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alternator upgrade 160 amp ?

low pressure

NAXJA Forum User
has anybody tried or done this upgrade? i know the dodge durango 136 amp are swappable to our alterantor, would it be the same with the 2002 and later durango alternator with the 160 amp and will it be safe to run with our XJ without major wiring concerns? any input will be appreciated.
 
Forgive me if I seem dull about this...

The newer XJs use the PCM to supply field regulation for the Alternator, and I have always thought that you used a reguator for a specific application....

So, if you installed one of these Delco style high output Alternators, wouldn't it throw a code?

Or, if you put on a larger that stock Alternator of the same flavor, wouldn't it demand more ( or a different) output from the computer to regulate the field?
 
Yes, installing a Delco would throw a code. However, Rod also makes high-output Nippondenso alternators, which are compatible with the PCM regulator that ChryCo came up with (which still doesn't seem like a good idea to me, but I never did like integrated assemblies. I vastly prefer the "modular" approach, which makes it easier to service a system rather than having to replace a component that controls everything.

5-90
 
I think the big difference will be the fact that, unlike the store, you'll be dealing DIRECTLY with the guy that does the rebuilding and testing: and, unlike the yard, you'll KNOW what you're getting.

I've always been a little leery about buying electrics from a yard - especially if I don't plan on rebuilding them first thing.

As far as fitment, his units WILL fit - unless you specify something non-standard for your application - which will also make your life easier.

I can't think of any search keys offhand, but if you pillage around here, you'll see where we've beaten the idea of "mass market rebuilds" to death - they're bought by the chains for a fraction of what you pay, a "lifetime warranty" is offered because failures are common (while I was wasting time behind the counter, a return rate of 60-120% was not uncommon. Yes, some were returned SEVERAL times!) and the stores are paying low costs and playing the odds on the rebuilds.

Sorry, but "Homie don't play dat." Rod's work is truly "install and forget" - he rebuilds everything right there, and it don't go out unless it's been bench-tested. The only time I've had to buy anything like a "replacement" from him is when I'd gotten another vehicle, and didn't have a spare on the shelf when I needed one.

5-90
 
i can vouch for the upgrade cables as well, well worth the investment and priced competively. Jeep starts better, lights are brighter, etc. even with the stock 90 amp alternator and the ANL fuse kit is well worth it if you're jumping up to a high amp alternator and need a high amp type fuse protection.

I certainly wouldn't plan on upgrading to a high amp alternator and running that power through the factory harness. Golf balls and garden hoses come to mind.
 
I just upgraded my power cables in preparation for a future 130amp alternator swap (it's been sitting in a box for months). Here's my write-up:

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/Power_Cables.html

A big thank you to John (5-90). :cheers:. Without his helpful info. I don't think I would have tackled the job by myself.
 
Thanks! I certainly didn't expect a link...

If I was allowed back in that area, I'd have to remember to be nice to you someday. If you ever make it over to the States, let me know (I was declared PNG by the US State Department back in 1991, and I think I'm still on the blacklist for a visa. Oh, well - I wasn't that interested in going back to Araby anyhow, to be perfectly honest...)

5-90
 
5-90 said:
Thanks! I certainly didn't expect a link...

If I was allowed back in that area, I'd have to remember to be nice to you someday. If you ever make it over to the States, let me know (I was declared PNG by the US State Department back in 1991, and I think I'm still on the blacklist for a visa. Oh, well - I wasn't that interested in going back to Araby anyhow, to be perfectly honest...)

5-90


So by not allowed back...Did you do something bad or suspecious to warrent that? I dont mean to pry, I was just wondering.

AARON
 
I had a "difference of opinion" with some oil princes while I was out and about.

Granted, I wasn't out alone - I was with a female NCO with whom I was rather "friendly" at the time. The Saudi opinion of women is not stellar to begin with, and their opinion of women in uniform flatly sucked.

I ended up bouncing them off of a few brick walls. Oddly enough, it was the US that said I wasn't going to go back there again (the Saudis otherwise didn't seem to care - go figure!) and, as you can imagine, I was real hurt by that... No booze, and no bacon or sausage with my eggs? I grew up on that stuff - I didn't want to go there in the first place!

My CO told me it was the first time EVER any man under his command managed to get thrown out of an entire country...

"Chaos, panic, disorder. My work here is done."

5-90
 
5-90 said:
Thanks! I certainly didn't expect a link...

If I was allowed back in that area, I'd have to remember to be nice to you someday. If you ever make it over to the States, let me know (I was declared PNG by the US State Department back in 1991, and I think I'm still on the blacklist for a visa. Oh, well - I wasn't that interested in going back to Araby anyhow, to be perfectly honest...)

