speed as posible. Something able to give AT LEAST, 45-50 amps iddling, if you ask me, but more, better.
The more the time amm registers ZERO reading (and this means an alt able to provide all the load request as posible ) the healthier will be the charging network.
It could be helped also with the smaller alt pulley at posible to make it spin faster. On late 70s (or it was already at 80s?) this change was made from factory.
And NOTHING must be sourced from batt side on amm cars equipped. This increases some of the bulkhead burning issues, aside a wrong ammeter reading.
I HAVE MADE IT (my Charger has being a REAL daily driver car on a 7 millions ppl city) … AND I’M HAPPIER.
I still don’t know somebody who has upgraded the alt (with a good one) and is not happier than before. But please, accomplished with some wiring upgrade and mantenience on the system.