| [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #215751] |
Fri, 26 July 2013 10:20  |
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Tangerine
Messages: 192
Registered: February 2004
Location: Livonia, MI
Karma: 0
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We made a trip last weekend to Canada. On the way there we lost the
Alternator. Someone told me that something must be drawing too much
currant. It is a 100 amp Alternator. This makes the Third one in the
last 5 years. I have not removed it yet, but the last 2 had the same
problem. The insulator around the main HOT wire coming out of the back
of the Alternator melted. I do not mind because they have a life time
warranty. It is the work involved in replacing them. I wish the labor
was warrantied. I was thinking that after I get the replacement, I would
take it to a re-builder and see if they have something different for the
insulator. I need to install my amp meter. Just lazy I guess.
Gary W. Mills (Livonia MI)
. ___________
./_][__][] []| 1974 GMC M/H
.*O-------OO-* Painted Desert
"Tangerine Dream" W/New Frame
./___\.
(o\_!_/o) '74 Love Bug
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1974 GMC 260
Tangerine Dream
Livonia Michigan
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #215766 is a reply to message #215762] |
Fri, 26 July 2013 11:08  |
Otterwan
Messages: 946
Registered: July 2013
Location: Lynnwood (north of Seattl...
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Where did you get the original, and how much did you pay for it? If was a cheap Autozone rebuild to start with, the quality control may just be so bad that they can't take the pressure of running a motorhome. Or they could just be junk. An good alternator should last years if not decades. I still have the stock one on my 1992 1-ton Chevy, and it hauled a camper for 1000's of miles.
You might want to consider a new Bosch alternator. More money, but much better quality.
1977 Birchaven, Lynnwood WA - "We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #215769 is a reply to message #215751] |
Fri, 26 July 2013 11:17 |
JohnL455
Messages: 4447
Registered: October 2006
Location: Woodstock, IL
Karma: 12
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Is your loom ok? Might be bad connection at lug to wire. First failure could have been heat from the alt or other way around. Now the wire may be oxidized and have high resistance and using alt as a heat sink. .
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #215771 is a reply to message #215751] |
Fri, 26 July 2013 11:21 |
lance
Messages: 190
Registered: December 2004
Location: Vancouver, WA
Karma: 0
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I had the same problem on my 1976 Palm Beach. Turned out to be a bad ground. I think it was the battery ground but my memory is vague. Hey, I'm 65 and, what was I talking about? oh yeah, check all your ground connections. This is almost certainly the problem. let us know what you find.
1974 Palm Beach
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #216034 is a reply to message #215751] |
Sun, 28 July 2013 21:13 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Heat high enough to melt that insulator is caused by a bad connection. That melted insulator is not the insulators problem.
There is a bad connection there. It could be the lug, or the crimp of the lug on the wire, or simply oxidation of the lug surface where it touches the terminal. It also could be that the nut holding it in place just loosened up.
I would crimp and maybe also solder a new heavy duty one the end of that wire.
It also could be a bad connection inside the alternator but after three of them I would think the problem is external to the alternator.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #217692 is a reply to message #215751] |
Sat, 10 August 2013 18:02 |
George Beckman
Messages: 1085
Registered: October 2008
Location: Colfax, CA
Karma: 11
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Senior Member |
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| Tangerine wrote on Fri, 26 July 2013 08:20 |
We made a trip last weekend to Canada. On the way there we lost the
Alternator. Someone told me that something must be drawing too much
currant. It is a 100 amp Alternator. This makes the Third one in the
last 5 years. I have not removed it yet, but the last 2 had the same
problem. The insulator around the main HOT wire coming out of the back
of the Alternator melted.
Gary
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I had a couple do the same thing. One I tore down, as I was between Needles and Barstow. It turned out that the bad connection was the little tin bar inside connecting the post to the internals. I ended up removing the bar and replacing it with a heavy wire to the outside. Made it another 1200 miles with it that way. Chickened out and replaced the alternator.
I have Gene's magic wire and the wires look good. I think they are just bad rebuilds. I have tried Auto Zone, NAPA, Delco Rebuilt and a local rebuild shop. Not real impressed with any of them; the current NAPA whines at 1700 RPMs.
