Alternator help

[shan-747]

Just got a question can i got a gu 4.2 alternator in a gu 3ltr ?

Any help be awesome :)

[Clunk]

I know some of the TD42 alternators have vacuum pumps, not sure about the 3ltr jobbies though, so can't say whether or not they're compatible.

Hopefully someone who knows will be able to shed some light

[growler2058]

Ive only seen the td42 with vac pump

[the evil twin]

Dunno if you can fit the ZD30 drive pully to an ex TD42 Alternator either

[shan-747]

Or is there a way to amp up the alternator in the zd30?

[Clunk]

Don't know what yours is but I've seen 90,100 & 115A on eBay....

[the evil twin]

Or is there a way to amp up the alternator in the zd30?

The factory alternator is 90 Amp which is pretty good.
TD42 used a few different ratings but the highest is only 100 Amp some are 70
What are you needing to power which the 90 Amp Hitachi cannot handle?

You can get Hitachi 100 and 115 Amp for sure and I think 130 Amp but they aren't cheap

[mudski]

90amp is stock on the ZD's. I replaced mine with a 100A jobbie but I'm suspect of it being 100A. Dunno how to test it but i'm not too concerned.... So I have only seen 90 and 100A floating around on fleabay. Might be best to see someone who rebuilds them... I'm thinking of doing this to my old alternator.

[shan-747]

I need it to properly charge my second battery as im running my fridge on it 24/7 so just wanted that extra amps to get a bit more voltage

[Clunk]

I need it to properly charge my second battery as im running my fridge on it 24/7 so just wanted that extra amps to get a bit more voltage

Yeah, I'm not sure that's really going to help much. You might need something like a dc to dc charger or solar panels. But I'm not up on these things so hopefully someone like Cuppa or the Evil Twin will spot this and give you some feedback

[megatexture]

is solar on the roof an option?

I’ve seen alternators up to 130amps also for a zd30 but not on ebay, i was talking to a sales bloke in one of these two shops.
I didn’t get one due to the price though im not running a fridge 24/7

http://www.ashdown-ingram.com.au/product-range/rotating-electrical

or

Electrics Australia
Electrical Supply Store
Address: 16 Hampshire St., Archerfield QLD 4108
Phone:(07) 3277 4566

Not very local for you but they may have distributers your way?

[shan-747]

Not really as thats where i put my swag and some other gear up when im going camping.

Ill call a few auto leks tomorrow and see what they say

[MEGOMONSTER]

I need it to properly charge my second battery as im running my fridge on it 24/7 so just wanted that extra amps to get a bit more voltage

I have the Redarc BC / DC charger which charges my aux battery at 15v

[the evil twin]

I need it to properly charge my second battery as im running my fridge on it 24/7 so just wanted that extra amps to get a bit more voltage

The size of your Alternator isn't the issue and a higher amperage one won't do diddley squat.
You could put a 200 Amp one in and the result will still be the same

Assuming your existing wiring is acceptable and doesn't have too much voltage drop you need a DC/DC charger.
Redarc or Ctek are excellent units that will step up the voltage from the existing Alternator.

Having said that if the vehicle is parked in the sun at all what you really need is solar.

Let us know what the sparkies say and we will tell you if they speak with forked tongue or not.

Forgot to ask but need to know your fridge size etc

[Cuppa]

There are many ways to skin a cat!
I also tend to think that fitting a second alternator is likely to be a ‘difficult’ solution which is unlikely to offer any benefit over utilising the existing alternator as others have suggested. There are a few variables which will help to determine the best set up for your individual purposes. Eg. Whether you drive long or short distances daily, whether you stay in one place longer than over night, whether you have regular access to mains 240v power, how close the battery is to the alternator, , whether you are predominantly wanting to use the setup in the south, the north, just in summer or anywhere in the country year round. Solutions for weekends away will be different to solutions for full time travel. Available space for solar & fridge size (current draw) are significant factors too.

[barnelly]

Try upgrading the Aux Battery to an AGM 120 amp/ hr its the capacity of the battery you need more life from,
as the charge is regulated anyway @ 13 volts

[mudski]

is solar on the roof an option?

I’ve seen alternators up to 130amps also for a zd30 but not on ebay, i was talking to a sales bloke in one of these two shops.
I didn’t get one due to the price though im not running a fridge 24/7

http://www.ashdown-ingram.com.au/product-range/rotating-electrical

or

Electrics Australia
Electrical Supply Store
Address: 16 Hampshire St., Archerfield QLD 4108
Phone:(07) 3277 4566

Not very local for you but they may have distributers your way?

