Alternator help, "jerry rigging" if you will....

[sLoWnStEaDy]

OK... i can get a SWEEEEEEET deal on an externaly regulated 300 amp alt. from an 80's van that had a 4.3L but my car is a '99 eldorado with a N* engine...

The mounting points appear to be identical and it has a 6-groove pulley as well (i mean i can use my pulley if needed anyways). So my question is this... the plug that hooks up to the back of the alternator has two wires which are as fallows

grey wire: Generator Field Duty Cycle Signal
red wire: Generator Output Regulator Reference Voltage

If i do an external reg. that plug is no longer used correct? meaning as long as the alt. will physicaly bolt up then i should be good correct? I haven't dealt with externaly regulated alts. so i am not 100% sure how that all works out and what not... I am going to be running 16V batteries in the trunk and a 993 voltage "step down" for the stock 12V up front to run the car...

[xci.ed6]

you need the external regulator. prbly an aftermarket one so it puts out 16-17v.

[sLoWnStEaDy]

yeah... i know... My question is basicaly does the plug on the back of the alternator matter since i am going external reg.?

Because it will physical bolt into place and everything but the electrical plug isn't the same...

[derek072887]

i think the only thing that will be wrong with doin that is your guage in the car may not work.... but idk for sure, i think you should be fine bolting it up and running an external regulator, so long as it gets hooked up properly.

p.s. your battery light might come on if that plug is not plugged in, ull just ahve to try it out and see if it works

[Drifte]

Sounds like you want to know where the wires from that plug should go, or if they even need to be their...correct?

[sLoWnStEaDy]

Pretty much Drifte...

[sLoWnStEaDy]

WELL...

I bought the alternater as well as some nice batteries and a couple runs of 2/0 cable so i am REALLY hoping this alt will work so i can have a stereo again. Got my new speaker amp today but can't find the vinyl i need to match the caddie so not sure when those are going in but...

[sLoWnStEaDy]

BUMP

[krustindumm]

installed yet?

[sLoWnStEaDy]

Got the batteries and the 4/0 installed but not the alt.

I was told it would just cause problems on the cadillac because it is such a "primative" setup. Something about the cadillac having a bunch of differnt points where voltage is checked or something and if i don't have that alt. plug connected the engine light will always be on... I don't know if you have ever seen under the hood (well, in the alternators case, you have to look UP from bottom) but it is not somethign i am looking forward to doing. As of right now my system is still working fine, I don't drop and lower than 13.5V when it's slammin' so I will probably wait as she is going into storage here in a couple weeks anyways. Just tryin to focus all my "car energy" on the RX7 for now...

[krustindumm]

are you keeping the stock alt and adding this one, or running just the high current alternator?

I don't really see a problem with running only the high amp unit as long as you plan on keeping the voltage around stock (13.5-13.8).

[sLoWnStEaDy]

Just going to run the 300A one...
I did end up ditching the 16V setup and grabbed some DC Sound Labs batteries (BatCap 2000's) so. I am thinking I will throw it in and set the regulator to around 15V which should be OK and that should keep me around 14V to the amp...

that MK4W puts out some damn nice power!

[krustindumm]

You will need to run 13.5-13.8 or your stock computers and electronics will probably not be happy.

But, running 2 alts would allow you to run a dedicated charging system for the amp, which could be 16V.

[sLoWnStEaDy]

My stock setup sat at about 14.2-14.4 before any audio was added. It drops to 13.5V when my stuff hits hard. I good alternator (factory) should put out atleast a good 14.4V, a fully charged battery should sit at aound 12.66V as well. Usualy you want to run the alternator about 1.5V-2V higher than the voltage of the battery

as for teh dual atlernators i wish that was an option... However there is barely enough room for the stock stuff under my hood, no chance of fitting a second alt. Cadillacs are nice cars but just changing the belt took me and james about 1/2 an hour. He literaly had to use his body wight to push my arm further so i could get it in the proper areas and everything... Needless to say i cut the shit out of myself that night...

[krustindumm]

Well, then giver a shot.