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High Output Alternators For 81-83 280zx's


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I know some of you are into adding alot of electronics to your z's so I figured I would post this up.

 

Iraggi Alternators sell HO Alternator's for all you guys out there who want alittle more amperage.

He sells

180 amp alternator - $399

200 amp alternator - $419

He can make even higher output alternators than that for $479

The biggest he can make is a 300 amp which has a diameter .5" larger than stock.

 

 

Im in no way related business wise to this company just thought for you guys having "flickering lights", or "low voltage" might want to check into putting a HO alternator in.

 

You can email him

dominick@tds.net

For all orders.

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Yes these are internally regulated replacements for 81-83 280zx's. I have a pre78 z with a l28et engine so it is wired off of the engine harness.

 

Although check his ebay store he does infact sell replacements for pre 78 z's.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/180a-Alternator-70-71-72-73-74-Nissan-240Z-260Z-510-610_W0QQitemZ220474309420QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item33554afb2c

If you emailed him with your car and how many amps you want your alternator to produce im sure he can make a custom one.

His 280zx alternators are not available through his ebay store but only available through request by emailing him.

 

 

And by the way 25 amps of alternator takes away 1 hp from your engine. But say if your alternator is only told to produce 200 amps to keep the battery at 14 volts and its a 300 amp alternator, It is only useing 8 hp off of the engine.

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A high amp alternator is useless if it cannot sustain the output. I bought a hi amp bolt in alternator, the first time it was put under a serious load it died. The particular unit was a Z specialities 120 amp unit. I was less than impressed to say the least.

 

Zmanco,

An alternator will not hold it's rated output very long. If you need 100 amps to run, in reality the alternator must be rated at 140 or so amps. If you throw in a 30 amp stereo system, then it's easy to justify an alternator to 200 amps.

 

Is it overkill? Yes.

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A high amp alternator is useless if it cannot sustain the output. I bought a hi amp bolt in alternator, the first time it was put under a serious load it died. The particular unit was a Z specialities 120 amp unit. I was less than impressed to say the least.

 

Zmanco,

An alternator will not hold it's rated output very long. If you need 100 amps to run, in reality the alternator must be rated at 140 or so amps. If you throw in a 30 amp stereo system, then it's easy to justify an alternator to 200 amps.

 

Is it overkill? Yes.

Better to be safe than sorry.

 

On a side note, iraggis are known for their durability and performance by the bass heads on other forums so if you have a decent stereo, power everything, electric fans, etc it would probably be a good investment to keep your battery charged.

 

Main reason I posted this thread was to show they do infact make HO alternators for z's. I believe iraggi is the only one that sells true Ho alternators for z's.

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Below 100 amps at idle?

The important thing to consider is the alternator's output at idle as that will be where the drain and most strenuous demands on the electrical system will be...

There is very little reserve in the early 240 system. The later 83 ZXT's had 83A alternators, and even that was marginal at times with all accessories running.

 

Add a big stereo, 30 AMP electrical fan, maybe a 10 AMP Electric Water Pump and the additions overwhelm the stock alternator at full production.

 

At idle, you're basically running your battery. And since you can't keep up with the load even while at speed, eventually you kill the battery from excessive cycling.

 

Many of the alternators out there start with voltage that is O.K. but when heat-soaked, they go everywhere under the sun. JeffP is in the process of installing an alternator that will provide 95 Amps at IDLE. This will take care of his 30Amp Fan (real fans move real air, and air movement means horsepower, and horsepower means amperage!) and not make those nice High Beam 100W headlights dim when the bass beats on his stereo.

 

If it's not much bigger in diameter than a stock alternator, chances are output falls off pretty quickly at idle speed. To get amperage at idle, you need diameter to get windings and 'turns cut'. You can get all sorts of GM style alternators that will adapt easily enough to the Z. It doesn't have to come in a Nissan Case. It may make the bolting in easier, but really there's more to it than just bolting in the alternator. If your power lead (I replaced mine in my 260ZT with 6 Gauge Wire...) is rotted, corroded, or just downright undersized for the higher amperage you try to push through it, all you're doing is asking for trouble in the form of heat. Heat deep down in a wiring harness no less!

 

Take some time to think on the big picture on an alternator upgrade. Many people find that a simple headlight relay system solved 'flared lights' because of limitations within the stock wiring harness and it's ability to carry anything over the stock loads.

 

And this hasn't changed, my wife was amazed at how bright her Frontier lights got when I put relays on it which were fed by 12 gauge wire. STOCK LIGHTS! The stuff they had in there may have been 16 gauge, maybe 18. Man, I wouldn't wire a relay coil with the wire they used for Headlights with a 55 watt rating!

