Thinking of running 2 Alternators

[kentb]

hi guys, i'm planning on running 2 alternators, and i think the best spot is on the right side right above the air compressor.
there is a power steering fluid reservoir on that spot, does any of you know how i should reroute of relocate the reservoir?

thanks

i have a 2000 ford explorer sport v6 sohc

 

[BrooklynBay]

What are you planning on running that will require 2 alternators? You have other options such as a dual battery with an isolator, a high output alternator or a dual output alternator.

 

[kentb]

What are you planning on running that will require 2 alternators?

audio

 

[BrooklynBay]

Did you calculate the amount of current that will be required?

 

[kentb]

Did you calculate the amount of current that will be required?

yeah bro.

 

[BrooklynBay]

How many amps do you need just for the audio equipment?

 

[kentb]

How many amps do you need?

more than 1 alt can handle. lets just say i want to stay in the 14v+ range.
battery alone won't do that. but yeah, i want to do a 2 alt setup, just need some info about how to reroute the power steering reservoir

 

[BrooklynBay]

My 88 is modified, and I have an external P/S reservoir near the battery that is made for a Taurus SHO with a P/S cooler.

 

[spankmeplz]

If you are dead set on running two alternators, you can put the second one anywhere. I would mount it backwards (naturally you know it doesn't matter which way it spins to alternate power) and use a separate belt for it. Fab up an adjustable alternator bracket, add a pulley to the crank, add a battery isolator, and you are pretty much set.


Or spend less, and get one alternator rewound, and be done. If you are going for the coolness factor of dual alternators, maybe powder coating your alternator housing while it is apart will be enough bling for you.

 

[kentb]

If you are dead set on running two alternators, you can put the second one anywhere. I would mount it backwards (naturally you know it doesn't matter which way it spins to alternate power) and use a separate belt for it. Fab up an adjustable alternator bracket, add a pulley to the crank, add a battery isolator, and you are pretty much set.


Or spend less, and get one alternator rewound, and be done. If you are going for the coolness factor of dual alternators, maybe powder coating your alternator housing while it is apart will be enough bling for you.

i think that is just too much work, im thinking of just putting in in that spot so it still goes with the flow of the belt, just need a longer belt.

if you see the engine compartment is really tight.

this is pretty much the only space that i can put an alt

 

[kentb]

My 88 is modified, and I have an external P/S reservoir near the battery that is made for a Taurus SHO with a P/S cooler.

how hard do you think will it be for me to do re route the P/S?

and if ever i pay a shop to do it, how much will it run me?

 

[rhauf]

wow.. those are some really fat wires..

by the way remember the alternator wont be able to ramp up is current output as quickly as you're amps demand for current increases when the bass "hits" so if momentary voltage drops are what you're trying to eliminate, extra alternators wont help. but a second battery, especially if it was wired very close to you're amps (put it next to the amps, wired in parallel with them) would be the way to go. a battery with as many cranking amps as possible. (deep cycle doesn't matter.. cranking amps does)

by the way do you're amps cut out, or do you just want to eliminate the headlight pulse factor? how many watts are you running etc, i'm curious.

 

[eXcali]

Why not just run dual batteries and a capacitor?? You're not going to get a constant stream of 14v because of the built-in regulator on the alts.

 

[kentb]

wow.. those are some really fat wires..

by the way remember the alternator wont be able to ramp up is current output as quickly as you're amps demand for current increases when the bass "hits" so if momentary voltage drops are what you're trying to eliminate, extra alternators wont help. but a second battery, especially if it was wired very close to you're amps (put it next to the amps, wired in parallel with them) would be the way to go. a battery with as many cranking amps as possible. (deep cycle doesn't matter.. cranking amps does)

by the way do you're amps cut out, or do you just want to eliminate the headlight pulse factor? how many watts are you running etc, i'm curious.

here are some of my vids.
http://www.youtube.com/user/pboyski#p/u/4/c6ws5vztDfw



and here is a quick video for you:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MaxxsonicsUSAInc#p/u/3/Fv66sP9EXvQ

 

[kentb]

Why not just run dual batteries and a capacitor?? You're not going to get a constant stream of 14v because of the built-in regulator on the alts.

capacitor?? lol no thanks.

you can just watch the same video i posted above^^ thanks.

