Alternator for dual set up.

Been mulling this over and am now in need of a bit of advice.

I was planning on using this 170AMP HIGH OUTPUT ALTERNATOR Fits CRUSADER MARINE ENGINES 3-Wire 170AMP | eBay
plus points
170 amps
Will give fast charging of batteries
Good power to the winches when winching
Massive reserve capacity of power should I want to build more into the aux system

Minus points
Not standard fit on anything in the UK
No local distribution or service depots
Non standard fit of base complicates change of alternator should I want/need in the future

Then there is option number 2 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 1 300TDI 1996 - 1999 A127/100AMP ALTERNATOR AMR4248

Plus points
100 amps
Standard Land Rover part
Standard fitting
Easily sourced spares and repairs

Minus points
70 amps less than I had planned
Lower top line output when under load, ie, winching
Makes additional upgrades in the aux system a little more tricky with less reserve amperage

Think that about covers it?

I've already ordered the crank pulley to enable me to fit an extra drive off the crank, I never liked the crappy idler pulley as fitted by Land Rover for the 200Tdi and have been looking at a better way of idling and applying belt tension using standard off the shelf parts but that's a project on it's own.

hi

looks an interesting mod

doubt it’s any use to u, but just for info the D3 alternator is 150 amp

170 amps is going to need some belt to drive it at full draw

gstuart said:

hi

looks an interesting mod

doubt it’s any use to u, but just for info the D3 alternator is 150 amp

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I can't use it as it is a "smart" alternator that runs a variable load free wheeling pulley to reduce electrical load on the engine when batteries at at optimum charge and the engine is under hard load driving. 150 amps though!

I was also looking at Mercedes C class alternators as they are rated between 190 and 220 amps but I am unable to find out if they run the same principled "smart" system as the Land Rover D3 item??? MERCEDES (w203) C200 C220 CLK 2.2 CDi DIESEL BRAND NEW 200A ALTERNATOR 2002-2008 (Fits: More than one vehicle)

jamesmartin said:

170 amps is going to need some belt to drive it at full draw

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Certainly won't be the skinny AC belt, I have made friends with a marine engineer and think I can safely ask to use his lathe to spread the V of the pulley to enable me to use a much thicker and deeper agri grade V belt.

Would take a bit of ingenuity to get a multi V pulley on the nose of the 200Tdi crank, doable I think, but trying to keep as much as I can standard parts that will be easy to source again in the future.

dieseldog69 said:

I can't use it as it is a "smart" alternator that runs a variable load free wheeling pulley to reduce electrical load on the engine when batteries at at optimum charge and the engine is under hard load driving. 150 amps though!

I was also looking at Mercedes C class alternators as they are rated between 190 and 220 amps but I am unable to find out if they run the same principled "smart" system as the Land Rover D3 item??? MERCEDES (w203) C200 C220 CLK 2.2 CDi DIESEL BRAND NEW 200A ALTERNATOR 2002-2008 (Fits: More than one vehicle)

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ooops , forgot about that

wonder if something off an old rangie classic would work ???

gstuart said:

ooops , forgot about that

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Think it is safe to say that most people are actually unaware that it has such a device, even my Peugeot 307 2ltr Hdi had one on it, been looking and think I should chat with the Volvo Penta marine guys an see what marine grade alternators are available, I was just thinking that perhaps one of the big jobbies that they fit on barges would be a good choice for load, capacity and longevity as it will be designed for maximum operating life span.

Anyone else running dual alternators an if so what alternator did you go with?

gstuart said:

wonder if something off an old rangie classic would work ???

Click to expand...

All about the amps.

Series LRs ran typically 33 ~ 35 amp alternators

RRCs ran 65 amps

90/110 & Discovery ran 65 amps

Discovery 300Tdi ran 80 ~ 100 amps

I am wondering if I should bite the bullet and get 2 X 100 amp Magnetti Marelli A127 alternators and replace my current 65 amp unit and fit the second in place of the A/C pump on the timing case.

dieseldog69 said:

Think it is safe to say that most people are actually unaware that it has such a device, even my Peugeot 307 2ltr Hdi had one on it, been looking and think I should chat with the Volvo Penta marine guys an see what marine grade alternators are available, I was just thinking that perhaps one of the big jobbies that they fit on barges would be a good choice for load, capacity and longevity as it will be designed for maximum operating life span.

