alternator

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Lew Silverman

PowerMaster X4 here!


I've been experimenting with pulleys trying to get a balance between charging rate and parasitic drag. Also looking at a WOT cut-out switch to see if there's anything there.

Lew, a normally closed relay in that single wire, connected to a universal starter button under the accelelorator pedal makes it "old man forget proof". Pedal on the floor opens that normally closed relay to disable the alternator. Some EFI car ECUs have some AC clutch code that can be used to open that relay above a chosen RPM, etc.
A switch could also be mounted by the carb, to kill it @ WOT, but would also be just one more thing to deal with during tear downs, and working on the engine.
I finally just went to 16 volts.

[Mark Lewis]

Contact Mark at House of Payne, he can get th Powermaster up to 75amps in the small version. I like this one for EFI to have the charging capability.

[Bob Mulry]

Gee whiz,

All this time I thought that was illegal???..

Silly me...

[Lew Silverman]

Originally Posted by Bob Mulry

Gee whiz,

All this time I thought that was illegal???..

Silly me...

Wowsers!!


What did you think was illegal? The rule book states that you HAVE to have an alternator so that's what we are checked for. That, and to make sure the belt isn't slipping. I've never had mine tested for output.

[Coleydog]

Why would you want to cut power a full throttle? 14 volts is better than 12 or less, to run all the electrical stuff when it's extremely needed. The value it picks up will more than offset any drag loss. Moreover, any alternator will not charge up the battery with the little running time the car sees. It stops the bat. run down you would see without one. 16 volt, that's another story.
Mike

[Hacksaw]

An alternator uses approx. 3 to 5 hp when energized and it's producing current.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Coleydog

Why would you want to cut power a full throttle? 14 volts is better than 12 or less, to run all the electrical stuff when it's extremely needed. The value it picks up will more than offset any drag loss. Moreover, any alternator will not charge up the battery with the little running time the car sees. It stops the bat. run down you would see without one. 16 volt, that's another story.
Mike

I tested that, my car picked up a couple hundredths cutting it off @ WOT. I would not bother doing that without testing it.

[Eman]

Why a one wire? You can cut power to the exciter circuit eliminating any load at WOT.

[Coleydog]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

I tested that, my car picked up a couple hundredths cutting it off @ WOT. I would not bother doing that without testing it.

Interesting, did you remove the belt when testing? If not, I would say there's a tremendous amp draw at wot to lose that much ET. Meaning batteries are not up to charge or a big drain (fans, pump, computers).
Something doesn't sound right to me?
What rpm are you turning? Alternator could be tuning way to fast and that's the power loss, 3000 rpm is way more than needed.

[Mark Yacavone]

Originally Posted by Coleydog

Why would you want to cut power a full throttle? 14 volts is better than 12 or less, to run all the electrical stuff when it's extremely needed. The value it picks up will more than offset any drag loss. Moreover, any alternator will not charge up the battery with the little running time the car sees. It stops the bat. run down you would see without one. 16 volt, that's another story.
Mike

Consistency