High Output Alternator....interest?

[tinman905]

The 80 models were the first to have emergency flashers, so your 79 doesn't.

I guess it was required here in Canada as one of my SF's has one as do 2 of my 80SG's like you stated.

[crazy steve]

You would be hard-pressed to find any car or truck these days that it's alternator couldn't handle the full electrical load at idle. Sure, if you start with a dead battery and immediately go and get stuck in traffic while running everything, you won't do much for charging the battery.

I had a '64 Comet (the last year for generators on FoMoCo products) that the generator literally couldn't keep the battery charged in nasty nighttime driving. Four headlights, six taillights, wipers, heater blower, you had to turn something off or the battery would be dead when you got there. It's only saving grace was it did have an ammeter, so you could tell when it was running short. The Comet was basically a dressed-up Falcon, but kept the Falcon's wimpy 30 amp unit; I finally converted to an alternator...

[XSive Okie]

Just pull that switch apart and clean it out (it likely has old dried grease/lube in it) and put some fresh dielectric grease in it and your will be shocked at how much easier it works after that.

Thought about using some electrical contact cleaner, if that doesn't work I will take it apart, Cy. Would be nice to have it function properly for a change!

[CatatonicBug]

Thought about using some electrical contact cleaner, if that doesn't work I will take it apart, Cy. Would be nice to have it function properly for a change!

There are a LOT of tiny moving parts in there. You might as well start with opening it up. The contact cleaner won't do much until you do.

[crazy steve]

One last post on this....

For all the talk about a 'better' alternator for these, one thing that's never mentioned but would be a major factor is heat. If someone does manage to come up with a design that more-or-less fits in the available space, if you have more output, it will generate more heat. This would be a real concern; one of the reasons modern alternators can produce the power they do is because good ventilation can dissapate that heat. This would be tough to do on a bike, as being weather-proof is a requirement here seeing how these are usually mounted where they're exposed to all the elements. This alone will probably limit the maximum gain you'll be able to get.

The other issue would be output frequency; this is related to the number of 'poles' on both the rotor and stator. Unimportant in terms of output as long as you meet your voltage/current goals, but if this is different from the OEM unit you're now faced with an expensive recalibration of the tach or replacement with an aftermarket unit driven off the ignition (yet more $$).

I don't think there's enough people willing to spend $3-400 (at least!) for a increase in charging capacity on a 30 year old bike...

[3Phase]

... sometimes proves difficult to shut off. Usually pushes too far over and turns the other side on! Someday I'll replace the switch.

Richard, it looks like you're trying to move the switch lever to shut off the turn signals; same thing I did when I got my XS. Don't do that, you can bend or break something in the switch and have to take it apart. Just push the switch lever straight in with your thumb and the signals should cancel.

If the switch sticks, spray electrical contact cleaner around the switch lever into the switch housing to clean it and follow that up with a small shot of some spray lithium grease; not too much or it'll 'drool' grease around the switch lever and get on your hand/glove, especially in the summer.

[cywelchjr]

Richard, it looks like you're trying to move the switch lever to shut off the turn signals; same thing I did when I got my XS. Don't do that, you can bend or break something in the switch and have to take it apart. Just push the switch lever straight in with your thumb and the signals should cancel.

If the switch sticks, spray electrical contact cleaner around the switch lever into the switch housing to clean it and follow that up with a small shot of some spray lithium grease; not too much or it'll 'drool' grease around the switch lever and get on your hand/glove, especially in the summer.

that may work well. I've had good luck with opening the pod, and cleaning from there without breaking it down any further than that. What I have found is the original lube is still in there and crusty, and the contact cleaner will often get that clean just fine. That said, as a long time electonics tech, I have an aversion to using lubes like lithium grease in switches like these, it's why I recommended dialectric grease, as it won't conduct and cause any cross pathing like even lithium grease can do.

[3Phase]

That said, as a long time electonics tech, I have an aversion to using lubes like lithium grease in switches like these, it's why I recommended dialectric grease, as it won't conduct and cause any cross pathing like even lithium grease can do.

Every day's a school day. Thanks, Cy!

I use lithium grease spray with the little red straw for low voltage switches I don't want to tear apart and to seal battery terminals so they don't corrode and I can actually take them off later without breaking the bolts.

I've never had lithium grease conduct at auto/motorcycle voltages but, yes, you should use dielectric grease. If you don't already have some, get it, you're going to need it.

[trdriver71]

I guess it was required here in Canada as one of my SF's has one as do 2 of my 80SG's like you stated.

I have a SF too but it does not have 4 ways.

[SthrnSqrl]

Yikes.. I remember generators!! Somebody get me a cane!!!

LOL...My first truck had a *Stomp Starter* button in the floor. Granted, it was a lot older than I was, but ...just sayin...lol

[clcorbin]

Thanks Steve. That's what I meant.

Steve doesn't mean is is barely trickling, he just means it can't put out 100% of it's rated power at idle. There is a big difference between that and idling for 20 minutes won't charge the battery.

For example, the alternator on my 2005 Mustang GT has a rated output of 160A (at 2500 rpm I THINK) and can ONLY put out 100A at idle. 100A WILL charge the battery even with all the junk running and the stereo turned up. And just for the record, my system voltage sits at 14.1V at idle, at redline and pretty much every where in between. The low I have ever datalogged on that was 14.0V (after starting of course) and the high was 14.15V. Not bad...

[James England]

Steve doesn't mean is is barely trickling, he just means it can't put out 100% of it's rated power at idle. There is a big difference between that and idling for 20 minutes won't charge the battery.

For example, the alternator on my 2005 Mustang GT has a rated output of 160A (at 2500 rpm I THINK) and can ONLY put out 100A at idle. 100A WILL charge the battery even with all the junk running and the stereo turned up. And just for the record, my system voltage sits at 14.1V at idle, at redline and pretty much every where in between. The low I have ever datalogged on that was 14.0V (after starting of course) and the high was 14.15V. Not bad...

I replaced the OEM rectifier/regulator with one of Geezer's replacements. I get full charging at 1400rpm... barely above tickover. If you have the cash, I think it's a good modification. I no longer suffer dim headlamp and slow flashing blinkers either. A big improvement

[Rooster]

Hey is there any chance that xschop would consider an alternator relocate which was belt drive? Using any of the self regulated alternators off of newer 4 cylinder bikes it might work with pods in the area where the air box used to be. The trick would be the pulley on the output shaft from the original alternator location and the belt being externally dangerous unless there were a guard made.

[skids]

The thing about volt regulators is that they don't "make" voltage. They prevent it from going to high. In other words, if the voltage supplied by the alternator is less than 12 volts at idle, that is the best that you can expect. Geezer could be onto something here...

[cywelchjr]

The thing about volt regulators is that they don't "make" voltage. They prevent it from going to high. In other words, if the voltage supplied by the alternator is less than 12 volts at idle, that is the best that you can expect. Geezer could be onto something here...

It's because I think his rectifier may be a little more efficient and because I think he pushes more current through the field coil as well, which kicks the system up higher sooner. If you want to see part of that just try grounding the low side of the field coil system with the normal reg, you will see an increase in voltage by doing so.