 

We got mass-produced cars made for the lowest cost possible, when you start upgrading, you really need to think about what the original system was designed to do, and if it will handle all this newfound power (or whatever)...

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Nick, thanks for the additional info. I rewired my 1977 for an internal regulator alternator, and I'm currently running a 280ZX (non-turbo), 60 amp (?) alt. I haven't added any electrical devices to my car, it's all stock, and I seem to get a much more consistent and somewhat stronger charge to my battery with the internal regulator alt. I might upgrade to one of those Iraqi heavy duty alts. before I install an electric radiator fan and Hella Hella-vision headlights, just to be safe. I was also thinking about replacing my side marker, brake, and tail light bulbs (incandescent) with LED "bulbs" (lamps). They save MONGO amps.

 

Tony D, thanks for shedding new light on this topic. Speaking of new and better headlight harnesses, Black Dragon sells one for $30, with the larger-gauge wiring and additional relays. I'll probably "re-route power to the main deflector sheild" with one of those harnesses someday.

 

Jeff

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A high amp alternator is useless if it cannot sustain the output. I bought a hi amp bolt in alternator, the first time it was put under a serious load it died. The particular unit was a Z specialities 120 amp unit. I was less than impressed to say the least.

 

I am using the Z Specialties 105A alternator, and (so far) it has been fine. I suspect your "serious load" may be what killed yours. I have gone to pains to re-engineer the Z wiring and grounds, and budget the loads carefully. That, together with matching my alternator selection to my needs (modest, compared to most, I suspect) may explain its reliability.

 

Aside from the convenience of bolt-in, and matching your own needs, it really comes down to this:

 

40A stock doesn't work

105A Z Specialties $210 or $2.00 per amp

140A AC Delco CS-144 $300 or $2.14 per amp

180A Iraggi $400 or $2.22 per amp

200A Iraggi $420 or $2.10 per amp

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The main generators on our trident were kinda big, especially for it's size;)

 

 

The Z specialties alternator has worked fantastic for myself. (The Gator belt, which was on my old one, is still holding up, important cause the v grove in the pulley is different. So the belt had to wear in differently)

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300A Iraggi $479 or $1.59 per amp

;)

 

Its not all about cost though, its about how many amps you need.

 

Exactly so. My point is that most of the alternators are priced similarly if you consider cost per amp. But if you buy one of the big ones, the overall price can be pretty steep. Unless you really have money to burn, you ought to buy one which best fits your needs, rather than the biggest one you can find.

 

For my build, my calculation was this: with nearly everything on the car turned on (including all my upgrades), the car will draw about 46A. The 105A alternator will produce 50+A at idle, and 105A at 2000 rpm. There is plenty of reserve capacity, and in the real world, the car would never see 46A anyway.

 

It is certain there are those builders who will need one of the bigger units because they have bigger, more power-hungry accessories. They should select one which meets their needs. But I would suggest that over-specifying a big alternator is counter-productive. You will probably never use the reserve capacity, but you will still be paying the weight penalty for the bigger unit.

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If you keep your voltage up, alot of things perform better...

 

fuel pump, stereo, lights, fans

 

get a decent sized alternator and keep your battery feeding say 14.5 volts

 

I wouldnt size an alternator to just let the battery sit at 13v

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If you keep your voltage up, alot of things perform better...fuel pump, stereo, lights, fans

get a decent sized alternator and keep your battery feeding say 14.5 volts

 

I wouldn't size an alternator to just let the battery sit at 13v

 

No, neither would I. However, the size of the alternator is only one factor among many which will determine the voltage your load will see. An undersized alternator will allow the voltage to sag either at idle, or under heavy load. But...

 

An incorrect pulley on a properly-sized alternator can make your idle voltage sag. A slipping fan belt will, too (personal experience). A poorly-designed (or partially damaged) regulator circuit will also do so. Poor grounds are a major culprit. Undersized primary wiring will cause voltage drop. Contact resistance is a known cause of voltage drop. Conditions in the load itself (overheated, partial short) will do it.

 

What I am driving at is that your electrical system is just that, a complete system. Increasing your alternator size is only one part of it, and taken alone will not necessarily solve all your problems.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 5 weeks later...

i have a zxt alt on my 77 and it gets the jobs done but i run a clutch fan on the water pump.i ran a #8 wire from alt output direct to the starter.eliminates volt drop through old nissan wiring.the battery is an odessy dry cell in the back with #0 welding cable.both positive and negative cables run to the starter.there is a #8 wire to the body for a ground at the battery.the engine is also grounded to the body.only thing i run possable problem is 77z a/c system + vipec efi.efi is direct wireed to battery and oem nissan wiring only controls a relay.the 77 wiring on the rh side has been modded alot .the ols 77z wiring has alot of volt drops in it

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