 

[rhauf]

holy **** thats insane.. is this for competitions or something?

the other video.. yes i know about ohms law and all. but unless you were running the bass at full output for an extended period of time, an extra battery would power the amps for quite a while before becoming discharged. but fair enough.. you're system is pretty...huge... so maybe you do need an extra alternator or two.. so some research and be sure to get one capable of some high amperage.

btw i noticed your amps were "class D" are those PWM based?

 

[kentb]

holy **** thats insane.. is this for competitions or something?

the other video.. yes i know about ohms law and all. but unless you were running the bass at full output for an extended period of time, an extra battery would power the amps for quite a while before becoming discharged. but fair enough.. you're system is pretty...huge... so maybe you do need an extra alternator or two.. so some research and be sure to get one capable of some high amperage.

btw i noticed your amps were "class D" are those PWM based?

i do have a 200+ amp high output alternator right now.
what do you mean PWM?
class D is very common in the sub amplifier area, they are very efficient amplifiers compared to class a/b. basically almost all the TRUE 1k rms and above bass amplifiers are class D.

 

[kentb]

holy **** thats insane.. is this for competitions or something?

the other video.. yes i know about ohms law and all. but unless you were running the bass at full output for an extended period of time, an extra battery would power the amps for quite a while before becoming discharged. but fair enough.. you're system is pretty...huge... so maybe you do need an extra alternator or two.. so some research and be sure to get one capable of some high amperage.

btw i noticed your amps were "class D" are those PWM based?

btw that setup did a 152.7 db. but it wasn't meant for competition, its more of a ground pounder demo setup. but it did won first places on the few competitions joined.
right now this is my setup

http://www.youtube.com/user/pboyski#p/u/0/aengmr4VH6I

2 10's and a 1500 watt amplifier, still decently loud, this one is for competition.

im upgrading again to more power so im leaning towards a dual alternator setup.

thanks.

 

[rhauf]

i do have a 200+ amp high output alternator right now.
what do you mean PWM?
class D is very common in the sub amplifier area, they are very efficient amplifiers compared to class a/b. basically almost all the TRUE 1k rms and above bass amplifiers are class D.

PWM = Pulse Width Modulation. it's a way of creating an analog signal without using transistors in the traditional way they are used in amplifiers (voltage drop across transistors is how a class AB amp works, and that voltage drop = heat and inefficiency) in a PWM amp the output transistors are either full on of full off, millions of times a second, so the RMS of the pulsing voltage is the voltage for the output signal level at any given moment. it would probably go through a small choke as a filter to keep the pulsing from the amp, sort of smoothing it into a nice analog style waveform/signal.

yes i'm a bit of an electronic/ audio guru.. btw from a technical standpoint, you're demo video is f'in impressive.

 

[kentb]

PWM = Pulse Width Modulation. it's a way of creating an analog signal without using transistors in the traditional way they are used in amplifiers (voltage drop across transistors is how a class AB amp works, and that voltage drop = heat and inefficiency) in a PWM amp the output transistors are either full on of full off, millions of times a second, so the RMS of the pulsing voltage is the voltage for the output signal level at any given moment. it would probably go through a small choke as a filter to keep the pulsing from the amp, sort of smoothing it into a nice analog style waveform/signal.

yes i'm a bit of an electronic/ audio guru.. btw from a technical standpoint, you're demo video is f'in impressive.

thanks bro, i just googled pwm and yeah class d's are pwm.
btw, so do you have any idea on how to re route the power steering reservoir?