Strange this. I rang Ashdowns when I was looking for an alternator and they only listed a 90amp unit. But it looks like a bigger alternator wont help the op much out anyway.

[threedogs]

90amp is stock on the ZD's. I replaced mine with a 100A jobbie but I'm suspect of it being 100A. Dunno how to test it but i'm not too concerned.... So I have only seen 90 and 100A floating around on fleabay. Might be best to see someone who rebuilds them... I'm thinking of doing this to my old alternator.

The stator and the rotor are wound differently, probably heavier wire
to handle extra amps

[barnelly]

Hi,
Have you considered a heavier battery, the alternator can only charge up to what the battery can carry 13 volts!
I use an AGM 120 amp it will go 3 days easy with a waeco 40 .
chuck

[threedogs]

As Mudski points out a larger Alternator doesnt really help your 12v requirements.
If travelling 2-3 hrs a day a 90 amp will do the job.
What I think you want is some way to stay in one spot longer and keep your drinks and food cold.
Then Solar would be the way to go, after your Aux battery install. A 120 watt panel will return
about 7AH on a good day per hour. So on sunny days you could easily prop in one spot for
over a week,including your camp lighting keeping your batteries topped up via the sun

[shan-747]

Ok sweet thanks guys i might looking into a solar pannel that i and just sit next to the car

[the evil twin]

Hi,
Have you considered a heavier battery, the alternator can only charge up to what the battery can carry 13 volts!
I use an AGM 120 amp it will go 3 days easy with a waeco 40 .
chuck

Hi Barnelly,

Agree with battery capacity comments however a minor correction, any supply can only charge at what a battery will accept.
Alternators are voltage regulated and the value is at the lower limit of what is nominal for battery charging

The higher the state of charge the lower the current a battery will accept from the Alternator.
It can take between 10 to 16 hours for a vehicle Alternator system to get a depeleted standard lead acid battery charged to saturation.

The bigger the battery the longer that period becomes.

I totally agree the OP may possibly need a bigger battery but that won't solve the problem.
He will need to address the charging capability of the installation and that may mean the existing battery capacity is fine.

[threedogs]

A fold up 100-120 watt panel will suit your needs down to the ground.

[the evil twin]

Ok sweet thanks guys i might looking into a solar pannel that i and just sit next to the car

Put us out of our misery... do you mean you need to run the fridge 24/7 as in all day every day per your first post... or 24/7 but only every so often when out camping?

We haven't got enough info to help you out at the moment.

[shan-747]

My fridge is in the car all the time.

Alternator is putting out 13.8 volts

[the evil twin]

My fridge is in the car all the time.

Alternator is putting out 13.8 volts

As is almost everyone elses.

So your confirming that the fridge isn't only for camping out bush or whatever and the fridge runs 24/7/365 plus the vehicle is used daily or almost daily?

[Cuppa]

Alternator is putting out 13.8 volts

How old is the car? Is it one of these new fangled models with fuel saving low voltage alternators? If not you have a problem with the alternator which should output up to around 14.5v.
If one of the newer type - there are dc to dc chargers specifically designed for raising the voltage to allow charging of aux batteries, but you would need to be clocking up sufficient driving hours daily to keep up with the fridge 24/7/365. If that is your use then I expect another means of charging will be required (240v or solar).

[barnelly]

Hardcore,
Yep seems to be a complex problem, its good to hear how everyone copes in their own way.
I don't have this situation as the camper has 2 x 95 amp/hr charged via the Anderson plug,and the Aux & cranker are 100Amp each!
Chuck

[the evil twin]

How old is the car? Is it one of these new fangled models with fuel saving low voltage alternators? If not you have a problem with the alternator which should output up to around 14.5v.
If one of the newer type - there are dc to dc chargers specifically designed for raising the voltage to allow charging of aux batteries, but you would need to be clocking up sufficient driving hours daily to keep up with the fridge 24/7/365. If that is your use then I expect another means of charging will be required (240v or solar).

Hiya Cuppa

Agree 13.8 is a tad low but depends on the RPM, Load, where the voltage was measured and accuracy of the voltmeter.
If the engine is idling then 13.8 across the battery terminals may not mean a dodgy Alternator.
Hitachi Alternator spec is 14.1 to 14.7 but most of the ones I have seen are all towards the lower end of that range

[shan-747]

Its a 2002 modle but i had the alternator reconditioned about 6 months ago

[Cuppa]

So what revs was the motor doing when you took the reading & how & where did you take the reading?
Can you check again with a few revs & let us know what voltage you get?