ERA 289FIA alternator replacement

[Dangerous Doug]

Sorry, Bob. I didn't get the implication of your post the first time. I'll check #4 tonight (I thought I had checked it, but...) if I get the chance. Been friggin' busy lately, office and home...

Lights are PIAA 40 Round (6", 55W, so 5 Amps rounding up). Yeah, alternator amps is sounding less like the problem.

I'll post what I find/solve/get further confused by.

DD

[patrickt]

These? They should look quite nice... and together they'll draw less than 8 amps (that's less than my cigarette lighter). I can't imagine you'll need any sort of upgrades. You must have knocked something out of whack without realizing it.

[Dangerous Doug]

Thanks! Yeah, they look pretty cool. I tucked them in to the radiator opening, right on the front edge. I was thinking about painting the plastic covers flat black so I can switch back and forth from "obvious" to "stealth".

On the #4 fuse, it's not blown. I even checked the resistance: 0.4 Ohms.

On the power consumption, each light is rated at 55 Watts. With a "12 Volt" system (more likely 13.9 V or so...) that's 4.6 Amps each, or 9.2 Amps.

For those that don't know: Current = Voltage / Resistance; or Current = Power (Watts) / Voltage

Okay, so I'm at disconnecting the PIAA's and troubleshooting the turn signals. Where's that schematic...

DD

[strictlypersonl]

Doug,

Check that you have 12V at the red wires of the connection to the voltage regulator. If you have power there, make sure that you have a good ground at the regulator and the firewall (below the starter solenoid).

Test the charging system with the procedure described in the Wiring Troubleshooting Guide.

[Dangerous Doug]

Thanks, Bob. Go get ourself a white Stetson---you're truly one of the good guys.

DD

[Dangerous Doug]

Ah, well, I ought to update this saga...

In thinking about this issue I realized that my turn signal lights were not working as well. I putzed around with trouble-shooting it and got it down to that nearly impossible to find signal stat flasher unit. Found some on Ebay, finally, (I bought four of them...a lifetime supply.). Anyhow, turn signals now work correctly (as do the brake lights!), and the ammeter is pegged, as expected, at zero.

As for the PIAA's, they are disconnected for the moment. I want to take a second look at the schematic to make sure my hookup didn't damage the flasher (I doubt it, but it makes sense to check...). I also want to determine what output my alternator is providing. If it's a 40 or 60 amp alternator, 9.6 amps is a large percentage of the output and I should think about upgrading to a 100 or 140 amp alternator.

Nice to have my Cobra drivable again. In this time I fixed an oil leak, shortened the header collectors by 3/4" so the pipes don't drag and they look better aligned to the body, got the headers ceramic coated again (Ooooooo, shiney!), painted and resealed my side pipes and installed O2 sensor bungs for tuning.

Also, got my street/performance Keith Craft 331 stroker short block. Damn, they do nice work! Time to start procuring parts. I'll get my AFR heads from KC as well. Very helpful in my cam choice!

DD

[mreid]

It is easy to install a one-wire in place of what you have. You can even leave the voltage regulator installed if you like the look. Disconnect, insulate, and stow all wires currently connected to the alternator. Any new alternator over 100 amps should include a new power lead of at least 10 gauge. Run this from the alternator to the battery side of the solenoid.

Now for the bad news. Your alternator light will be on all the time unless you run the "I" connection wire from the regulator to the correct pin on the new alternator. (Most Powermasters include the instructions for how to do this). But the really bad news is, you cannot use your ammeter and must replace it with a voltmeter or modify it to handle the new high current.

[Dangerous Doug]

Originally Posted by mreid

But the really bad news is, you cannot use your ammeter and must replace it with a voltmeter or modify it to handle the new high current.

Eh, there's the rub! Ammeter cannot handle the 100 amps? SW make a Voltmeter in the "classic" finish to match the rest of my gauges?

Guess I better test those PIAA's before I get too carried away. Prefer to spend my fun-fund on parts for my KC 331 instead of alternators and gauges...

DD

[Dangerous Doug]

Stewart Warner 82313 - Stewart Warner Deluxe Series Gauges - Overview - SummitRacing.com

-100 - 0 - +100, "Deluxe Series" as used in my 289FIA, if I recall correctly.

DD

[Dangerous Doug]

As it turned out, the issue with the turn signals was due to a bad flasher. I found some on Ebay and bought a couple.

I think the PIAA's need more power to them, though, so I'm going to upgrade to 100A alternator and change the -60/+60 ammeter out for a -100/+100 ammeter (above).

Anyone know how to tell the output current of an alternator? Are there any external markings to indicate the output current?

DD

[xb-60]

Doug - if there's nothing wrong with the alternator, don't replace it; save your bikkies for "development' work on that KC331 short motor. ANY alternator (in good condition) will be able to power those lights. Don't forget, you're not also powering A/C or any other power consuming add-ons.
Cheers,
Glen