High amp alternator

[DaveK]

Looks like I've nearly reached the end of the "planned" life for my alternator. Just about time for a replacement. The mean green alternator, http://www.mean-green.com/products/alternator.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , has definitely piqued my interest. Anyone with experience or knowledge on these guys?

[cruiserlarry]

My experience is with Wrangler Power Products high-output alternators. We have used these for the last 15 years or so, with no failures. They tend to be more expensive than the Mean Green alternators, however. PM your vehicle specifics, and I'll check on both for you...

[DaveK]

My experience is with Wrangler Power Products high-output alternators. We have used these for the last 15 years or so, with no failures. They tend to be more expensive than the Mean Green alternators, however.

BUT, are they better and why?

[taugust]

Not sure if you have replaced yet, but another option may be to rebuild. I had mine rebuilt/rewound to 120 amp rating (tested to 150A) by Boyle Future Technology in Auburn, CA. They did a fantastic job and service was superior. It took about 2 weeks to turnaround. Since they weren't getting the output they expected, they got another shipment of stators and did it again. Should have been 1 week door to door. Cost was $201 shipped to me, plus shipping to them. I don't know if they only work on Toyotas, but they know an awful lot about them. Try calling and see if they work on your application.

They came highly recommended on a Toyota forum and I concur.

Boyle Future Tech
530-888-6290

[big dave]

My experience is with Wrangler Power Products high-output alternators. We have used these for the last 15 years or so, with no failures. They tend to be more expensive than the Mean Green alternators, however.

BUT, are they better and why?

Theres really not enough to an alternator to explain why one is better than the other. The 2 main things to look at are the output/@ rpm, and how well the thing cools itself. My Datsun 280zx had a lame stock 60amp, until i modified the bracket to accept a GM 110amp 10si alternator. Any reputable electric shop that works on alternators can rebuild your alternator to your specs.

Have you looked around the GM world to see if theres a higher output alternator from another GM vehicle that will bolt into place of the Hummer alternator? I bet theres one, maybe check out the Suburban or wrecked police vehicles. Police vehicles always have very high output alternators to deal with the lights and sirens and computers 'n crap. When i swapped the GM alt into my Z, i almost chose the 3rd gen camaro police car with the 1LE package with 140amp alt. Now thats juice! Id check around GM before laying down big bucks for a Mean Green. Mean Greens are great btw, ive known a few guys who compete in DB contests who use them.

[cruiserlarry]

My experience is with Wrangler Power Products high-output alternators. We have used these for the last 15 years or so, with no failures. They tend to be more expensive than the Mean Green alternators, however.

BUT, are they better and why?

Maybe you missed the part about "no failures in 15 years of off-road / on road use by multitudes of vehicles.
Seriously, they are built from the ground up to run high output current, as opposed to rewinding an existing unit. So, they run cooler, and provide higher current output at a lower rpm (most will exceed stock alternator max output at just above idle). In addition, they are vehicle specific, so they get along with vehicles that use computer-controlled charging systems.
And the regulator section, the most likely part to fail, contains higher grade componentry than most.

[DaveK]

Maybe you missed the part about "no failures in 15 years of off-road / on road use by multitudes of vehicles.
Seriously, they are built from the ground up to run high output current, as opposed to rewinding an existing unit. So, they run cooler, and provide higher current output at a lower rpm (most will exceed stock alternator max output at just above idle). In addition, they are vehicle specific, so they get along with vehicles that use computer-controlled charging systems.
And the regulator section, the most likely part to fail, contains higher grade componentry than most.

Hi Larry:

Yes I caught it. Unfortunately however, it is not entirely helpful. The question is "are they better?"

Seriously though. I am not naive enough to believe that their products never fail, but that is good to know about your experience. I genuinely want to know what the difference is. Is the mean green product, (which is also vehicle specific) as good, do they have a significant failure rate, do they not perform as advertised, do they not last as long, does their performance degrade under heavy loads or in high temps????????

We may have the makings of a good shootout here, an OAUSA evaluation.

[sdnative]

Dave,

I am researching a high output alternator right now, and although I cannot quote specific sources, the mean greens get mixed reviews. I can't help you with the other one Larry mentioned.

But the general consensus is that as you increase the capacity of an alternator it will run hotter (all other parameters constant - case size, cooling, etc). From Larry's description, the others are designed for the higher output.

I'm not sure how MG gets the extra capacity, but if they just cram more stuff into the same case, I'd be wary.

In my vehicle, I am swapping my current alternator with a 150A unit from a seqouia. It requires a custom bracket and the pulley to be swapped, but other than that, it is a direct bolt in (same bolts, belt, electrical connection, etc). Plus it is 100% OEM toyota, designed to give 150A.

I dunno, if it were me, I would look around for an OEM unit that will fit. If you cant find something that will work, consider a unit that is designed for high output, not one retrofitted for high output. Maybe unjustified, but the MG units dont give me the warm fuzzies.

HTH

[DaveK]

Eric:

Thanks. That's helpful. Getting feedback on these units is sometimes difficult. I, too, have seen some mixed reviews but I am not certain exactly what the reason is. The warm fuzzies have not arrived yet.

For anyone that knows anything about the MG's, I believe that they have two models available. One appears to be the stock size and the other much larger. Info?

You mentioned a brand that I am not familiar with, "Sequoia". Maybe you can fill us in on the details of this brand and the results of your research.

[cruiserlarry]

Eric:

Thanks. That's helpful. Getting feedback on these units is sometimes difficult. I, too, have seen some mixed reviews but I am not certain exactly what the reason is. The warm fuzzies have not arrived yet.

For anyone that knows anything about the MG's, I believe that they have two models available. One appears to be the stock size and the other much larger. Info?

You mentioned a brand that I am not familiar with, "Sequoia". Maybe you can fill us in on the details of this brand and the results of your research.

I believe he is referring to the OEM alternator from a Toyota Sequoia, which is rated at 150A. I'm not sure what vehicle it's being retrofit into, but if it's an FJ Cruiser, I'd save the time and money - it's OEM unit is tested at 140A max output. In addition, the GM alternator in the H2 is among the highest output factory alternators GM offers, so no larger OEM unit is available. In addition, the GM alternator's regulator is interfaced to the ECU, so many units will not work properly. The Wrangler units are direct replacements regarding the ECU interface. THey also use different cooling fins and case design to allow for greater cooling capacity. I've only seem one MG alternator application for the H2 specifically on their site.

I'm also not sure how you could set up a "shoot-out" between alternators - what data would you be able to log, and how would you check for failure rate ? Mean Green does not release much information on their product - but you can call Wrangler Power Products, and talk to Stan Heckethorn -he'll give you all the tech info you can take. While I don't see a "shoot-out " as scientifically possible for critical factors with our resources, a "guinea pig" situation is more likely.