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can i beef up my stock alternator?


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bumpinexploder 
Copper - Posts: 265
Copper spacespace
Joined: February 06, 2008
Location: Texas, United States
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 5:16 PM / IP Logged  
i was wondering instead of buying a new HO alt. can i just beef up my stock one? i have a 94 ford explorer sport 2 door. it has a 95 amp alternator now and i am going to be running a pretty big system so i thought id start with the engine and work my way  to the back of the car. ive learned subs first, alternator second equals dead car on side of the road. lol. But i know the gurus on this site would be able to tell me when where and how much so any help would be greatly appreciated!
Pioneer DEH-400UB
Kicker 150.2 mids/highs amp
MB Quart fsa 216 front stage
AudioPipe gd-6001 mono amp
AUDIOQUE SD 15S PREFAB BOX!
C&D Technologies Battery, 1500 CCA, 134 amp storage
149.5 DB's
DYohn 
Moderator - Posts: 10,741
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Joined: April 22, 2003
Location: Arizona, United States
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 6:03 PM / IP Logged  
Yes, there are companies who can rewind your stock alt, add larger diodes, etc.  The question of if that ends up being cheaper than a new one or not depends on where you have it done.  There are also sometimes reliability issues with a rebuild, but again, it depends.  You can probably find an alternator rebuild shop in your local area in the yellow pages or by talking to a professional car audio shop.
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haemphyst 
Platinum - Posts: 5,054
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Joined: January 19, 2003
Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 6:26 PM / IP Logged  
If I may interject, as well as expound on DYohn's answer...
I'd like to suggest AGAINST having your OEM re-wound. Why? What happens if the re-wound one dies? Now you are stuck COMPLETELY without an alternator, while you either A: go buy a new one so you can even DRIVE your truck, or 2: pay again to have that one fixed (and keep in mind, rewinds will NEVER carry the same warranty as a new (whether rebuilt or just generally sold as a whole alternator - lifetime, usually) HO alternator will carry - 90 days to 6 months).
Speaking from experience, BUY AN ACTUAL HO ALTERNATOR! You'll have a more reliable product, as well as a spare IN CASE the HO version fails sometime.
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
bumpinexploder 
Copper - Posts: 265
Copper spacespace
Joined: February 06, 2008
Location: Texas, United States
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 10:14 PM / IP Logged  
yea thats what i was thinking is getting a new one. cuz your right i was just gonna keep the other one in case. thanks! but now is the questions of what kind and where? everyone says stinger suck and ebay is not a good place to go unless you want to get a reman. lol
Pioneer DEH-400UB
Kicker 150.2 mids/highs amp
MB Quart fsa 216 front stage
AudioPipe gd-6001 mono amp
AUDIOQUE SD 15S PREFAB BOX!
C&D Technologies Battery, 1500 CCA, 134 amp storage
149.5 DB's
jettagli03 
Copper - Posts: 311
Copper spacespace
Joined: January 16, 2005
Location: United States
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 10:56 PM / IP Logged  
Professional car audio shop.. I would even watch out what some of them say. I'm running three amps (JL 300/2, JL 1000/1 and Diamond Audio 300/4), fog lights at night.. and as little power as it uses.. a radar detector and the guy at my local "higher end" shop said my electrical system was more than up to the task of what I was putting it up to with my stock SIXTY FIVE AMP! alternator and with the Stinger battery I was purchasing (which I might add is one of the smaller ones due to absolutely zero space under the hood to go bigger and I already have no trunk as it is)
I asked him about Stinger alternators and he said I wouldn't need a bigger alternator, that the battery alone would be sufficient with my stereo's power needs.
jmelton86 
Gold - Posts: 1,228
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Joined: February 07, 2007
Location: South Carolina, United States
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 11:14 PM / IP Logged  

Just so you know, you can get direct bolt-on replacements from your local auto parts store.

Your Explorer had a 95 or 130amp option. The 130amper will bolt right on in place of your current 95amper. The 95amper goes for $130 and the 130amper goes for about $139 (both are remans).