5-90

That probably only applies to Saudi Arabia. I don't think you'd have any problem coming into the UAE and if you ever do make it over here, give me a call (I'll give you my mobile phone no. in advance). You'd be more than welcome. The UAE is a lot different than Saudi in many ways; like chalk and cheese. At least here you can buy bacon, pork sausages, and booze.
As for the link to your site in my write-up, it's the least I could do since you gave me such helpful info. and saved me a fair wad of $$$.
You probably noticed that I added two extra ground cables on my Jeep. You could copy them and offer them as a kit together with the other cables. The only thing you'd need to add is an 18mm hex nut with a 1/2" thread to secure one of the ground cables to the front driver's side head bolt.
 
I do offer a replacement for the cylinder head ground (usually a 10" BLK 3/8" x 1/2", using original hardware. I think that nut is more properly 11/16", tho...) and I've been kicking around adding a ground (probably use 4AWG for it) to replicate the ground added by ChryCo in 1991. I just haven't bothered yet, to be honest.

I'm glad my advice worked out for you. And, you're probably right about UAE - sounds like I might almost enjoy it. Still, I usually need excuses to travel somewhere, and I'm thinking if I DO go to UAE, it's going to be en route to some strenuous OPEC negotiations to see about getting this "price" thing under control. Start with OPEC, then work on the refiners (who are also part of the problem...)

5-90
 
5-90 said:
I do offer a replacement for the cylinder head ground (usually a 10" BLK 3/8" x 1/2", using original hardware. I think that nut is more properly 11/16", tho...) and I've been kicking around adding a ground (probably use 4AWG for it) to replicate the ground added by ChryCo in 1991. I just haven't bothered yet, to be honest.

I'm glad my advice worked out for you. And, you're probably right about UAE - sounds like I might almost enjoy it. Still, I usually need excuses to travel somewhere, and I'm thinking if I DO go to UAE, it's going to be en route to some strenuous OPEC negotiations to see about getting this "price" thing under control. Start with OPEC, then work on the refiners (who are also part of the problem...)

5-90

Oh, I wasn't referring to the cylinder head to firewall cable replacement for that stupid braided strap. I was referring these extra two cables that you could add to your kit:

Block to firewall: 26" length, 3/8" x 3/8" loops
Cylinder head to battery: 31" length, 1/2" x 3/8" loops

With a total of five grounding cables (battery to block, block to firewall, firewall to head, head to battery, battery to inner fenderwell) instead of three, the grounding system will be just about bombproof.
The same size nut that holds the head to firewall cable to the rearmost driver's side head bolt will also work for the head to battery cable (at the front driver's side head bolt end). Like I said, it has a 1/2" thread and is definitely 18mm so you can add that to your cable kit as well.

John, you would DEFINITELY enjoy the UAE. Compared to Saudi, it's almost like being on a different planet. As for OPEC, they produce only ~45% of the world's oil output so they can have only a limited influence on the oil price. Even if they cut production to drive the oil price up, non-OPEC countries (especially Russia, Nigeria, and Venezuela) take advantage by increasing production to bring it down again, increasing their market share at the same time. What's driving the oil price steadily higher is mostly a rapidly increasing demand for oil by India and China. Between them, they have 2/5 of the world's population and their economies are growing at an astronomical rate. The OPEC countries are already producing oil at near full capacity so the extra demand can only really be made up by non-OPEC countries. One thing's for sure. The Gulf states are making a hell of a lot of money, the UAE is very rich, and you can see that in the number of skyscrapers that are popping up all over Dubai and Jebel Ali (including the Dubai Tower which will become the world's tallest building). It's truly jawdropping.
 
Yeah, I'd figured I'd have to go to Venezuela next - what are they paying for gasoline, something like twenty-five cents a gallon?

How do you route that head to battery cable without hanging up on anyting, anyhow? I'm a bit curious about that. Also, why? I'd think you'd have a good ground there as long as your head bolts are sound, using the main block ground (and if your head bolts are unsound, you've got bigger problems anyhow, haven't you?)

Last question - one of the pix of your cables almost looks like they're "spiral-wrapped" of some sort - is that tape for colour-coding, or did your cable come that way? I've not seen that before...

Yeah, I suppose my views of Araby are tainted by my first visit - much like my views of France (the first time I went there, I was sent to Paris. Ugh.) Still and all, I haven't found any reasons to go back, and we're planning on going to Scotland, maybe Germany and Greece, for our tenth (I really do want to see Balnagown Castle...)

