'beef-up' my existing original alternator OR should I go w/a bolt-on Mean Green unit? Any / all info. is appreciated. Thanks
OEM vs. Mean Green Alternator???
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do a search on mean green here, you will see for the most part anyone who bought the MG alt didnt get any better charging like they expected. a waste of money from what everyone has stated....I beleive another member (Bjowett) was experimenting on a Tundra Alt. but I havent seen any update yet as to this fitted and working
Second-gen MR2 turbos have an OEM 120A alternator. Nippondenso, I think. I had one on my last 2RE truck. It wasn't quite a bolt-in bracket; I vaguely remember having to drill a hole somewhere.
Pardon my being vague... middle-aged brain don't remember stuff so good no more
Not sure how it would sit in the 80's configuration, but might be worth looking in to.
Pardon my being vague... middle-aged brain don't remember stuff so good no more
Not sure how it would sit in the 80's configuration, but might be worth looking in to.
The OEM nippondenso alternators for the 80 are rated at 80 amps but are realistically closer to 100 amps. The limiting factor for amp output higher than that is the amount of space available in the stock location. Mean green basically takes the stock case and builds it up as much as they can. For domestic alternators this is usually a significant improvement since they are underbuilt or only built to the required performance specifications. From what I have been lead to understand is that Nippondenso builds alternators to maximum performance based on the manufacturer's specification for the case size.
If your electrical needs are exceeding then you should probably consider a dual battery set-up with some sort of seperator or switch for switching the charging operation. I haven't heard of anyone for whom this has failed.
If your electrical needs are exceeding then you should probably consider a dual battery set-up with some sort of seperator or switch for switching the charging operation. I haven't heard of anyone for whom this has failed.
Search! I'm getting tired of listing the best alternator companies to call... this was just discussed like two days ago.
I have the Mean Green installed year ago and from what I can tell the "OEM vs Mean Green" stick with OEM, the Mean Green only make lil difference in voltage, you can see from the alternator read meter pic 14.44 volt as I was driving 60mph on the SoCal freeway.
With larger alternator, you should not really expect a voltage increase. Under load the voltage should stay higher because the alternator is putting out more current instead of dropping like the voltage would on a lower ouput alternator. Dual battery setups work to some degree, but are not really a solution to an underpowered alternator. It's like putting a bigger gas tank in your truck and expecting it to go faster. Your current requirements are only increased until the batteries lose their charge, then it's up to the alternator to charge them again. If I were to do it on mine, and someday I might, I would resource an oem alt of larger size and try to retrofit it. Toyotas are reliable for a reason, and if you start putting crappy parts onto it, it is no better than a GM!
(Hope the grammar nazis dont see that)
(Hope the grammar nazis dont see that)
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The idea behind a higher output alternator is increasing the amperage or current flow. You will know you have an underpowered alternator if you keep running your healthy battery (or healthy batteries) down and you are unable to start. Otherwise, if you are unable to get enough current to operate an appliance for the required amount of time than you may need a bigger battery.
In other words, if you have an appliance that requires 300-400 amps then it won't matter how heavy duty your alternator is unless you have one that is ambulance sized or something crazy like that (have fun trying to get it to fit). You need battery capacity and unless you are using your super thirsty appliance constantly (100% of the time while driving - if you are using it when not running you are again in need of more battery capacity) your 100 amp alternator should be able to provide plenty of charging current. Remember that the alternator provides an overabundance of amps to run the chassis and charge the primary battery from the factory. There is plenty of current left over to charge an auxillary battery under most circumstances that are typically discussed in this forum. Actually, I have yet to hear of situation where it wouldn't work.
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Exactly. Bigger batteries for a huge (300-400amp) draw for a short time. Bigger alternator for a moderate (say 100ish) amp draw consistently or for longer periods. Or just to charge the 2 batteries faster. Will a larger alternator charge the batteries faster after a large draw like a winch pull or something?
If you are pushing some serious amplifiers non-stop you could exceed a 100amp draw off of the alternator. A serious deep cycle battery in a dual config would still take care of the need depending on how much the kid likes his ears to bleed over the course of the day and into the night. The charging current would continue to fortify the performance of the deep cycle battery throughout his earsplitting day.
