Looking to upgrade my alternator (1 Viewer)

[knuckle47]

About 18 months ago, I replaced the GM alternator in my FJ40 with a Denso from @ToyotaMatt. At the time we discussed any additional items like lights or winch or any other power hungry options. Deciding it was going to be just as it was, I have a new 45A? Denso alternator that has been perfect so far.

After installing the Holley Sniper EFI I have noticed that the Amp gauge usually is at 1/2 needle swing towards +30. Always enough starting voltage around 12.7 and once running it’s steady at 13.8 to 14.1. Prior to the Sniper EFI it would swing about +15 and within 20-30 seconds hang at the “0” side but +. I am almost finished adding the Hyperspark ignition and I feel, just by wire size, it’s another power hungry device.

In all of the years of messing with engines both 6V and 12V I have never had any boosted power output needs so never considered what else I may need to upgrade.

Is it safe to consider upgrading to 90A or 100A without frying any other parts?

Thanks ….

 

[charliemeyer007]

I think its safe to consider, however at full output existing wires/controls/etc. could be undersized and get hot or burn out. If you add a one wire 120 A alternator, you could just size the connecting to handle the flow.

You might considering adding an aux fuse block to handle the new loads - a relay could help.

 

[White Stripe]

If I recall the current goes through the amp gauge and then to your electronics. So you'll overwhelm the amp gauge and it's wiring at 100 amps.

 

[jim land]

Stock Amp gauge is good for 60 max edit: ( more like 30 or 40 Amp )
You can get a cs130 gm alternator from early 90 gm , it will probably exede your needs , with a voltmeter it could be cheap mod

 

[mrboatman]

My amp meter runs about the same way midway over to +30. I read somewhere that the electric fuel pump for the sniper runs at 15 amps which would explain the amp meter.

 

[knuckle47]

I am using a relay for the Sniper and the Hyperspark ignition… my battery seems well charged but I am mainly concerned that it’s always trying to keep up with the demand

@mrboatman you’re right…that pump is a bigger draw

 

[ToyotaMatt]

About 18 months ago, I replaced the GM alternator in my FJ40 with a Denso from @ToyotaMatt. At the time we discussed any additional items like lights or winch or any other power hungry options. Deciding it was going to be just as it was, I have a new 45A? Denso alternator that has been perfect so far.

After installing the Holley Sniper EFI I have noticed that the Amp gauge usually is at 1/2 needle swing towards +30. Always enough starting voltage around 12.7 and once running it’s steady at 13.8 to 14.1. Prior to the Sniper EFI it would swing about +15 and within 20-30 seconds hang at the “0” side but +. I am almost finished adding the Hyperspark ignition and I feel, just by wire size, it’s another power hungry device.

In all of the years of messing with engines both 6V and 12V I have never had any boosted power output needs so never considered what else I may need to upgrade.

Is it safe to consider upgrading to 90A or 100A without frying any other parts?

Thanks ….

If I recall the current goes through the amp gauge and then to your electronics. So you'll overwhelm the amp gauge and it's wiring at 100 amps.

Stock Amp gauge is good for 60 max .
You can get a cs130 gm alternator from early 90 , it will probably exede your needs , with a voltmeter it could be cheap mod

@brian
@Spike Strip



Please refresh me on the model year of your Land Cruiser …?

- what group # Battery do you have installed right now at the moment , & has it been the same exact one as when you first installed my precious new born 27020-61110 ?


- how smoothly did you breeze through the installation of included new oem genuine NipponDenso japan spec. 27700- F.E.N. when it came to the harness side connector and terminals refresh and restore un-plug-crimp-plug-in-n-play kit-form-kit ?

Can you please post more then several good clear up-close and personal photos of both the 27020- & 27700- & your current group # battery , specifically Both its top terminals at each lead lug , and in a bit more detail , the primary large gauge white wire coming off the B+ terminal post , and also the large gauge white wire w / blue tracer stripe that my kit-form-kit B+ thicker then most JIS M6 YAZAKI ring pig-tail refresh and restore components all tie in to your engine bay harness , along with the 3-wire F.E.N. New oem latching locking UV grade cold spec . In-put plug socket is …


all the above technical discussion points are where you need to begin from a confirm and verify good working order step by step FSM approach …

Once you do all this and that ….. then moving on to what correct path of options
you can choose is known and which ones you cannot choose or must update or upgrade other related system parts if and when required …



Example : Your current larger gauge white wire and white wire w / blue tracer stripe that home-runs from your sparky new OEM 27020- all the way up to , and through the 48 ish year old now antiquated 30A amp meter cluster gauge ….

Then Full-On B+ current flows to and through your fusible link , via its B+ battery terminal to feed your Group # Battery as required & regulated by 27700- till it reaches its correct full CCA capacity…

If this white wire / white wire w/ blue tracer is undersized as in an older model year 1961-12/78 …..?

or , 1/79-10/85 toyota bumped up the gauge 1 step only / thicker to accommodate the exciting new Cold Spec. Options package equipped Land Cruisers ( any FJ40 , FJ55 now sold on dealership lots in any lower 48 state that bordered CANADA , also ALASKA ……

going BIG on Amps is a topic that requires a bit of Solid pre-planning & mapping out well in advance things i outline in my example of correct gauge primary wire above ….

