Alternator problems

[NHbalerman]

On my self propelled baler it has a Ford 300 6 cylinder I put a new alternator on it and with the air conditioner running it will finally pull the battery down to where the electric ignition units working and the engine dies. The ac fan is run straight from the battery and the evaporator fan and compressor is run through the normal wiring but no lights on it is a new heavy duty battery on it. Can I get a alternator that puts out more amps not sure how many this one puts out it is a regular one post alternator. Thanks for any help

 

[Duner Wi]

Regular one post Motorcraft alternator on a Ford I am not familiar with.
Any chance it is a Delco 1 wire,?

 

[NHbalerman]

Yes it is the Delco one wirr

 

[timcasbolt]

I remember that the 36 amp and 63 amp were the same mounting. There was a bigger one, maybe 90 amps or so that required some modification to the brackets. If you've got a 36 it should be pretty easy to find a 63 somewhere. Those self-exciting regulators do fail from time to time. Might want to keep that in mind.

 

[NHbalerman]

Thanks for the info I may see if I can get
the 63

 

[wore out]

You can get an 80 Amp and maybe larger in the 10SI size case. Don't muck around with a 63 Amp unit.

 

[timcasbolt]

Cadillac's from the 70's used them. Impala's, Bonneville's, Electra's.

This post was edited by timcasbolt on 07/05/2023 at 07:59 pm.

 

[Wisconsin Ron]

If you step up to bigger alternator you might want to beef up alternator output wire too the battery. I learned kinda the hard way on an owatonna swather with a ford engine in it.

 

[Janicholson]

I have a 95amp 10SI from an Oldsmobile. 3 wire setup, not a one wire, on my old Jeep. If your alternator is a one wire (as stated) it may not be reaching the RPM needed to make it start charging. One wires require alternator residual output to start, or a continuously on setup in the internal regulator, which can drain the battery when operated only once a month or so. The three wire setup is really going to do the trick. Terminal B (big output stud) has a 10 gauge wire to the battery (through a fuse link that is 5% larger in amp rating than the chosen 10SI) the #2 sedge spade terminal also attaches to that same big stud with a #12 wire and terminal ring. The number 1 terminal connects to the ignition at the Key/switch, not the coil. Ford engines use a resistor in the ignition circuit quite often, and this connection needs a switched 12v. The wire just described must have a resistor in it this keeps the alternator from making the engine keep running with the switch off. The resistor can be one of three things, it can be a light bulb like a marker light, a 10 ohm resistor (not the same as a ballast resistor), or a diode that allows electricity to flow from Key to alternator, but not the other way) 4 amp 100piv diodes are cheap from Ebay. the band on the diode needs to be facing the alternator. Jim

 

[caterpillar guy]

Like Jim said just go to a 3 wire and be done. As for the amperage they made some for the bigger luxury cars in the 90-100 plus amp alternators or get a Leece-Neville out of a semi they are around 100-150 amp and last very well. I have one on my Pete has been there close to 800,000 miles. Might even be the original I don't remember now if so then million 200,000 miles and 23 years.

 

[JF in MI]

Agreed. Some moron had put a 1 wire on our airport's diesel Ford 4000. The problem was that it eliminated the alternator light so when it failed I never knew and was wondering why it was using so much fuel then also noticed it kept running cooler. The battery was so weak the gauges were reading low. If I had shut it off I would have been stuck. Put on a 3 wire and no more issues.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I have a Jubilee with a 3 wire alternator.

Problem: Alternator uses the tractor pulley.
The tractor pulley is bigger than the pulley used on cars, so the alternator doesn't spin as fast.
I have to rev the engine to 1500 RPMS to get the alternator to work. ONce the alternator wakes up, I can slow down the engine.

If you can't solve your problem, try to find a smaller pulley for the alternator.
If I recall cars use A width pulley. Tractors use B width pulley.

Some older alternators have a smaller charging current, go bigger.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

They are called Idiot lights for a reason.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Is the alternator you currently have even charging?

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Apparently I'm a genius as I'm up to 12 one wire alternators and no problem with any of them.Then again I can cut hay with a sickle bar mower and can run an AC Roto Baler.(LOL)BTW DB Electrical sells a 130 amp 1 wire alternator.

 

[DaveBN]

I'm not sure how you alternator is run but if it's the same as the original in an F-150 you need to test all the axessories. That means anything that is run from the serpentine belt. Loosen the belt and turn each unit by hand to see that it spins freely. If something is causing the belt to drag you will notice that the pulley on your old alternator is rusty looking from the heat of a dragging belt. The tensioner would be my first quess. If it's a flat, serpentine type belt you will see flat slots on that pulley where it's not been spinning freely. My 1993 F-150 had a 75 amp alternator. If you have a different configuration I would still test to be sure the alternator is turning at the correct speed.
Dave

 

[Hobo,NC]

Blower motor on high 20amps
condenser fan 30 amps (you said evap?)
AC compressor 4 Amps
Ignition 4 amps

That don't leave much if any to replenish the battery and that is what its designed to do. Once the engine is started the alt replenishes the battery and the system runs off the alt.

That there tells us the alt is not efficient, not charging are too small to do the job.

58 amps, most all 10si alts come with a 63 amp stator so your alt drive (belt and pulleys) would have to be in top notch condition to keep up. Its doable but it would have to be efficient. We consider a alt that will put out 90 % of rated out put efficient so you are already in trouble. You have provided no useful info as to the alt. output. The condenser fan is killing you as they all do : ( but its a necessary part. .

Not knowing what tools you have available a voltage reading under all conditions would help to tell us the direction you need to go to resolve the issue.

I don't see a standard 63 amp alt ever living a happy life in your machine with the AC working at full blast. It needs a 90 amp alt and even then the drive system needs to be in excellent condition. 90 amps is asking more than a 1/2" belt can live under and that's an issue of its own, you are headed toward a double belt drive to get the best out of it.

 

[MarkB_MI]

The first thing you need to do is break out your multimeter and check the system voltage. (No multimeter? GET ONE!) Check the voltage with the engine off, engine running with no AC, then with the AC running at each available fan speed. Those readings will give you an idea if the charging system is working at all, and if it is adequate to handle your air conditioner. If the battery voltage drops below about 14 volts with the engine running, the alternator isn't getting the job done. It could be you need a bigger alternator, or it may be you just need to fix something, such as a slipping fan belt.

You might have a blown diode in the alternator. If that's the case the alternator will appear to be charging when there's no heavy electrical load, but the voltage will drop under heavy load.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 07:22:43 07/06/23) I have a Jubilee with a 3 wire alternator.

Problem: Alternator uses the tractor pulley.
The tractor pulley is bigger than the pulley used on cars, so the alternator doesn't spin as fast.
I have to rev the engine to 1500 RPMS to get the alternator to work. ONce the alternator wakes up, I can slow down the engine.

If you can't solve your problem, try to find a smaller pulley for the alternator.
If I recall cars use A width pulley. Tractors use B width pulley.

Some older alternators have a smaller charging current, go bigger.

eo, I don't see the "waking up"on a 3 wire 10SI.. Perhaps on a 10DN with mechanical VR