BroCorvette

I am replacing my failing alternator with a more beefed one at the end of the month. (Suspected as causing multiple problems in the car.)

Link to Alternator

I also want to replace the power wire with a "0" gauge wire to handle the additional power draw.

I know that this is a bit of overkill but before I left I was messing with my stereo and I almost shut the whole car off with one note.

The alternator was failing long before this and I was trying to milk it for as long as I could.

I am currently TDY in another state but I'm trying to put together a part listing of things I'll need to get everything installed and working properly. I don't have my Haynes or Chilton with me. I'm ordering a FSM from rockauto.com at the end of the month as well seeing they are only 55.00 dollars shipped.

Can someone upload the PDF of the wiring diagram showing the paths to and from the alternator and to and from the battery?

Thanks for your help everyone.

87 vette 81 big girl

Why do you want a 220 amp alternator on Your C4 ?
The pic shown is a Delco CS 130 Alternator.

Ask the seller if it a Delta or Y wound stator assembly.
I bet he is clueless.

Possible made in china.

Power Master XS better deal for the $$.
All made in the USA.
1 manufacturing plant in Tennessee.
Other In Chicago, IL.
All parts are new.
What I use on my 87 Vert.

Brian

vetteoz

Is not going to help if you have extra load downstream of the battery pulling more amps on the factory wiring ( into car )

BroCorvette

After doing a lot of research on them, their alternators are hit or miss. Seems they had a bunch of trouble a year back with a bad strand of alternators. Some guys swear by them, others hate em. I looked into the XS series and I can't seem to find definable answers on which one will fit the 85'

I need about 140 amps, my sound system at peak will kill about 50 amps and then the car will use around 100 seeing that it came with a 108 amp alternator. So something that puts out 140 amps at around 600 RPM would be ideal. Their isn't much in between 140 and 220 that I have found. Powermaster is only reputable company that I can find online. If I'm overlooking a good high output at low RPM alt please link it.

Thanks for the input! Keeping me from having a head ache with a back alley alternator.

Another alternator company

87 vette 81 big girl

I actually had a 1985 C4 style 12 SI alternator on my 87 Vert for a few days.
Tried it out.
The 6 inch frames are very close.
The bolt spacing is actually about 1/8 " difference.
But You can cheat by sneaking the bolts carefully in.
May need to die grind the alternator 6" inch frame on a Delco CS 130 to fit on your '85 Vette easily.
I still have that Deco 12 si alternator in my garage.
I rebuilt it myself with Top Notch NOS AC Delco parts & Transpo parts.
Used a Heavy Duty Transpo rectifier bridge in it too.
If you need a correct direct fit 12si delco alternator for your 85, I will sell it to You.
If you don't live to far away from Peoria, IL. I will deliver it in person to You.
Guarantee it to work good as new, or better.
$100.00 bill installed by me.
Good enough for You, its good enough for me.
Help You install it also.
Take me less than 15 minutes.

I want Your old 1985 Delco 12 si alternator so I can rebuild it in my spare time.
Keep it around for the next guy local that may need it down the road.
I use the same style alternator on my 1963 Grand Prix.

Brian R.

87 vette 81 big girl

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Could not find that rebuilt Delco 12 SI / 1984- '85 C4 style alternator this morning.
I may have sold it.
It may boxed up yet somewhere in my gargage yet.

Nathaniel,

Here is what I have on hand to fit your 1985 Corvette.
Fully rebuilt Declo CS130 series alternator.
V8 style.
180 degree or straight 6" inch frame.
Fit all C4's.

Rebuilt it Myself.

Rebuilt with premium front & rear frame ball bearings.
New slip ring brushes.
Rotor slip rings cleaned - turned on my lathe.
Premium Transpo 200 amp rectifier bridge installed.
Spin tested alternator output of 160 amps @ 14.4 volts @ 6,000 Rotor RPM's speed.
I used it for 2 days on my 87 Vert waiting for my Power Master XS alternator to come in.
Guarantee it to work 100 % for 2 years.
$100.00 installed if you are not too far away.
Give me your old alternator core.

Brian R.

