One wire alternators

[Jimmyjack]

I just purchased a new one wire alternator and found some interesting information. The prices ranged from $45 to $98. Wow what a swing, and why? Well for $45 the alternator starts charging at 1800 rpms. For $98 the charging starts at startup of alternator. Guess it depends on whether you want to speed it up every time, or not worry about it. By the way, my local O Reilly could not test the old one or have a new one. All the other parts stores had no problem. Most desk people knew exactly what I had and was looking for, some didnt have a clue.

 

[Ken(Ark)]

(quoted from post at 17:41:34 03/02/10) I just purchased a new one wire alternator ....... $45 the alternator starts charging at 1800 rpms. For $98 the charging starts at startup of alternator. Guess it depends on whether you want to speed it up every time, or not worry about it.

Does anybody know if the 3 wire 10si starts charging at start up/idle ?

From what little I have looked at , the 1 wire excites itself and does not sense what the battery voltage is so some rpm comes into the equation ???

Does a FoMoCo with external regulator start charging at idle ???

 

[Tom N MS]

Never had any luck for any part at O"Reilly"s. All the help acts like they just fell out of a 9 story bldg.They don"t have a clue.....Had a few decent oil sales but as far as parts go, forget O"Reilly"s.

 

[souNdguy]

The 'sense' line is INDEED used on a 1 wire alt.. it's just internal to the regulator. otherwise you'd see 17v out of them.

A standard 3 wire delco , if fed some tickle power to the #1 terminal comes on about 400 rpm or so.. though i have seen the one on my 541 charge at 350+

Soundguy

 

[Anonymous-0]

3-wire 10SI charges at idle.

 

[souNdguy]

you can buy a new 3 wire and 194 lamp or diode for 50$ or less usually and it starts to charge about 400 rpm automagically... way cheaper than the 98$ one...

soundguy

 

[old]

All depends on the O'Reillys and the people behind the counter. The one I have in town is pretty good but I have also been dealing with them for almost 30 years and they have learned to get what I need or they have to put up with me teaching them how to do it LOL. A 3 wire alternator wired up correctly will start charging the moment the engine starts and will cost at O'reillys 45 plus a core. Oh by the way it sounds like you have a buch of lazy people in your O'reillys since I know they can in fact test an alternaotr

 

[Brent 41 9N]

Mine is a single wire Delco-Remy not charging, I tried to excite the alternator by shorting to sense lead very breifly. All of the sudden my alternator was charging. Problem is now while alternator is charging tractor does not run very well. So, I have been letting it charge for a little while, then turning tractor off and restarting.
Any ideas??????

 

[Dunk]

My one wire, 6v, positive ground, Chevy, 10si, alternator always keeps the battery charged.

I never make a conscious effort to have to rev the tractor to get it charging.

But then I hardly never have my tractor running at idle, that is the reason for a governor.

Put it at a working rpm, even if that is wide open governed.

Most of the work I put my N thru I have it on the top part of the throttle scale, and it needs that.

I have no tac, nor do I worry about that.

There is some slop in my linkage, so my wide open may not be as much as most folks, or on the other hand might be.

I just know since I had that alternator built, around 25 years ago, my batteries have been fully charged till they die.

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 21:28:54 03/02/10) All depends on the O'Reillys and the people behind the counter. The one I have in town is pretty good but I have also been dealing with them for almost 30 years and they have learned to get what I need or they have to put up with me teaching them how to do it LOL. A 3 wire alternator wired up correctly will start charging the moment the engine starts and will cost at O'reillys 45 plus a core. Oh by the way it sounds like you have a buch of lazy people in your O'reillys since I know they can in fact test an alternaotr

I agree!!

They bulldozed our NAPA and put up an O'Reillys, same folks work there.

It is about the only place in town that the folks actually have some sense.

 

[souNdguy]

I'm surprised shorting power to the #2 sense lead got it charging, as the #1 lead is the trigger.. though perhaps the 1 wire reg has them common?

what is she charging at? if charging high, it will place a load on the engine due to electrical demand.. plus.. if charging high, you may be burning up the battery, points and coil.

check volts and amps

post back.

soundguyu

 

[Brent 41 9N]

I'm sorry it was the #1 lead I'm jumping to. It is maxing out my amp gauge. Not sure of charging voltage. Will check in the morning.

 

[old]

An alternator that is pulling max can pull as much as 7HP off the top of an engine and yep that would make it run with a lot less power. So yep sounds like it is time to pull it off and have it checked out and if it is bad I would switch it to a 3 wire and be done with it

 

[Jubilee85 (VA)]

JJ,

my 53 came with a 12v one wire, coverted before I bought it, never had a problem. I can get the tractor to idle around 400-450 (when the weather is just right)it ALWAYS reads about 13.9-14.1 .....if I throw on all three lights - it will drop to 13.7 - It even has the snap in clip that I thought about making in the excite thingy. But I havent - One thing to "look" at when buying an alternator - it is the AMP output, many can kick out 40 amps @ 12+V...and the $$$$ can get up there @ 80 amps. I cannot see buying a high output alternator. A tractor, unless you got a power invertor hooked up doesnt need the high $$$$ one.

 

[souNdguy]

if it's maxing out amps.. it's also likely maxing volts.. thus loading the engine heavilly.. plus likely killing all the ignition components.

soundguy

 

[NOXJohn]

I purchased a 12 volt one wire conversion kit from this site and put it on my 1949 8N. The pulley that came on the alternator needed to be removed and an extra smaller pulley that was in the box installed. I don't know at what speed it starts charging but I normally start my tractor at around 750-800 rpm. It starts to charge as soon as the engine starts. I have had no problems with it. The engine rpm that the alternator needs to start charging depends on the difference between the crank pulley diameter and the alternator diameter. The smaller the alternator pulley that slower engine rpm needed to start charging. Did the different priced alternators have different size pulleys?

 

[Greg_Ky]

I have a 140 amp. single wire "Powermaster" alternator that I installed on my old 655A Ford backhoe several years ago that starts charging between 550 - 600 Rpm. The one wire can not draw much when setting because it sets out in the fence row for six to eight months at a time and it fires up when I hit the key with a three year old TSC. GP4 battery.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 10:46:10 03/03/10) I have a 140 amp. single wire "Powermaster" alternator that I installed on my old 655A Ford backhoe several years ago that starts charging between 550 - 600 Rpm. The one wire can not draw much when setting because it sets out in the fence row for six to eight months at a time and it fires up when I hit the key with a three year old TSC. GP4 battery.

Yes, Greg, if a 1-wire truly self-excites off residual magnetism, as most claim, then there is no reason to expect the 'sitting-idle drain' to be any greater than the typical 750-millionths of an amp that the original true DELCO regulator in a 10-SI drains. That ought to discharge a battery in approximately the shelf-life of a battery, or somewhere between 5 & 10 years. Not too much to loose sleep over, IMHO.

 

[Greg_Ky]

I just wanted to state that because some on here really trash the one wire alternators as drawing a lot of current when not running and only charge when revved up.