For me it occurred only 25% of the time, and a tough call in my situation to go smaller pulley and shut down the GPCM, or large pulley and keep some moderation. With the large pulley it’s a fine line between alternator current output and vehicle demand. If the batteries are not pulling in as much amps the voltage threshold is breached.

 

FWIW, I just looked at the date code. It's 201537. I purchased the alternator in Jan. 2017.

David

 

In my case, if I’m understanding this correctly, the voltage surges are reaching numbers where battery damage can occur. In the last chart I posted (post #44) you can see in the final spike that the voltage as read by my DashBoss at the OBD port, touches 15v (14.938) but in reality must have been 15.4 or 15.5.

Why this is hazardous to battery health, and how much harm these spikes can do, I have no idea. But I undertook this upgrade (alternator and wiring) specifically to protect my batteries, as too many of my drives are relatively short, and we have 6 months of winter up here. Finding out that at least for the first minute or so after just about every start (running the block heater for at least a couple of hours before starting seems to prevent the oscillation), I’m risking battery damage hasn’t been a pleasant experience.

I don’t have time or know-how to be easily tinkering with swapping pulleys, not to mention the lack of indoor space to do so. If that’s what I have to do, I can do it, but I’d like to hear definitively before I work up the nerve to tear into it again.

 

https://www.powerstream.com/SLA.htm




In my vid post 68 the voltage is still up, but it’s cold and I am running with the hood up which keeps the alternator cooler and volts up. Normally in 15 minutes and normal driving the volts are coming down. Despite any voltage lowering temperature compensation a regulator may have, a warming alternator will reduce its ability.

 

It’s hard because I’ve got info across three or more alternator threads, but this was a vid showing my harness voltage summer morning start to return home after a drive. The higher voltage during the initial charging phase is OK.

 

Thank you for the information, Jack. I think I feel a little better now

 

You actually want a little higher voltage when batteries are colder to fight through the higher resistance, but not for long. There’s a lot of conflicting info out there along with just general statements. Not that I’m a battery expert by any means. But nothing I’ve seen in my data or yours has me hitting the panic button.

 

I'm not aware of and XDP near me Jack I'm being told there is an "authorized" seller of these within 30 min of me that I would need to go to for testing or remove my alternator and send it in for testing. Which means again, putting my stock alternator back on. This is getting old

So XDP isn't going to replace or exchange anything for me. L-N has not had any other complaints or have not heard any other reports of this yet Fords charging system is not considered over charging until 15.5 volts. It's more of an "annoyance" than it is an actual problem or risk where it could cause damage to the truck. If we can provide documentation that shows where the GPCM is designed to shut down the plugs after 14.4-14.5 volts this will help. Ford themselves put these alternators from the factory on ambulance package trucks with no problem. Perhaps a 230 amp alternator is more than what you need. The fact that it's doing this is just the "nature of the beast"

Even if it never causes any damage or "problems" (to each his own for their definition of what a problem is) I didn't spend almost $400 to have an "annoyance" in my truck now. If you bought a new computer that was supposed to be lightning fast in operation, but oh wait it takes 45 minutes for it to boot up and sometimes it crashes, would you be satisfied with your purchase??? The matter of the fact is the truck is NOT preforming the way it was designed to with THIS ALTERNATOR in place. I want my plugs to come on and stay on for as long as they are needed. I don't want to listen to my trucks RPM go up and down again and again while I stand in front of the mirror brushing my teeth. Ticks me off.

Anyway I just don't have the time to keep chasing this. I'm in the middle of framing an addition on the house, we have a two year old and my wife is 7 months pregnant. I understand FICM Repair is hard at work on this. So I'm hoping you can find some answers for us Ed! I wish I had given you my business for this like I have on many other parts since you are taking the time to investigate this for us. Temporary lapse in judgement. I'm at your disposal if you need anything tested to support you.

These are my exact thoughts on the matter. If we don't have some type of a solution by the spring I'll be pulling it out and selling.

 

What I was apologizing for was not having a running truck where I could go to XDP to show the issue as I thought XDP was working with you on this.

I don’t know if I have all the emails from my discussions, but you’re welcome to what I have. I’ll also pull up what I have about the GPCM parameters. I guess people need to call the tech center and complain.

When I get a running truck I will try the regulator that Y2K mentioned. Not sure if I have your email, if not just PM it to me so I can send you my gatherings.

As I said, I felt as though I was getting the runaround, to get me tired out trying different things. I made that recent video public on YouTube and within a day a person comment his new L-N was doing the same. The comments are public.

 

Ford's Ambulance Prep package for the 2005 model (year of Caleb's truck in signature) 6.0L consisted of two alternators... the upper being a 140 amp VR42 2,100 watt alternator, and the lower being a 120 amp 4G 1,800 watt alternator. The stock alternator for the 6.0L diesel was a single 130 amp 6G 1,950 watt alternator. The upgraded single alternator, initially only available with the Snowplow Prep package, but eventually offered as a stand alone option, was the 140 amp VR42 2,100 watt alternator... the same alternator as the upper in the Ambulance package.

The difference between the 130a and the 140a alternator was greater than the 10 amp nominal max current rating when it came to the alternators output at idle, which was actually more like a 20 amp difference when measured at 80 degrees. Higher ambient temperatures will yield a reduction in performance... so if the ambient underhood temperature was say 180 degrees, a rule of thumb might be to reduce the output ratings by 10%.

In any case, this particular model of Leece Neville alternator, while listed as a Ford OEM part for other applications, was never offered by Ford on a 6.0L diesel engine Ambulance Prep package of either the E or F Series. It was, however, available as an oem Ford part on the 4.5L Navistar engine found in both the Ford and International branded Low Cab Forward. It was also offered on some F650 models, but I think most F650 models had pad mount alternators.

 

I still got the alternator from the pictures I posted. If someone wants to try the regulator off it I'll pull and send it to you. However it may or may not be any good.

 

Like a rabid dog's grip on the grissel of a meaty bone, we are hanging in there indeed. Christmas is over. New Year's is over. Stock market is back up. No one has fired a rocket on us yet. Can't think of any other excuses...

What is the word from Prestolite?

The physics of this alternator (ability to reject heat) are too good for potential buyers and current owners to dismiss due to a lack of communication from the manufacture in response to an issue so concerning to someone that a field sample was shipped back to them for testing.

I'm sure I'm not the only one awaiting the long standing promise of follow up. Let's hear it.

 

With pallets of expected sales at risk, I would expect some concern.

But yes, some others are waiting too.

 

I'll add my $0.02.

 

The cholesterol levels of America are going up!