Napa Auto Parts also offers a 200amp HO alternator for about $358. *It requires cable upgrade kit # 13-31K (or, the Big3). This alternator is new and carries a 2 Year warantee!

2013 Kia Rio -90a alternator
DDX470HD GTO14001 GTO1014D (x3)
Big3 in 1/0G
1/0G to GTO14001
bumpinexploder 
Copper - Posts: 265
Copper spacespace
Joined: February 06, 2008
Location: Texas, United States
Posted: April 02, 2008 at 11:39 PM / IP Logged  
jettagli i bet that was just a case of laziness by the shop people. but yea 65 amp wont hold up lol. but ill let you guys decide if i need an alt bigger than 130 amperes. ill have a orion 2500D amp pushin 1250 RMS. a jbl 4 channel running 60 RMS x 4. and a jbl 2 channel running 60 RMS x 2. so a total of 1610RMS if im not mistaken. i have a red top 34/78 model i think. so the battery is efficient for the job, but is the alternator?
Pioneer DEH-400UB
Kicker 150.2 mids/highs amp
MB Quart fsa 216 front stage
AudioPipe gd-6001 mono amp
AUDIOQUE SD 15S PREFAB BOX!
C&D Technologies Battery, 1500 CCA, 134 amp storage
149.5 DB's
bumpinexploder 
Copper - Posts: 265
Copper spacespace
Joined: February 06, 2008
Location: Texas, United States
Posted: April 03, 2008 at 12:06 AM / IP Logged  
hey sorry for the double post but i was tryin out ohms laws calculators and i did a formula for current and it was i = p/e which is current equals power divided by  volts. which is 1700/14.4 and it equaled 118 amperes about. now my question is i know a 130 amp alt. will run that system but will it have enough in it to run my car also? i dont know how many extra amperes i need to run my car. thanks alot for the help guys i really appreciate it
Pioneer DEH-400UB
Kicker 150.2 mids/highs amp
MB Quart fsa 216 front stage
AudioPipe gd-6001 mono amp
AUDIOQUE SD 15S PREFAB BOX!
C&D Technologies Battery, 1500 CCA, 134 amp storage
149.5 DB's
haemphyst 
Platinum - Posts: 5,054
Platinum spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Electrical Theory. Click here for more info.spaceThis member has been recognized as an authority in Mobile Audio and Video. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: January 19, 2003
Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island
Posted: April 03, 2008 at 12:40 AM / IP Logged  
118A is at 100% efficiency. You are probably looking at significantly more than that.
1250/.8=1565 watts in
6*6=360/.5=720 watts in
1565+720=2285 watts in
2285/14.4=159A
If you run it at about 75% most of the time, (and seeing your sig, you WON'T be running it that low...) you are looking at a fairly steady 120A current requirement. Add all of the other accessories in the car, and a 130A will NOT be big enough.
Headlights 12-15A
High beams 14-20A
Engine (including computer, alternator) 12-15A
Tail lights 8-10A
AC and fan 30-40A
Rear window defroster 12-15A
You'll notice those are all fairly constant (at least while the accesory is on) current sinks, as well... I didn't include transient drains like brake lights and turn signals.
Nope... a 130A model won't cut it for you. You gotta go bigger.
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
bumpinexploder 
Copper - Posts: 265
Copper spacespace
Joined: February 06, 2008
Location: Texas, United States
Posted: April 03, 2008 at 1:24 AM / IP Logged  
ok thats alot of help there. i still havnt found a good place for an alt. but i guess im looking at a about a 200 amp alternator. also will i need the big three or is there a drop in replacement 200 amp?
Pioneer DEH-400UB
Kicker 150.2 mids/highs amp
MB Quart fsa 216 front stage
AudioPipe gd-6001 mono amp
AUDIOQUE SD 15S PREFAB BOX!
C&D Technologies Battery, 1500 CCA, 134 amp storage
149.5 DB's
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