RedbeardRacing Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 (edited) Recently purchased birkin s3, with a 2.0l zetec. It has a 40 amp alternator from a Toyota forklift, and when running electric fans and led headlights, the gauges start to spaz and I barely made it back to my neighborhood before it died and the battery was dead. The car does have a direct cooling duct for the alternator. I'll get the battery and alternator tested. My question is, anyone else running a bigger alternator on this same setup? Or have any suggestions? TIA Edited February 10, 2022 by RedbeardRacing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 40 amps is pretty common in these cars. I've had a Denso 40 amp fitted since 2004. With halogen headlights and big SPAL fan both running when idling, the volts drop a bit, but not enough to cause issues. The volt gauge returns to normal levels as soon as the revs rise. In addition to having the alternator checked, it's always a good idea to clean the major grounding points. -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedbeardRacing Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 Thanks boss. I did about 100 miles on it with no issues yesterday, but once headlights were on with fans it was over. I hope it just something simple like a ground, will tear into it today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Checkout Powermasters, they do a Denso small alternators, up to 75 amps. I have been running a 55 amp version on my car for years, Page 42 on there catalogue http://www.powermastermotorsports.com/catalog.html Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedbeardRacing Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 Awesome! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 Bad voltage regulator? (Once you’ve ruled out grounds) I was having nebulous issues a while back (can’t precisely recall the symptoms). Fixed by replacing the voltage regulator as everything else was checking out okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedbeardRacing Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 Had one of those go out on a bike before, will be checking that as well. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 I like the PowerMaster alternators as there true one wire alternators. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedbeardRacing Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 My issue is definitely space. I'm going to see what I can fit. Which Honda engine did you go with. Will a k series fit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 K24A2, great motor, but very tall, tough to package. You can see the difference to the stock Honda Alternator. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedbeardRacing Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 I bet it's peppy with k series in there, and even more cramped than mine. Found a broken top alternator bracket. That could have been side loading it, at bare minimum vibrating and sorts. Gonna throw a new one on it with a fixed bracket and see what happens. Does your amp meter show 0 when running? Shouldn't it be +12/14 if the alternator is working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 It's peppy for a $700 junk yard motor. My guage shows a little under 12 volts at idle, but goes up to 14 as soon as the throttle picks up. With a 7.5k red line I don't want to over spin the alternator so I have to running a little slow. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedbeardRacing Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 That's a nice price for that much fun. So via Graham, I've looked through the power master options. The ones on page 42 are smaller in body than what I currently have the 8122 model on page 44 is the exact dimensions of my current part. This one is 20 amp idle and 115 amp top end. It is quite pricey, around $360, but looks to solve all issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 Power Master are nice people, used them for years. They will also repair there alternators, and upgrade if they can. You can get most models from Summit, I got my last one with a 10% discount coupon. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now