Alternator upgrade

[dodge68charger]

I wanna install a higher amperage alternator on my 68 big block charger. I remember seeing a link to a mad electrical article i think it was. Im pretty sure they used a dodge dakota alternator. Does anyone have a link to an alternator upgrade page like that. Thanks

 

[A383Wing]

make sure your 46 year old wiring and ammeter can handle the extra amps of a newer alternator...you could end up doing more harm than good with this.

You could let the smoke out of the wires...not a good thing in this case

unless you got high amp stereo and amplifiers, and lots of extra lighting, a stock alternator will do you just fine

 

[dodge68charger]

Will it be okay with a headlight upgrade to those cool looking blue ones. Thanks

 

[Propwash]

Will it be okay with a headlight upgrade to those cool looking blue ones. Thanks

Are you talking HID's or just putting in some halogens with a blue tint (bulb coating)? Adding relay's to your headlight system and upgrading to Halogen H4's or something similar will be quite bright, and a factory rated stock alternator will keep up just fine.

 

[dodge68charger]

Wanna go hid's. appreciate the help guys

 

[Propwash]

Here's a couple threads that you may find pretty helpful towards your question:


http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?63301-Alternator-and-Headlight-relay-upgrades-results


http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?47376-HID-Headlight-Conversion-1969-Plymouth-Roadrunner

 

[dodge68charger]

Thank you. I also noticed classic industries has a harness fora 4 lamp hid conversion. Looks like a plug n play install. I guess i'll take my old alternator to get re built and use that one.

 

[Photon440]

No problem if you want HIDs. Pretty much every stock new car with HID uses 35 watt bulbs, compared to 55 for the old halogens. You'll be easing the load on your wiring with the upgrade as you go brighter.

 

[dodge68charger]

Im trying to convert all the lights in the car to leds. I replaced all the dash lights n tail lights to lessen the load. I guess anything helps

 

[Nacho-RT74]

as I have told many times... the alternator will provide what the car will suck. If you have a thousand amps alt and the car demand is 50, the alt will provide just 50. The weakness on our wiring is not more than the bulkhead terminals, plus the wrong side sourcing any added acc, giving extra stress to the ammeter.

read this and will understand how it works and what it means an ammeter reading

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,33574.0/all.html


you won't need ever a 100 amps alt, but the main goal on this is get an alt able to charge the more as posible at low RPMs or even at iddle. 50-60 amps at iddle would be the best, but imposible with our stock alts. Having an "stock" look, the best and cheap option would be maybe a lates 70s alt able to give 78-80 amps max output. They perform quite good, although still gets barelly 45-48 amps at iddle ( with small pulley ), which is usually quite enough, just a little bit short to A/C cars if you run A/C regulary ( like I do on a tropical country )

 

[bm02tj]

You have identified the biggest reason people have trouble with ammeters and if they follow a few simple rules they will not have a problem and need to bypass ammeter as a lot of people recommend as with all things you need to consider cause and effect to every thing you do or add to your car
Bruce

as I have told many times... the alternator will provide what the car will suck. If you have a thousand amps alt and the car demand is 50, the alt will provide just 50. The weakness on our wiring is not more than the bulkhead terminals, plus the wrong side sourcing any added acc, giving extra stress to the ammeter.

read this and will understand how it works and what it means an ammeter reading

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,33574.0/all.html


you won't need ever a 100 amps alt, but the main goal on this is get an alt able to charge the more as posible at low RPMs or even at iddle. 50-60 amps at iddle would be the best, but imposible with our stock alts. Having an "stock" look, the best and cheap option would be maybe a lates 70s alt able to give 78-80 amps max output. They perform quite good, although still gets barelly 45-48 amps at iddle ( with small pulley ), which is usually quite enough, just a little bit short to A/C cars if you run A/C regulary ( like I do on a tropical country )

 

[Nacho-RT74]

everything will depend on what you want to do with your car. In my case having and keeping the ammeter, to keep a correctly reading and everything working perfect and safe... I made it after some years testing, BUT need to understand FIRST how things work to still make them to work correct and safe still with upgrades.

added acc, need to be sourced from alt, never to batt on ammeter cars... AND STILL will need a better alt than the stock, not a better batt like EVERYBODY AROUND THE WORLD has being doing since ever... wrong step.

bigger batt ads EVEN MORE STRESS on system, because an stock poor alt will NEVER refill back again in good conditions. Is like a giant accesory added on a car with an alt not able to source it. And ammeter will register this, allways charging

although our full load ammeters are designed to show and handle 40 amps ( to each side ) with some exceptions, if you never get a discharged batt and get an alt able to provide max at posible without need to rev up the engine, the ammeter will never get that load going throught no matter how many amps the alt gives or the batt gives. If it does, something is wrong on your car, and ammeter will show that. If you don't understand what the ammeter reading gives, you'll never find the real problem, or fix it correctly.


diff stuff is the shunted kind charging systems used on lates 70's and rest Mopars.

which will be ALLWAYS true, is the weakness of the bulkhead terminals... SPECIALLY the black side which even with an upgraded alternator, THIS terminal will overheat no matter what. The red side next if batt get discharged or alt is not able to feed, but Black side allways.

with a straight wire to starter relay stud, the load demanded by the main splice inside the cab will be shared by red and black wires terminals, so thats why you'll be safer, but will be virtually bypassing the ammeter with a wrong readings, if some.

And if you definitelly bypassed the ammeter, then this will obviused, and the straight wire will be definitelly the easier and cheaper way to keep safe your car.