Anyone else running dual alternators an if so what alternator did you go with?

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to be honest i didn’t relalise it was one of these smart alt until i bought the D3

aplogises for asking daft questions , would u have to connect the second alternator to a separate battery to take the load off the first one, ie if the first one fails would it then stop the system dead, where as if a second battery was fitted it would switch over

once again aplogises , just find it a very interesting topic

dieseldog69 said:

All about the amps.

Series LRs ran typically 33 ~ 35 amp alternators

RRCs ran 65 amps

90/110 & Discovery ran 65 amps

Discovery 300Tdi ran 80 ~ 100 amps

I am wondering if I should bite the bullet and get 2 X 100 amp Magnetti Marelli A127 alternators and replace my current 65 amp unit and fit the second in place of the A/C pump on the timing case.

Click to expand...

would the system be more balanced having equal amperage alternators, so they work in tandom so to speak

Second/dual alternators are typically fitted to a second battery but you can run them in series to boost the amps on a single cable to a battery bank, usually these are stand alone from vehicle systems and run alongside and are not linked in any way except for an isolated manual switching method to jump start the car in emergency but it is a manual link that you control.

Second batteries fitted along with a split charger are great for increasing your battery capacity without adding much in the way of complicated and expensive components, a few cables and a big solenoid controlled by a VSR (voltage sensing relay) usually means that the batteries are isolated only until the main starter battery is fully charged and once charged the solenoid is switched and excess charging capacity is diverted to the second battery to keep it topped up, this works very well but batteries are ideally identical in every way or it can bring problems down the line. Like the T-max where batteries can be manually linked and unlinked gives flexibility as far as being able to start off the second battery if your vehicle battery dies but it will put extra load on the main alternator as it must work to maintain charge in two batteries.

gstuart said:

would the system be more balanced having equal amperage alternators, so they work in tandom so to speak

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The two alternators are to be stand alone circuits. I could always slap another 65 amp on there to compliment the original?

would this be of any use to u

http://www.vehiclepartsdatabase.com/vehicles/allprivateroadvehicles

it lists every alternator model made on every car , tells u what the amps are as well

see the discovery 1 is also fitted on a rover 800

gstuart said:

would this be of any use to u

http://www.vehiclepartsdatabase.com/vehicles/allprivateroadvehicles

it lists every alternator model made on every car , tells u what the amps are as well

see the discovery 1 is also fitted on a rover 800

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Ta for that, going to bed now, it's way later than I realized.

just info for u and if it may be of any use ??

http://www.island-4x4.co.uk/alternator-4046-120amp-denso-amr2938g-p-509.html

http://www.island-4x4.co.uk/alternator-4046-9802-150amp-bosch-err5834-p-890.html

Have 2 the same. You can swap if needed. Only need to carry 1/2 the spares
Keep things standard.
What winches you looking at running?

@dieseldog69

is this the kind of rough set up ur going to do , omitting having the second battery

gstuart said:

just info for u and if it may be of any use ??

http://www.island-4x4.co.uk/alternator-4046-120amp-denso-amr2938g-p-509.html

http://www.island-4x4.co.uk/alternator-4046-9802-150amp-bosch-err5834-p-890.html

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That 120 amp Denso unit looks good but I fail to see how the Bosch unit that offers only 30 amps more (150A) can justify a 100% price rise?

Your wiring diagram is spot on, two alts an two batteries.

Hicap phill said:

Have 2 the same. You can swap if needed. Only need to carry 1/2 the spares
Keep things standard.
What winches you looking at running?

Click to expand...

http://www.red-winches.com/products/explorer/186/

Fancy but it will be 100% up to the job. Long way off maybe but if I am doing this now to future proof, I might as well get it right, nothing worse than a big flash winch tapped on the old 65 amp alternator running the whole truck.