'74 Eleganza, SE, Howell + EBL
Best Wishes,
George
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #217693 is a reply to message #217692] |
Sat, 10 August 2013 18:09 |
Ron77
Messages: 91
Registered: August 2012
Karma: 0
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Ron Johnson
On Aug 10, 2013, at 5:02 PM, George Beckman <gbeckman@pggp.com> wrote:
>
>
> Tangerine wrote on Fri, 26 July 2013 08:20
>> We made a trip last weekend to Canada. On the way there we lost the
>> Alternator. Someone told me that something must be drawing too much
>> currant. It is a 100 amp Alternator. This makes the Third one in the
>> last 5 years. I have not removed it yet, but the last 2 had the same
>> problem. The insulator around the main HOT wire coming out of the back
>> of the Alternator melted.
>> Gary
>
>
> I had a couple do the same thing. One I tore down, as I was between Needles and Barstow. It turned out that the bad connection was the little tin bar inside connecting the post to the internals. I ended up removing the bar and replacing it with a heavy wire to the outside. Made it another 1200 miles with it that way. Chickened out and replaced the alternator.
>
> I have Gene's magic wire and the wires look good. I think they are just bad rebuilds. I have tried Auto Zone, NAPA, Delco Rebuilt and a local rebuild shop. Not real impressed with any of them; the current NAPA whines at 1700 RPMs.
>
> --
> '74 Eleganza, SE, Howell + EBL
> Best Wishes,
> George
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #217709 is a reply to message #217648] |
Sat, 10 August 2013 21:17 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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| Tangerine wrote on Sat, 10 August 2013 12:17 |
Well I have taken everyone's advice. I replaced my Alternator and I found that the negative battery cable was defective. I replaced it with a heaver cable and used a star washer btw it and the engine block. It now turns over with out the boost switch. I also replaced the connector on both ends of the Alternator wire. I soldered them good and used star washers with antioxidant grease. I have installed a huge shunt btw the
Alternator cable and the isolator. I did not want a voltage drop. Is there a specific size for the shunt per amp meter? My amp meter does not move.
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/shunt-and-extra-wires/p50348-large-amp-meter-shunt.html
I also found taped off and coiled up 3 wires tucked behind the heater/ac blower. They come from the fuse block behind the glove box. A Black, Brown and a Blue. Any idea as to what they where for???
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/shunt-and-extra-wires/p50347-large-amp-meter-shunt.html
Gary W. Mills (Livonia MI)
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Gary,
I can't even guess what the wires are, but from the picture I can tell you probably have the wrong shunt. That looks a lot like I shunt that I have for 300 amperes.
You maybe want to look it over and find where it says something like 300A=50mv. That means that at 300 Amperes a 50millivolt meter will shoe full scale. As I am in Hammond, I am kind of out of striking range, but if you still can't make things work, give me about eight or nine days to get around the lake the long ways and I will come by.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #219532 is a reply to message #217709] |
Thu, 22 August 2013 08:26 |
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Tangerine
Messages: 192
Registered: February 2004
Location: Livonia, MI
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On 8/10/2013 10:17 PM, Matt Colie wrote:
>
> Tangerine wrote on Sat, 10 August 2013 12:17
>> Well I have taken everyone's advice. I replaced my Alternator and I found that the negative battery cable was defective. I replaced it with a heaver cable and used a star washer btw it and the engine block. It now turns over with out the boost switch. I also replaced the connector on both ends of the Alternator wire. I soldered them good and used star washers with antioxidant grease. I have installed a huge shunt btw the
>> Alternator cable and the isolator. I did not want a voltage drop. Is there a specific size for the shunt per amp meter? My amp meter does not move.
>>
>> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/shunt-and-extra-wires/p50348-large-amp-meter-shunt.html
>>
>> I also found taped off and coiled up 3 wires tucked behind the heater/ac blower. They come from the fuse block behind the glove box. A Black, Brown and a Blue. Any idea as to what they where for???
