auxillary alternator
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: SW Washington coast
auxillary alternator
Has anyone ever hooked up a second (or even third) alternator to run auxillary systems like lights, stereos and/or tools?
I have removed my AC and have a nice big spot under the hood just begging to be filled ... It will mean a custom fab for the mounting bracket but the benifits could be remarkable especially with running a pair of 1,000 CCA batts in the rear ...
I have removed my AC and have a nice big spot under the hood just begging to be filled ... It will mean a custom fab for the mounting bracket but the benifits could be remarkable especially with running a pair of 1,000 CCA batts in the rear ...
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 57,014
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From: Virginia
Usually not needed, even if you have a lot of amperage draw. It's much easier to just get a bigger alternator if you think you need it. The only vehicles that had dual alternators seemed to be the ambulances, so if you are bent on doing it, I would research how it mounted on them.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 825
Likes: 2
From: SW Washington coast
The mounting seems easy enough (famous last words) ... Just adapt the bracket for the AC to fit the new alt ... Maybe weld the bracket to one for the alt ... Sorta siamese them together ... Then find a belt long enough ...
I wonder if I can resell that beachfront property in Arizona I bought ...
I wonder if I can resell that beachfront property in Arizona I bought ...
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: sunny fla sometimes windy
http://home.comcast.net/~t.molnar/Obwelder1.htm
Here is an option for that space just because you could!! If You had the need for 2
batteries a battery switch to select which batt to charge and run off or you could
use one of those isolators but I don't trust them especially mounted under the hood!!
If you use 2 alt you need to be sure they are isolated since the alt doesn't put out
a true DC current you could get a cross phase. So you would have to put one batt
on one alt(stock) and one batt on the other and keep the grounds for the components you are running from contacting the trucks ground. Just to be safe and spark free!!
Here is an option for that space just because you could!! If You had the need for 2
batteries a battery switch to select which batt to charge and run off or you could
use one of those isolators but I don't trust them especially mounted under the hood!!
If you use 2 alt you need to be sure they are isolated since the alt doesn't put out
a true DC current you could get a cross phase. So you would have to put one batt
on one alt(stock) and one batt on the other and keep the grounds for the components you are running from contacting the trucks ground. Just to be safe and spark free!!
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 57,014
Likes: 2,751
From: Virginia
If you use 2 alt you need to be sure they are isolated since the alt doesn't put out
a true DC current you could get a cross phase. So you would have to put one batt
on one alt(stock) and one batt on the other and keep the grounds for the components you are running from contacting the trucks ground.
a true DC current you could get a cross phase. So you would have to put one batt
on one alt(stock) and one batt on the other and keep the grounds for the components you are running from contacting the trucks ground.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 825
Likes: 2
From: SW Washington coast
I was thinking of running the original 2 batts under the hood from the original alternator and putting 2 "more" batts under the bed and using them exclusively with the second alternator ... The second system (with its own fuseblock) would be for my offroad lights, stereo, A.C. tools, etc ...