A higher amp current can charge a battery faster if the circuitry and the quality of the deep cycle battery (otherwise the battery can blow up or go dead) will allow for it. I haven't heard of any appliance or appliance combination on this forum that would call for that kind of alternator/battery performance.
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Thanks for all the info. I just want to run a 12v winch without any potential problems...I don't have any other 'thirsty' electrical accessories. Is stock setup sufficient? Any suggestions??? Thanks again...
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I went with the 140amp Mean Green and noticed a definite difference. Especially near idle charging was dramatically improved versus OEM. I went through 3 OEM alts thinking I was getting defective units and had dim lighting and charging at idle. With the Mean Green, I show the amount of charging that the OEM did at 3,000 rpms. FYI, my rig is a 3FE powered '92.
IMHO only... YMMV... I am not a mechanic or an authority.
High amp... standard amp... single battery... dual batteries.
If you have a momentary shock load, keep the alternator and put in dual batteries. Momentary shock load could be anything like a winch, short-use off road lights, turning your monsterous stereo to impress your girl then turning it down so you can figure out what movie to see are all examples of momentary load. Big drain, but more the exception than the rule.
If you have a continuous big drain that is in excess of your alternator's capacity, up the alternator. This would be things like running your 12 120 watt off road lights all the time, shaking the neighborhood every where you go with that monster after market stereo, running the winch to pull out your five closest friends all within the same couple hour period, etc...
Increasing the capacity of the alternator should -never ever ever- show up in the voltage readout in the cab. If your in-cab voltage ever spikes to 18, stop driving as soon as possible. Your voltage regulator is fried. Failure to replace it ASAP would result in the wiring harness & lights & that booming stereo to fry in short order. I had a Ford Escort that died from repeated voltage regulator failures resulting in fried wires.
And, not least, triple check the grounds. If something in the vehicle is drawing lots of juicy amps, give it a direct ground to the battery. You'll get cleaner power to it that way. Remember Physics class. The electrons flow from the - to the +.
Again, YMMV, I'm not an electrician or a mechanic.
High amp... standard amp... single battery... dual batteries.
If you have a momentary shock load, keep the alternator and put in dual batteries. Momentary shock load could be anything like a winch, short-use off road lights, turning your monsterous stereo to impress your girl then turning it down so you can figure out what movie to see are all examples of momentary load. Big drain, but more the exception than the rule.
If you have a continuous big drain that is in excess of your alternator's capacity, up the alternator. This would be things like running your 12 120 watt off road lights all the time, shaking the neighborhood every where you go with that monster after market stereo, running the winch to pull out your five closest friends all within the same couple hour period, etc...
Increasing the capacity of the alternator should -never ever ever- show up in the voltage readout in the cab. If your in-cab voltage ever spikes to 18, stop driving as soon as possible. Your voltage regulator is fried. Failure to replace it ASAP would result in the wiring harness & lights & that booming stereo to fry in short order. I had a Ford Escort that died from repeated voltage regulator failures resulting in fried wires.
And, not least, triple check the grounds. If something in the vehicle is drawing lots of juicy amps, give it a direct ground to the battery. You'll get cleaner power to it that way. Remember Physics class. The electrons flow from the - to the +.
Again, YMMV, I'm not an electrician or a mechanic.
You might consider upgrading your single battery to a large Optima or Odyssey with deep cycling capabilities. These batteries also will give you superior cranking amps for starting. Then leave your engine running when you use your winch and you should be ok.
You could probably get away with using your existing standard lead acid battery and leaving your engine running, but your winch may not get all the amps it can use and you may significantly shorten the life of your battery. If you kill your standard battery while you're on a trail that could be a big problem.
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i used to have a dual battery set up with a deep cycle and a regular battery and a IBS dual battery controller. with all my lights and seat heaters stereo ect on while cruising at low rpms I never killed both batteries but would have to manually connect them to prevent from killing one. I was surprised how quickly all the accessories added up. if I didnt have the extra IBS readout I never would have known how close I was to having a dead battery....or two!
Seat heaters? What's that???
Do you happen to know if there is a bolt-on upgraded alternator that fits the 1-HDT in my 1994 HDJ81?
27060-66070-84: will work on 24v start, 12v operating system. Pigtail/splices will need to be changed out on the harness side.
If you have a 24v truck, this alternator will not work.
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That's an 80A?
My truck is 12v, 24v start.
Thanks for your input, it is tremendously appreciated!