89StangGTConvertible

My stock, weak a$$, alternator is getting the boot. I bought a PowerMaster 140 as a replacement, and now I am having second thoughts... does anyone have one of these? If so, what is your opinion? Should I have gone with a 3G? This PowerMaster is a single wire job. It has not yet been installed, so I can return it if need be. I look forward to your input. Thanks!

mjr46

why are you having second thoughts on the powermaster alts Eric??? they are kick "A" alternators, they are patterned after the old GM single wire self exciting alts..........My 85 has a powermaster 100 amp single wire and my 89 runs one as well, never had an issue with either. Is someone telling you a 3g is better and now that's why you are doubting your choice???

89StangGTConvertible

Hey Mike - yeah. Someone told me I would have to rev the engine to 2500 rpms to get the alt to kick in... If you say the alts are good, that's all I need to know! Case closed! thanks!

mjr46

no you don't have to rev it to that, my Vw has a self exciting alt as well from the factory, what you/I have to do is I snap the throttle right after start up and from that point it charges even at idle, it's not a constant "have to rev it to 2500 rpms to keep it charging" whomever told you that does not understand how they work.

mjr46

here, read this Eric...direct from their site:

I noticed that my Powermaster one wire alternator has to be "revved up" to get the alternator to come on. Why?


A one wire alternator has a turn on point (sometimes called cut in, which is typically 1200 engine RPMs). This is the speed where the internal sense circuitry connects the battery to the voltage regulator, thereby turning the alternator on. Once the voltage regulator turns on, the alternator will remain on and charging until the engine comes to a complete stop. If the engine idle speed and pulley ratio combination do not allow the alternator to come up to this point during starting, the engine will have to be revved up to turn the one wire alternator on. The sense circuitry in the one-wire regulator can be bypassed to excite the alternator as soon as the ignition switch is turned on. This is called three-wire operation. This means the alternator will not be dependent on reaching a certain turn on RPM.

Tony71502

If you are putting out that much amperage through stock wires won't that be a fire hazard?

89StangGTConvertible

Thanks, Mike. That explains the process well.

mjr46

consumers of the current...ie will only draw what they need and once it exceeds the limit...ie...a fuse pops, hence why you have a fuse box......an alt is never fully fielded for that long and if it does it either frys the alt or cooks the battery if the alt survives that long, single wire alts come with a new charge wire that goes direct to the battery....excessive current draw or high resistance, causes probs, not electrical potential, amperage/current flow only occurs when a consumer is "online"/ in use, if you were to try and flow 140 amps through a 14 gauge wire...of course it'd fry it, however you are not flowing 140 amp through such, current flow goes direct to the 12v battery from the charge wire supplied with the single wire alt.