<VV> Hi Output Alternator

[JVHRoberts at aol.com]

Sounds like a good reason to replace the alternator with an idler pulley,  
and mount an alternator like a smog pump or A/C compressor. Or get all kinds of  
fancy and mount an alternator shaft up,, and put it under the fan, ala 
Porsche  911... 
 
In a message dated 12/28/2005 2:32:00 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
brentcovey at hotmail.com writes:

>  > Just wonder if there are any fan belt issues with use of a 55 or 63  amp

If you ever try to get full output (say, you have jumpstarted the  car with a
dead battery that starts charging) or have a heavy load on at  highway rpm,
anything over the 37 amp original unit is more likely to slip-  after 55 amps
they will chew the belt even at very high tension, AND fail  to charge from
the pulley slipping. Try to be conservative in output,  mostly the high amp
units are fine but there are circumstances they are  pretty near useless. The
61,62,63 amp units give a lot of trouble in this  respect if theres any call
for high current.

A common scenario is a  glazed but still quite tight belt, full lights and
heater on the highway  with a weak battery going dead while you drive along
oblivious, evenually  the dash lights get too dim to see- and the cars dead
the moment you stop  it. This is a situation pretty easy to encounter in a
Corvair thats not  used everyday. The 37 amp units are adequate for most
situations, even  large loads like a/c are temporary and switch on and off.
37 amps may not  be enough for every contingency but its about the limit for
the fanbelt  even with a very good belt erring high for tension.

Good luck!
Brent  Covey
Vancouver BC