I can share my of OEM toyota take on things here being discussed ….

I don’t know anything about non-OEM other side thingys like the 5” inch hole you have to crate when you insert a sniper high-amp draw pump in there ?

this is the way …

 

[White Stripe]

@brian
@Spike Strip



Please refresh me on the model year of your Land Cruiser …?

- what group # Battery do you have installed right now at the moment , & has it been the same exact one as when you first installed my precious new born 27020-61110 ?


- how smoothly did you breeze through the installation of included new oem genuine NipponDenso japan spec. 27700- F.E.N. when it came to the harness side connector and terminals refresh and restore un-plug-crimp-plug-in-n-play kit-form-kit ?

Can you please post more then several good clear up-close and personal photos of both the 27020- & 27700- & your current group # battery , specifically Both its top terminals at each lead lug , and in a bit more detail , the primary large gauge white wire coming off the B+ terminal post , and also the large gauge white wire w / blue tracer stripe that my kit-form-kit B+ thicker then most JIS M6 YAZAKI ring pig-tail refresh and restore components all tie in to your engine bay harness , along with the 3-wire F.E.N. New oem latching locking UV grade cold spec . In-put plug socket is …


all the above technical discussion points are where you need to begin from a confirm and verify good working order step by step FSM approach …

Once you do all this and that ….. then moving on to what correct path of options
you can choose is known and which ones you cannot choose or must update or upgrade other related system parts if and when required …



Example : Your current larger gauge white wire and white wire w / blue tracer stripe that home-runs from your sparky new OEM 27020- all the way up to , and through the 48 ish year old now antiquated 30A amp meter cluster gauge ….

Then Full-On B+ current flows to and through your fusible link , via its B+ battery terminal to feed your Group # Battery as required & regulated by 27700- till it reaches its correct full CCA capacity…

If this white wire / white wire w/ blue tracer is undersized as in an older model year 1961-12/78 …..?

or , 1/79-10/85 toyota bumped up the gauge 1 step only / thicker to accommodate the exciting new Cold Spec. Options package equipped Land Cruisers ( any FJ40 , FJ55 now sold on dealership lots in any lower 48 state that bordered CANADA , also ALASKA ……

going BIG on Amps is a topic that requires a bit of Solid pre-planning & mapping out well in advance things i outline in my example of correct gauge primary wire above ….

I can share my of OEM toyota take on things here being discussed ….

I don’t know anything about non-OEM other side thingys like the 5” inch hole you have to crate when you insert a sniper high-amp draw pump in there ?

this is the way …

I think @Highrlr is trying to get ahold of you fyi.

 

[B y r o n]

You might want to read this article. If I understand it correctly, the alternator will only output the AMP's drawn by the system. If your system doesn't draw more than 30 AMP's you factory 30 AMP gauge will be OK. If your system load exceeds 30 AMP's the gauge would be in danger.

How everything is wired could mean an AMP meter upgrade is needed or not.

 

[numby]

Consistently maxing out the old wiring and amp gauge seems risky over the long term. Running the lights, heaters, and the EFI all at once for years on end is something I wouldn't do. Maybe consider bypassing the amp meter and use a voltmeter instead or upgrade the wiring like others have said.

 

[knuckle47]

@ToyotaMatt this 40 is a May 1975 production date. The lead is blue/white to the gauge. 95% sure the battery is a group 27 and fits within the confines of the battery tray. As @mrboatman said …that Denso in-tank fuel pump draws 15Amps. The only mods to it are the Sniper EFI and the Hyperspark. While the rest of the vehicle is stock, the primary reason for the Sniper is the starting. It had a Weber carb and since I don’t use it a few times a week, starting was always a problem

About 5 months ago, starting it was cranking it 15-20 seconds at least 4 times before it coughed and sputters. After that it was great..ran well with the occasional hesitation sporadically. Sniper changed all of that. Starts like a brand new 2024 car.

My 12V key-on circuit is through a relay that feeds the sniper ecu and the Hyperspark. The battery remains the same one. While not the Toyota battery you recommended, it was new so I kept it in the truck.

When I installed the New alternator you sent, it was nothing more than plug n’ play including the new voltage regulator. Plugged it all together along with your new belt tensioner in under an hour. I have ZERO complaints as it runs for the last year and a half. Looking forward, I’d like to insure against running the power system down to a minimal level. The winch..is not connected, I would like to run it a few times even just to lubricate the cable but I don’t see it as a long-term use

 

[knuckle47]

Some extra photos during the middle of the Hyperspark install

Added the Koito headlights and the 3 gang fuse? Is from the battery lead to the winch but disconnected

BATTERY DETAILS:

• Warranty: 2 Year LIMITED WARRANTY
• Unit of Measure: Each
• UPC: # 721112821535
• Battery Type: Standard Flooded
• Height (in): 8-13/16 Inch
• Length (in): 12-3/4 Inch
• Width (in): 6-5/8 Inch
• Terminal Type: Top Post
• Weight (Lbs): 49.9 Lbs.
• Voltage (V): 12 Volt
• Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): 710 CCA
• Cranking Amps (CA): 890 CA
• Group Size (BCI): 27F
• Reserve Capacity (min): 165 Minute
• Positive Terminal Location: Top Right