5-90
 
5-90 said:
Yeah, I'd figured I'd have to go to Venezuela next - what are they paying for gasoline, something like twenty-five cents a gallon?

How do you route that head to battery cable without hanging up on anyting, anyhow? I'm a bit curious about that. Also, why? I'd think you'd have a good ground there as long as your head bolts are sound, using the main block ground (and if your head bolts are unsound, you've got bigger problems anyhow, haven't you?)

Last question - one of the pix of your cables almost looks like they're "spiral-wrapped" of some sort - is that tape for colour-coding, or did your cable come that way? I've not seen that before...

Yeah, I suppose my views of Araby are tainted by my first visit - much like my views of France (the first time I went there, I was sent to Paris. Ugh.) Still and all, I haven't found any reasons to go back, and we're planning on going to Scotland, maybe Germany and Greece, for our tenth (I really do want to see Balnagown Castle...)

5-90

I've heard that the Venezuelan women are beautiful so that alone could be a good reason for going there. ;)
Good point about the head bolts making a good ground but I went for overkill with the head to battery ground (I did say that adequate doesn't cut the mustard for me). I zip tied it to the upper radiator hose.
Those "spiral wrapped" cables were black welding cables but I wrapped them with red tape to colour code them. I couldn't find welding cable in any other colour than black so I had to improvise. :D
Scotland's beautiful (apart from the weather most of the time) and you'll have a great time. The Scots are friendly and will make you feel most welcome.
 
I've been through Holy Lock and Edinburgh, although I never did get to stay long.

Balnagown Castle, ancestral seat of Clan Ross. That's why I'd like to go - I can claim both Ross and MacLeod in my history, and I've met enough Scots over here to think I'd really enjoy the trip.

Venezuelan women? Brother, I'm married (rather happily, I might add,) which will allow me to focus upon my primary objective - doing something about fuel prices.

Like I'd said, start with the people who pump it out of the ground, then go after the refiners. A two-pronged approach, with other objectives added as they are noted. I'm getting awful damn tired of $3+ per gallon. What are you paying in the UAE, might I ask? (What are you doing there, anyhow? I thought you were from Cyprus?)

5-90
 
5-90 said:
What are you paying in the UAE, might I ask? (What are you doing there, anyhow? I thought you were from Cyprus?)

5-90

I'm British-born and my parents are from Cyprus (the Greek side). I lived in the UK for nearly 29 years, then Saudi for 13-1/2 years, and moved to the UAE only a year ago bringing my Jeep with me from Saudi. If you do the maths, you'll find I'm 43 though I look a lot younger. ;) I pass gas for a living (as an anesthesiologist) at Tawam Hospital here in Al Ain. You'll find my name on the staff list:

http://www.tawam-hosp.gov.ae/MedicalDeps/anesthesia.htm

Gasoline is $1.40 per gallon here in the UAE compared to $0.60 per gallon in Saudi so I usually end up paying about $25 each time I fill up the tank (I usually have a couple of gallons left). I drive about 300 miles per week and that's about as long as each tankful lasts (average 17mpg US or 20mpg Imperial). I could do better but I have a brick stuck to my right foot (I'm a speed freak so what would you expect?). :D
When I do get around to swapping in my 130amp alternator and the homebrew 2AWG alternator output cable to PDC (with 150 amp fuse), I also plan to get rid of the fan pulley since I don't have a fan attached to it. I already have a shorter serpentine belt for the job but I'll need to remove the alternator mounting bracket and notch it to clear the belt. My belt configuration will look like this:

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/BELT6_mod.JPG
 
I knew you were a gas-passer (probably read it on your site...) but I'd always wondered what you were doing in Araby. Hell, I'd probably have stayed in England - a British accent on a female voice sounds so much better than an Arabic one...

I'd still take $1.40/gallon over the $3.15/gallon I'll probably pay to-day - not ideal, but tolerable. This is just getting ridiculous, and expecting Congress to "investigate" is like setting the fox to guard the chicken coop. Gawd help us.

5-90
 
5-90 said:
I knew you were a gas-passer (probably read it on your site...) but I'd always wondered what you were doing in Araby. Hell, I'd probably have stayed in England


Gas is ~$6.60 per gallon in England so I don't think you'd wanna stay there unless you're content to drive around in a little four-banger. Forget about driving a Jeep 4.0/stroker or a V8 unless you have deep pockets or you're prepared to drive it only on weekends.
I'm staying over here in the hope that a stinking rich sheikh will give me an oil well as a Christmas present. ;)
 
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