Alternator alternatives

[mluder]

Gonna re-post this since I got no response on the first atempt.

Still sporting the Duc but at idle under load my voltage reading on the dash is plummeting dangerously low.

Thinking about going the route of the Special-T replacement instead of the Motorola.

Anybody have any experience with it - recomendations - things to watch out for.

Steven

[Bitsyncmaster]

Gonna re-post this since I got no response on the first atempt.

Still sporting the Duc but at idle under load my voltage reading on the dash is plummeting dangerously low.

Thinking about going the route of the Special-T replacement instead of the Motorola.

Anybody have any experience with it - recomendations - things to watch out for.

Steven

My 110 amp from John is still going strong after 5 years. But I did have to tighten the three bolts that hold the two halves together. A friend had one that had a noise. John replaced the unit no problem.

[jawn101]

+1 on John's 110. Very happy with it. Keep in mind you'll need a shorter than stock V belt with it installed at tuneups. John includes one with the alternator. Be sure your battery is fully charged off the car before putting the new alt in or you may fry the regulator trying to charge it. That happened to me - John clucked his tongue, reminded me that he had warned me about exactly that, and fixed the alt anyway.

[DMC3165]

I have a special T stock Motorola replacement (90-97amp) works really well in conjunction with my optima yellow top. No issues at all and I've had this setup now for a year and a half. Highly recommend john's alternators.

I also have a used 140 DMCH unit if your interested. You would just need to purchase the wire for the 3 prong connector.

[WelmoedJ]

+1 on John Hervey's 110A alternator.

IMHO 140A is a bit overkill for our car. That one seems to not provide sufficient charge on low speeds.
Unless you have a heavy load on the electrical system, stick with the 110A (it has about 37 percent more max charge over a standard D (80A) alternator.

[Michael]

I think you need to consider a few things before replacing the alternator:

First, test your current alternator off the car.
Second, realize the factory dash gauge is sometimes not very accurate. The only way to know for sure is to use a multi-meter
Third, it's been said before, make sure your grounds are clean. Although the alternator may be grounded fine, you could have something else with a bad ground that when on, will kill your charge rate. Say if your aux. fan is not grounded well on your frame extension, when it engages, you will see your volt meter drop a lot more than it should.


Now I would still replace the factory alternator simply due to it's age and history. Just to plug, DMC makes a fine 90A that I have had no problems with(and I have Hervey's 110A in my garage collecting dust if that tells you anything)

[congerz83]

I'm not sure what your budget situation is, but there are crossovers for the alternator.

I believe these will fit with a pulley change and adding washers to line it up properly. If anyone can expand on this, please feels free. I'll probably go that way if I ever experience alternator failure. Not knocking the vendors, but I like bargains whenever I can get them. Plus the lifetime warantee seems more my style, even if the odds of it being needed may be higher than a vender alternator.

Champion 74-1502, Velo, 9AR, Excel: 14324, Delco: 21020854, Delco: CS130 (1991-1994 Saturn)

Like I said, I'm not sure what your budget situation is, but it's nice to have options..

I honestly LOVE my Duralast Starter for the 3.0 Eagle Premier...

[DMC5180]

Delco: CS130 (1991-1994 Saturn) Requires some minor modifications for mounting it. Somebody posted photo's on the old .COM site.

[deloumis]

I also have a used 140 DMCH unit if your interested. You would just need to purchase the wire for the 3 prong connector.

How much are you asking for the alternator?

[DeLorean]

Delco: CS130 (1991-1994 Saturn) Requires some minor modifications for mounting it. Somebody posted photo's on the old .COM site.

I'd like to see this too. My Ducy is still working just fine - makes enough amps & volts, so long as I don't roll around with the AC on full, lights wipers, radio and defrost all running at once. At maximum load it does start to draw from the battery. It's somewhat baffling that they installed an alternator without the necessary capacity to run all the standard accessories.