<VV> Corvair alternaters

[James Davis]

Not a problem except if you use the amps the belt will wear faster. 
The Ultra Van eats a belt in about 16,000 miles and the Rampside 
every 30,000 miles.  I routinely draw 60 + amps for 8 hours or more 
from the 120 amp alternator on my Ultra Van.  The inverter, powering 
the ice maker (40 amps) and refrigerator (18 amps), the lights (9 
amps), and charging the two 155 amp hour batteries (25 amps) require 
that many amps.
  The Rampside has a 105 amp alternator and I draw 77 amps with the 
A/C, gasoline heater, lights, and windshield wipers on.  For the 
uninitiated, the reason you would operate this way is on a rainy 
night with the temps in the 80's F; you need it all.  It does get 
hot, humid, and dark in Kentucky in the summer. :-)
If you run the high amp alternators you need at least 4 ga wire for 
the alternator to fuse block.  Fortunately Summit sells both 4 ga and 
1 ga wires with fuses (100 amp and 200 amp) for the one wire 
hookup.  By-the-way, you can get alternators rated up to 140 amps 
that fit the 10/12 SI case.
Jim Davis


At 09:50 AM 12/28/2005, Padgett wrote:

>>NAPA POWER
>>Remanufactured
>>Alternator  #213-4013  12V 63A
>
>Just wonder if there are any fan belt issues with use of a 55 or 63 
>amp alternator. The load is going to be considerably more and there 
>must be a reason a/c Corvairs only got 47A alternators when most 
>other GM cars of the period with A/C got 55s (and the Delco 
>application guide shows only 37A for 67-69, did they drop the 47 in 
>later years?)
>
>Reason a/c cars got bigger alternators was that the a/c clutch 
>pulled nearly 10 amps by itself.
>
>Padgett
>________