well my stock alt has survived my 2,000 watt alpine system for about 2 months now and i figured it was time to turn my stock 105 amp alt. into something a little more powerfull. my uncle knows someone that owns a shop and i can get a 160 amp alt. for pretty cheap. anyone know if this will help? or is it still not enough? btw i have a 99 grand am with a 3.4 engine and my system = 2 alpine type x's powered by 2 alpine mrd1005 amps, and i have a red top battery under the hood which seems to be keeping up pretty good
Replies (12)
ttocs on 11/13/2008 13:12:20
I found a cheap high output alternator (200A) that I put in my mustang. 8 months later it died on me.... I took it to a local rebuilder and he said that everything in it looked good except for the voltage regulator which was not made to handle much current. I would not recomend getting a "cheap" high output alt to replace a working stock one.
swez on 11/13/2008 22:49:06
GM/Delco's CS-130 series ALT has been in use a long time. They are now reliable under normal use, but the weakest link is the internal regulator and diode bridge.
More often than not, cheap electronic components are the most prone to failure. As long as you get a good warranty and the guy is local, why not try his product?
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 09:14:20
Sorry i forgot to mention that this shop does not give me an enitre new alt. they rewind mine or amp it up to 160 amps. Dont know if that makes sense or not but i guess a lot of people do it. Warranty from this shop looks slim to none. Maybe i should just look around? If so what would be a perfect alt. for my setup. 160? 200? 250?
swez on 11/14/2008 10:12:34
The casing and other components of the CS-130 series are a tight fit in vaious OEM designs. If you go from a 105A to a modest 120A design, the 120A design is notably larger for good reason. (Heat dissapation)
Example: I went from a 105A to the 120A version a few years back on an Olds Trofeo'. The fit was fine and dandy either way. I later swapped this 120A to a Buick LeSabre and it barely fit and I had to "re-clock" it as well.
All was well for about 10 months until I wintered in FLA. The 120A failed and I had to return it to the MI supplier to get the warrantee swap. I had to pay twice, return the old core and lost 3-4 days of use of this car in the process. (Oddly, the Buick did not have any aftermarket add-ons, but the 120A failed anyway) Yes, I did get a full refund later, but it was one headache I could have done without.
FYI: The CS-130 ALT has been around a long time, but as for reliability and fitment, it's not all that!
Read and heed this as we get what we pay for sooner or later!
Swez
PS Depending on how hard you push the "Bass Engine" on a regular basis, consider 200A's for the amps and add another 50A's to power the rest of the car electronics.
SQLThump on 11/14/2008 10:29:50
BASS! Good to see you back man!
After reading your situation, I would reccomend shopping the internet for anything that would be good for your application. This enables you to keep your stock alternator in case of something happens, your not totally screwed.
What all is in the Pontiac nowadays? I am sure some crazy stuff, but give us some model numbers so we can advise you of the right current alt for your ride.
Good to see you back man!
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 13:04:54
thnx SQL lol didnt think anyone remembered me :P but ye the grand ams comin along nicely. i've went with alpine throughout ( from the cd player and door speakers to the amps and woofers) and just put some 18 inch rims on it :P tried 20 but there was too many problems, grand ams arent built for that.. so once i get this alt. deal figured out along with the big 3 i'll be all set.. whats new with your ride?
SQLThump on 11/14/2008 15:52:34
The ride is a completely new one, but the system is the same..... Still had hella fun putting it all in. Schemin on putting in 6 JBL 12's 2800 RMS for them and Focal components all around. Should do the trick nicely.....The Exploder has enough room for whatever I throw at it...Also thinking about some 20 inchers and some lo-lo-lo airbags...
I am sure the 18 look great, Grand Am's really dont need that big of rims, and "rubber band" tires look good, but suck for everything else.
Good choice on Alpine gear. I think they head ubits are second to none personaly, with well above average amps speakers and subs.
Check out motorcityreman.com and ohiogenerators.com for some good alternator solotions for your car. They have great options for most American cars
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 17:17:51
explorer huh, someones gunna be havin a good time with that beast lol. like u said has tons of room to play with. but i'll check out those sites for sure, thnx
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 17:21:27
http://motorcityreman.com/99grandam34l.html
this one looks pretty good, any comments on it?
SQLThump on 11/14/2008 18:37:45
Do it up man. I would go with the 200 amp model to make it officialy officail and such. You will never have any questions.......
I'm thinkin about the 250 amp model myself. My manager who got me the job expects me to build the most insane system our company has ever seen now, and I am having no intentions of letting him down. It'll take me about 3-6 months to get all the dynamat, subs, amps, speakers, alt, lighting ect, but it will all be insane.
swez on 11/15/2008 01:25:37
Agreed, motorcityreman is a quality product resource. They are not as expensive as Stinger and Ohio Generator, but the guts they use in their upgrades are well above OEM specs.