>>
>> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/shunt-and-extra-wires/p50347-large-amp-meter-shunt.html
>>
>> Gary W. Mills (Livonia MI)
> Gary,
>
> I can't even guess what the wires are, but from the picture I can tell you probably have the wrong shunt. That looks a lot like I shunt that I have for 300 amperes.
>
> You maybe want to look it over and find where it says something like 300A=50mv. That means that at 300 Amperes a 50millivolt meter will shoe full scale. As I am in Hammond, I am kind of out of striking range, but if you still can't make things work, give me about eight or nine days to get around the lake the long ways and I will come by.
>
> Matt
Thanks Matt
I did look at it and it said 500Amp I have found out that my meter
has an internal shunt. I am going to hook it in series with the output
of the alternator.
Thanks again for your help
Gary W. Mills (Livonia MI)
. ___________
./_][__][] []| 1974 GMC M/H
.*O-------OO-* Painted Desert
"Tangerine Dream" W/New Frame
./___\.
(o\_!_/o) '74 Love Bug
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1974 GMC 260
Tangerine Dream
Livonia Michigan
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #219916 is a reply to message #215751] |
Sun, 25 August 2013 21:07 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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| Tangerine wrote on Fri, 26 July 2013 09:20 |
We made a trip last weekend to Canada. On the way there we lost the
Alternator. Someone told me that something must be drawing too much
currant. It is a 100 amp Alternator. This makes the Third one in the
last 5 years. I have not removed it yet, but the last 2 had the same
problem. The insulator around the main HOT wire coming out of the back
of the Alternator melted. I do not mind because they have a life time
warranty. It is the work involved in replacing them. I wish the labor
was warrantied. I was thinking that after I get the replacement, I would
take it to a re-builder and see if they have something different for the
insulator. I need to install my amp meter. Just lazy I guess.
Gary W. Mills (Livonia MI)
. ___________
./_][__][] []| 1974 GMC M/H
.*O-------OO-* Painted Desert
"Tangerine Dream" W/New Frame
./___\.
(o\_!_/o) '74 Love Bug
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Rebuilds can be a bit iffy but overall, I'm willing to use inexpensive Autozone 100 amp units. I found that dry camping with 4 dead house batteries can definitely cause the generator to whine and run hot. Given all that, I am on my 3rd unit in 12 years at no expense. These units are so easy to replace, that I am OK with it.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator [message #219971 is a reply to message #219916] |
Mon, 26 August 2013 08:41 |
Jim Bounds
Messages: 842
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Install a larger gauge wire from that terminal to the isolator then also larger gauge wires from it to the terminals where the batteries are connected. Currentis heating up the wire and the connector is the first thing to go. Also, tighten all large gauge connections and really look at the grounds on the motor and batteries.
Good luck,
Jim Bounds
---------------------
________________________________
From: Bob de Kruyff <NEXT2POOL@AOL.COM>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2013 10:07 PM
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] On my Third Alternator
Tangerine wrote on Fri, 26 July 2013 09:20
> We made a trip last weekend to Canada. On the way there we lost the
> Alternator. Someone told me that something must be drawing too much
> currant. It is a 100 amp Alternator. This makes the Third one in the
> last 5 years. I have not removed it yet, but the last 2 had the same
> problem. The insulator around the main HOT wire coming out of the back
> of the Alternator melted. I do not mind because they have a life time
> warranty. It is the work involved in replacing them. I wish the labor
> was warrantied. I was thinking that after I get the replacement, I would
> take it to a re-builder and see if they have something different for the
> insulator. I need to install my amp meter. Just lazy I guess.
>
> Gary W. Mills (Livonia MI)
> . ___________
> ./_][__][] []| 1974 GMC M/H
> .*O-------OO-* Painted Desert
> "Tangerine Dream" W/New Frame
> ./___\.
> (o\_!_/o) '74 Love Bug
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
Rebuilds can be a bit iffy but overall, I'm willing to use inexpensive Autozone 100 amp units. I found that dry camping with 4 dead house batteries can definitely cause the generator to whine and run hot. Given all that, I am on my 3rd unit in 12 years at no expense. These units are so easy to replace, that I am OK with it.
--
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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