 

[charliemeyer007]

My Rochester carb sits for weeks at a time - >$20 electric fuel pump - turn key on, listen, I can hear when the pump changes noise indicating float bowl full (less than a minute). Step on the gas pedal, pull out on the choke, take foot off the gas pedal - crank- it fires up almost instantly

 

[knuckle47]

My Rochester carb sits for weeks at a time - >$20 electric fuel pump - turn key on, listen, I can hear when the pump changes noise indicating float bowl full (less than a minute). Step on the gas pedal, pull out on the choke, take foot off the gas pedal - crank- it fires up almost instantly

Hey Charlie…..And that is exactly how I would start my Holley and Rochester, as well as the stock carb, over all of the time I had my other FJ40’s and they didn’t have electric pumps. In fact, the guys in the Ford Thunderbird group use electric fuel pumps for priming the carb and then shut-it off once started…they start as well as a long storage FJ40..

As I’ve found I can’t use the Land Cruiser daily, even for dumb short grocery trips, I jump in the Silverado and slump into the seat. As I have mentioned before…. From kick starting motorcycles for decades and the getting one with fuel injection I figured ..wow, I gotta try this…I am totally pleased and would do it again. I just believe that some preparation for issues can be resolved before they occur. It’s a tough thing to shake as I have also done way too much flying by the seat of my pants…

 

[ToyotaMatt]

@ToyotaMatt this 40 is a May 1975 production date. The lead is blue/white to the gauge. 95% sure the battery is a group 27 and fits within the confines of the battery tray. As @mrboatman said …that Denso in-tank fuel pump draws 15Amps. The only mods to it are the Sniper EFI and the Hyperspark. While the rest of the vehicle is stock, the primary reason for the Sniper is the starting. It had a Weber carb and since I don’t use it a few times a week, starting was always a problem

About 5 months ago, starting it was cranking it 15-20 seconds at least 4 times before it coughed and sputters. After that it was great..ran well with the occasional hesitation sporadically. Sniper changed all of that. Starts like a brand new 2024 car.

My 12V key-on circuit is through a relay that feeds the sniper ecu and the Hyperspark. The battery remains the same one. While not the Toyota battery you recommended, it was new so I kept it in the truck.

When I installed the New alternator you sent, it was nothing more than plug n’ play including the new voltage regulator. Plugged it all together along with your new belt tensioner in under an hour. I have ZERO complaints as it runs for the last year and a half. Looking forward, I’d like to insure against running the power system down to a minimal level. The winch..is not connected, I would like to run it a few times even just to lubricate the cable but I don’t see it as a long-term use


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Excellent tech. and overall summery timeline of events here ...

i would confirm and verify a few topics here first before deciding or choosing the original topic of the thread ......


- check your ignition timing really well , use the SS BB ball and the vertical HATCH line too use 2 different paint dots colors like white and yellow or other bright and different highlighter color tone pastels ....

- then use a stand alone FULL sweep good known verified accurate vacuum gauged to tweek it accordingly here to achieve the highest possible Hg value possible ..,.

- if the dizzy set up is new aftermarket with a integrated coil as i am understanding you here ...?

then pull all 60plugs and note any abnormalities on the ends electrodes like running rich or lean etc ...


- next up is BOTH your battery terminals and cables end to end , and MOST importantly Cable Bond No. 1 for the starter itself


- next your starter too , are you running a modern age OEM TOYOTA gear reduction unit , or the older much slower RPM LOAF of Bread size spec. single reduction ones ?

- is the Cranking RPM normal or slow ? .......


- a good Compression test while plugs are out is a no brainer here in every Solid way .....!

- , when is the last good Valve adjustment been preformed ? if you do not know or can't remember ? then this is the time to make this happen ....


all the above can contribute to your slow and long cranking or cause it entirely depending on which one and the severe factor ?



- my last topic is one i have chose to make a standard procedure no matter what and no matter if i was or will work on others FJ40 / FJ55 that has the 30A meter cluster set up ...

- i feel the 30A meter is simply a dangerous thing to have still hooked up , and its random and jumpy needle does not provide enough or any real value , when it comes to having Full on battery AMPS and Full on B+ Voltage passing through it like it does after 30 40 50+ years old ......

- new from the factory , both ring terminals had rubber boots on the, , one grey and one black colors , they are now dust crust and gone ,

so , its a weak and unsafe now longer then long term link in the equation , so i first disconnect the battery cable of course , then cut off both rings and use a 3< yellow crimp heat shrink butt connector , followed by 2 layers of ANCOR Marine adhesive lined heat shrink i pre-install on the large gauges white wires , white w. blue stripe , then once there both cooled down , i apply a section of 3/8 rubber hose i have splayed down the middle and loom over the whole now safe joining of both wires , tape off well and then i stuff it neatly way back deep into the cluster cowl area ........


hope this helps