One thing you might consider here, change the pully diameter to a slightly smaller one than OEM. This allows the ALT to spin faster at low engine RPM's and thus, more output under normal driving/idling conditions. The use of a high surge current BAT, (Gell Cell) is also a good option and of coarse, the "Big 3" wiring upgrade as well.
SQL: You have climbed the ladder to a radical new level and now is your time to shine. It's great to watch a rising star and move on to a new level of intstall performance and product upgrades. I'd hope that you can get the Focals for cost and other products that are sure to be "State of Art" performance.
Take your time planning it all out, use noise damping products as needed and enough reserve power to in the system to keep it clean and distortion free. (Anti-distortion Force quality is your end goal)
As for the Bass Engine, What amp(s) are you planning to use to drive these 6 JBL woofers? Say more so we can all collaberate as needed.
Swez
PS Yes, we remember you Bass_bass_10 as well. Nice to see ya back at CK again. This time, you have upped the ante for the new install. As always, CK Golds are here to assist and bring you to the next level !!!
SQLThump on 11/15/2008 15:11:40
Oh, yeah, I'm takin my time, expect at least 6 months before I start the build. Top of my concerns is Dynamat, enough to double layer the doors and everything behind the rear seat, rear hatch, and to cover every square inch of everything else. I'm gonna start buying a bulk pack every check as soon as my discount kicks in.
Once I can't move around my bedroom because of all the boxes, I have enough...............I am also going to reinforce the roof and everything behing the back seats with steel beams to ensure that there is no panel flex cancellations.
There is three main rules to this build though, One huge alternator that hell spawned (hopefully I can do better than 250A's..), two batteries, and all the subs must fire directly rearward. No outlandish 4 300 amp alts, no 15KW Fosgate amps, no BS. I want at least low 160's out of this build, no exceptions, with an insane high end setup to keep up with the madness that will ensue.....
I'm thinking Focal Utopia Beyrillum comps front and rear, a Focal Solid 4 pushing them, a pair of JBL GTO1400.1's each pushing a trio of JBL P1224's. The sub's voice coils would be wired in series at 8 ohms a piece, and the subs themselves in parellel, netting each amp a 2.6 ohm load, with 400W subs that have insane cone area and toughness, and a 1200W at 4 ohm and 1400W at 2 ohm amp that is tough as hell too. This will give each sub full power, and a nice little buffer of headroom, which will give me insane Db's with a nice level of SQ should I turn the bass engine all the way down.
Man, you had to get me started, and I just jacked Bass's thread.........
Bass, I forgot to mention, and Swez brought it up, get a Gel Cell battery for sure. Do not play around with this, this is the single best odification you can make to your whole car. Every aspect of your vehicle will perform better, and you will never again have to worry about leaving your headlights on all day.....
Replies (12)
ttocs on 11/13/2008 13:12:20
I found a cheap high output alternator (200A) that I put in my mustang. 8 months later it died on me.... I took it to a local rebuilder and he said that everything in it looked good except for the voltage regulator which was not made to handle much current. I would not recomend getting a "cheap" high output alt to replace a working stock one.
swez on 11/13/2008 22:49:06
GM/Delco's CS-130 series ALT has been in use a long time. They are now reliable under normal use, but the weakest link is the internal regulator and diode bridge.
More often than not, cheap electronic components are the most prone to failure. As long as you get a good warranty and the guy is local, why not try his product?
Swez
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 09:14:20
Sorry i forgot to mention that this shop does not give me an enitre new alt. they rewind mine or amp it up to 160 amps. Dont know if that makes sense or not but i guess a lot of people do it. Warranty from this shop looks slim to none. Maybe i should just look around? If so what would be a perfect alt. for my setup. 160? 200? 250?
swez on 11/14/2008 10:12:34
The casing and other components of the CS-130 series are a tight fit in vaious OEM designs. If you go from a 105A to a modest 120A design, the 120A design is notably larger for good reason. (Heat dissapation)
Example: I went from a 105A to the 120A version a few years back on an Olds Trofeo'. The fit was fine and dandy either way. I later swapped this 120A to a Buick LeSabre and it barely fit and I had to "re-clock" it as well.
All was well for about 10 months until I wintered in FLA. The 120A failed and I had to return it to the MI supplier to get the warrantee swap. I had to pay twice, return the old core and lost 3-4 days of use of this car in the process. (Oddly, the Buick did not have any aftermarket add-ons, but the 120A failed anyway) Yes, I did get a full refund later, but it was one headache I could have done without.
FYI: The CS-130 ALT has been around a long time, but as for reliability and fitment, it's not all that!
Read and heed this as we get what we pay for sooner or later!
Swez
PS Depending on how hard you push the "Bass Engine" on a regular basis, consider 200A's for the amps and add another 50A's to power the rest of the car electronics.
SQLThump on 11/14/2008 10:29:50
BASS! Good to see you back man!
After reading your situation, I would reccomend shopping the internet for anything that would be good for your application. This enables you to keep your stock alternator in case of something happens, your not totally screwed.
