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Alternator Alternatives

I've got about 42 hours on mine now. :)

It's working like a champ so far. It keeps my voltage absolutely nailed. They're a fairly new outfit from my understanding so there probably aren't that many flying with a huge number of hours on them.

The machining and attach hardware are top quality.
 
150 hours

13.8 V...Thats what its ajusted too...A bit on the low side but apparently in spec and rock solid.

Frank
 
Frank, is that measured off the avionics bus? And do you have a diode betweent he main and avionics bus?
 
My B&C L-60 has over 900 hours on it and is doing fine. A few more bucks, but hard to beat, IMHO. Started on a 6A and is now on my 9A. It does require a regulator.

Bob Kelly
 
videobobk said:
My B&C L-60 has over 900 hours on it and is doing fine. A few more bucks, but hard to beat, IMHO. Started on a 6A and is now on my 9A. It does require a regulator.

Bob Kelly
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1425+ hours on my B&C L40. Worth every friggin extra penny for "get in and go" reliability. I fly enough to warrant the expense for the convenience.

Ask Gary Sobek what original alternator he still has in his 2000+ hour RV-6. B&C
 
Duh....?

AltonD said:
Frank, is that measured off the avionics bus? And do you have a diode betweent he main and avionics bus?
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I honestly can't remember where the sensor is wired to...Probably the battery buss and I use a Shotkey diode anyway which has a pretty low forward volt drop I believe.

Seems to charge the battery OK though.

Frank
 
Thats how I started

hiland said:
I installed a salvaged Nippon Denso alternator from a Suzuki Samurai per this builder's site. I paid $35 for the alternator. It worked flawlessly for the 300 hours that I put on it.

http://www.f1-rocketboy.com/alternator.htm
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But I used the Toyta Camry 60A beast...Worked great but one day my GNS 430 went beserk and as this is an IFR airplane I could'nt be doing with that...But it turned out the idiot who made the brackets (that would be me) decided to paint them...Thus providing a nice insulation layer between the alt and the engine block.

i discovered this as I was pulling it off to install the plane power unit.

I can't believe I made such a bonehead mistake!

Anyone need a new Camry alt, v pully and brakets to bolt it to a Lycoming?...:)

Frank
 
Really? 13.8 volts is low

frankh said:
13.8 V...Thats what its ajusted too...A bit on the low side but apparently in spec and rock solid.

Frank
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Yea that is a surprise. 14.2 volts is the min to fully charge the Odyssey SLA type bats. The 13.8 volts may be fine for a lead acid battery but not SLA. If you are not having any problems go with it. The float charge voltage (maintenance) for SLA bats is 13.6 volts. 13.8 volt will charge just not 100%. The specs on stock modern alternators is about 14.5v +/- may be a tenth or two.

My vote is for Plane-Power. They have a great product with some advantages over B&C, but they're both good products, can't go wrong either way, just one cost a chunk more money. If you don't want to mount a seperate regulator and take advantage of internal regulation, Plane Power is the only game in town.



videobobk: My B&C L-60 has over 900 hours on it.

Dan: 1425+ hours on my B&C L40. Ask Gary Sobek his has in his 2000+ hour RV-6. B&C
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Any brush changes? I heard brushes (regardless of brand) need ocasional changing in the under 1000 hour range. It also could have to do with crusie RPM. Guys with the big flywheel pulley (9.75") verses the smaller 7.5" pulley that turns the alternator slower (and wears the brushes less).
 
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