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In Car Electronics All things car stereo for your 190E.
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Bigger alternator |
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Senior Member
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Bigger alternator -
10-21-2008, 05:18 AM
Hi guys what is the biggest alternator that will fit the m102 block?
Will any alternators from other series bolt up to it? Want a new alternator that is 150A, currently have a 70A one Also are there any problems with upgrading the alternator? Will the engine have more strain on it? Will there be a noticible performance loss? Thanks :) |
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10-21-2008, 06:01 AM
 The Biggest Bargain From Germany Since Wernher Von Braun - Car & Driver November 1983 |
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10-21-2008, 05:26 PM
more strain cuz the 150s are bigger and heavier. performance loss is only noticeable if the engine doesnt already produce enough power. i dont feel a big difference or any at all in my 2.6 tho. my 150 setup has been working fine for about 3-4 months since i installed it.
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Jedi
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10-21-2008, 09:37 PM
You'll only experience performance loss if the car is drawing that much current.
And even if you are drawing the full 150 amps (which you probably won't) then you'll lose around two and a half horsepower. 1 horse power is equal to around 745 watts. 13.1v times 150a = 1965 watts, so 1965 divided by 745 is 2.6 HP. Of course, the alternator isn't 100% efficient so it may be a bit more, something like 5 or 6 horsepower at 150a. But drawing 40a (normal operation with headlights, AC, etc on) with a 70a alternator should give you the same power loss as drawing 40a with a 150a alternator. If there IS a power loss under standard operation, it would be due to increased drag... the 150a alternator uses a more heavy duty rotor which may take more effort to spin, but the difference is insignificant. So this misconception that a 150a alternator is ALWAYS outputting 150a isn't correct. It's outputting whatever the car draws from it. Now when there is a heavier load on the alternator (sound system is booming, headlights on, etc) the alternator has to generate a stronger magnetic field to keep up, resulting in a heavier load on the engine. Okay? |
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10-22-2008, 03:51 AM
Ahhh interesting thanks for that, didnt think it output 150A all the time but I didnt know that it will only strain the engine when it is outputting more. I thought it would create a strain no matter what its putting out.
Dale did you install the new alternator yourself, was it difficult? Do you have any instructions or tips? What alternator did you use? Thanks! |
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10-22-2008, 03:55 AM
Just a quick question, why are there 2 power wires comming off the alternator to the distribution block? Is the bigger alt to batt cable a good idea? What could go wrong?
Thanks |
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Jedi
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10-22-2008, 07:36 PM
It is very very easy to install, I have done it in a parking lot (twice actually) without jacking the car up. Just get some 15mm wrenches and have at it. YouŽll need to loosen the belt tensioner.
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10-22-2008, 10:13 PM
did it myself also. i scored a rebuilt 150a from ebay for around $150.
for the wiring. the bigger wire is power and the little one is ground. i used 0gauge for power and 16gauge speaker wire(only one side of course) for the ground. i would suggest upgrading the neg. batt cable too, just cuz. to wire it i routed the power from alt directly to the batt terminal, and the ground from alt back to the distro block. you'll need multi-port batt terminals if you want a clean look, and maybe think of getting a stronger battery like a yellowtop if you havent already done so. |
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10-23-2008, 11:16 AM
I have upgraded my grounds from my battery to the chassis, I have 2 4AWG cables and have grounded the engine block with 4AWG as well.
I had a yellow top but I sold it lol Those cables are very small for power and ground... Might upgrade them both to 4AWG So the alt is grounded to the chassis? Not the block? Did you ground the alt back to the dist. block, why not to the chassis directly? Thanks :) |
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Jedi
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10-23-2008, 08:47 PM
You know, in your instrument cluster. The battery light. It's a 12v signal, connecting to ground is a pretty bad idea. This is why you need to use a multimeter before you start guessing where wires go.
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10-24-2008, 03:13 PM
Didnt think it was a ground wire, isnt the alternator grounded to the block by being connected to it?
Also when I connected alt to batt with a 4awg power cable I remember hearing a whine, was it my imagination? Still not sure about the alt to batt, read something somewhere about engine managment issues... |
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