What all is in the Pontiac nowadays? I am sure some crazy stuff, but give us some model numbers so we can advise you of the right current alt for your ride.
Good to see you back man!
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 13:04:54
thnx SQL lol didnt think anyone remembered me :P but ye the grand ams comin along nicely. i've went with alpine throughout ( from the cd player and door speakers to the amps and woofers) and just put some 18 inch rims on it :P tried 20 but there was too many problems, grand ams arent built for that.. so once i get this alt. deal figured out along with the big 3 i'll be all set.. whats new with your ride?
SQLThump on 11/14/2008 15:52:34
The ride is a completely new one, but the system is the same..... Still had hella fun putting it all in. Schemin on putting in 6 JBL 12's 2800 RMS for them and Focal components all around. Should do the trick nicely.....The Exploder has enough room for whatever I throw at it...Also thinking about some 20 inchers and some lo-lo-lo airbags...
I am sure the 18 look great, Grand Am's really dont need that big of rims, and "rubber band" tires look good, but suck for everything else.
Good choice on Alpine gear. I think they head ubits are second to none personaly, with well above average amps speakers and subs.
Check out motorcityreman.com and ohiogenerators.com for some good alternator solotions for your car. They have great options for most American cars
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 17:17:51
explorer huh, someones gunna be havin a good time with that beast lol. like u said has tons of room to play with. but i'll check out those sites for sure, thnx
Bass_bass_10 on 11/14/2008 17:21:27
http://motorcityreman.com/99grandam34l.html
this one looks pretty good, any comments on it?
SQLThump on 11/14/2008 18:37:45
Do it up man. I would go with the 200 amp model to make it officialy officail and such. You will never have any questions.......
I'm thinkin about the 250 amp model myself. My manager who got me the job expects me to build the most insane system our company has ever seen now, and I am having no intentions of letting him down. It'll take me about 3-6 months to get all the dynamat, subs, amps, speakers, alt, lighting ect, but it will all be insane.
swez on 11/15/2008 01:25:37
Agreed, motorcityreman is a quality product resource. They are not as expensive as Stinger and Ohio Generator, but the guts they use in their upgrades are well above OEM specs.
One thing you might consider here, change the pully diameter to a slightly smaller one than OEM. This allows the ALT to spin faster at low engine RPM's and thus, more output under normal driving/idling conditions. The use of a high surge current BAT, (Gell Cell) is also a good option and of coarse, the "Big 3" wiring upgrade as well.
SQL: You have climbed the ladder to a radical new level and now is your time to shine. It's great to watch a rising star and move on to a new level of intstall performance and product upgrades. I'd hope that you can get the Focals for cost and other products that are sure to be "State of Art" performance.
Take your time planning it all out, use noise damping products as needed and enough reserve power to in the system to keep it clean and distortion free. (Anti-distortion Force quality is your end goal)
As for the Bass Engine, What amp(s) are you planning to use to drive these 6 JBL woofers? Say more so we can all collaberate as needed.
Swez
PS Yes, we remember you Bass_bass_10 as well. Nice to see ya back at CK again. This time, you have upped the ante for the new install. As always, CK Golds are here to assist and bring you to the next level !!!
SQLThump on 11/15/2008 15:11:40
Oh, yeah, I'm takin my time, expect at least 6 months before I start the build. Top of my concerns is Dynamat, enough to double layer the doors and everything behind the rear seat, rear hatch, and to cover every square inch of everything else. I'm gonna start buying a bulk pack every check as soon as my discount kicks in.
Once I can't move around my bedroom because of all the boxes, I have enough...............I am also going to reinforce the roof and everything behing the back seats with steel beams to ensure that there is no panel flex cancellations.
There is three main rules to this build though, One huge alternator that hell spawned (hopefully I can do better than 250A's..), two batteries, and all the subs must fire directly rearward. No outlandish 4 300 amp alts, no 15KW Fosgate amps, no BS. I want at least low 160's out of this build, no exceptions, with an insane high end setup to keep up with the madness that will ensue.....
I'm thinking Focal Utopia Beyrillum comps front and rear, a Focal Solid 4 pushing them, a pair of JBL GTO1400.1's each pushing a trio of JBL P1224's. The sub's voice coils would be wired in series at 8 ohms a piece, and the subs themselves in parellel, netting each amp a 2.6 ohm load, with 400W subs that have insane cone area and toughness, and a 1200W at 4 ohm and 1400W at 2 ohm amp that is tough as hell too. This will give each sub full power, and a nice little buffer of headroom, which will give me insane Db's with a nice level of SQ should I turn the bass engine all the way down.
Man, you had to get me started, and I just jacked Bass's thread.........
Bass, I forgot to mention, and Swez brought it up, get a Gel Cell battery for sure. Do not play around with this, this is the single best odification you can make to your whole car. Every aspect of your vehicle will perform better, and you will never again have to worry about leaving your headlights on all day.....
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