BroCorvette

That sounds like a deal. Its about 160 miles to your place so ill have to plan on stopping by on the weekend of the 29th to grab that alternator. If you have time to install it that would be great if not i can bring the tools and swap it in just a few min. The only problem with my core is the 12 Oclock ear is broken off i have the peice if your any good at welding.

BroCorvette

If its not too expensive i can pay for shipping for the new one to me and for the old one sent to you.

BroCorvette

Quick question-

After running some numbers with the 49mm pulley that alt will spin 2245.8 RPM at 570 RPM engine Idle and 22852 RPM at 5800 RPM red line.

I may just reset engine idle to even 600 to boost the idle output some.

Is there a RPM fail point on the alternator?

I don't know the exact formula but just fractionating everything 570 RPM engine Idle will produce about 60 Amps?

Which should be fine I don't plan on entering any audio contests I just don't want to shut the car off with the stereo anymore.

87 vette 81 big girl

Car Stereo Systems with high powered amps are murderous to almost all GM Alternators, CS130's included.
They can generate or output very high current loads but dissipating heat is another story.
That is the problem with small cased high amperage alternators.
Get them scorching hot from high current demands such as kick *** subwoofer amplifier, that rocks your entire city block around your C4,
The CS130 alternator is taking a severe beating from the high current demands keeping up.
Extreme Heat is generated in the alternator outputing full bore.
If the alternator rotor speed is at 2,000 RPM's such as idle,
not much air is being pulled through the stator windings.
Chit gets hot in a real hurry.

Some of the very best alternators for extreme high constant current loads made are used on Ford Ambulances.
Several different styles out there.
The old Ford Blue Back is a very tough 1.
The Grey Ghost is another.

The CS130 alternator rotor can take speeds up to 40,000 RPM's peak I have been told.
Delco manufactured rotor.
If it came from china............be scared to see a CS130 taken that high...explosion likely.

PM me again when you are around Peoria.
I will save this Delco CS130 I rebuilt myself for You.
We have to swap out the Field charging plugs.
No biggie.
Solder & heatshrink the connections I make.

Broken ear on the old Delco 12 SI ?
its OK.
I have another identical core case here.
Find a few more burnt up & dead Delco CS130's let me know.
V8 style is what I prefer.
180 degree straight 6 inch frame mounting bolt housing.
Give you some $ as long as they were not hit with a sledgehammer prior.

Brian

Les 94 Comp Yellow

I don't mean to barge in on your thread, but it sounds like you might be able to help me??? I have to replace the pigtail on my 94 alternator and the replacement one has the 3 wires like the old one but the 2 smaller wires are both brown and the oem harness is also 2 brown wires. The question is ,I have already cut off the old pigtail without marking them(stupid move i know) and now I am worrying that the 2 brown wires can be mixed up. The question is does it matter which wire on the pigtail is connected to either wire on the harness? I hope someone understands the problem better than I do. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks in advance for your help

TDCVA

I've made the misteak of installing a big *$$ battery and then have the alternator and car harness smoke from the amp draw when the battery was low and just driving to recharge it Watch out for any connectors or plugs that won't handle the amp draw. A high idle add on to your throttle might be a help with the audio shows.

An AGM battery nearer the audio equipment power take off will act as a filter smoothing the DC further and will act as a capacitor does. (Some 20 ah sealed batteries are available in "jump starter" packs)

"0" gauge wire needs to be run from the alternator to the car battery. "0" gauge needs to be run from the battery to the distribution point for the audio equipment. I like to run a "0" gauge negative or ground wire to a location close to the audio equipment for a solid return path, not trusting just the frame ground for the return.

Remember you can lose your hearing from continuous exposure to loud sounds. It ain't no fun when all you got left is to see is the speaker cones moving!

Fuse the wire from the alternator to the battery at 1.5 times the alternators rating. Fuse the distribution from the battery to the audio equipment for the amp rating of the hook up wire, -25% (200 amp wiring -- -50 amps = 150 amps)

Carry spare fuses!

I like to solder all wire coonectors to the connector lugs. I don't like to depend on just mechanical crimps. If using screw down type wire distribution blocks, solder the wire tip where it will be captured in the screw down block. Have seen some with a piece of copper tubing used as a tip for the wire and soldered on for these power wires.

Not enough into the Corvette yet to be car specific but good practices are universal.

TDCVA

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