Pertronix 90amp alternator

[sidemarkers]

Just swapped out my 50 amp alternator for a 90 amp. When the rpm is below 750 and the alt dash light is on it sounds great. As soon as the alt light goes off at 1000 rpm and above, the alternator howls and sounds like hell.

[Glenn]

Bad bearings.

No surprise
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

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עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[sidemarkers]

[Dale M.]

[sidemarkers]

It certainly does sound like bad bearings. I filed a claim with Jegs and will be calling pertronix tomorrow directly

[Glenn]

[modok]

It's junk? ok
Thanks for the honest review

[sidemarkers]

Just removed the 90 amp alternator and replaced with the old 50 amp. Used the same fan, shroud, pulley, belt, clamp, keyways, everything. The noise is gone with the 50 amp. Had to make sure the return was warranted... because I don't want to be THAT guy

[Rob Combs]

Radical idea here

If you really want that 90 A alternator, timken sealed ball bearings are about 6 bucks apiece and pretty easy to install.

I get it; you shouldn’t have to rebuild a brand new part.

I for one have just accepted that nearly nothing is ready to install straight out of the box and will need at least something done to make it work right.

[mikedjames]

For that one alternator that got dropped on its spindle, or had a bad bearing assembled, there will be ten that actually work perfectly from the same factory. They will be so cheap for the importer they can take the hit on the returns..

Like one major retailer over here in the UK selling clothes made in China, at one stage: for every seven containers of clothes shipped over, they would fill one container with returns that they identified before they even went out into the store..


I fitted a no-name 75A Chinese alternator a couple of years back and it just works.
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Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy

[sidemarkers]

Spoke with Jeg's and Andy at pertronix, both were polite and gracious to assist with the return and replace process.

Looking forward to having 90 amps at my disposal. 50 amps was fine with all my electronics, but using the lights at night put me over the limit

[tattooed_pariah]

Agree with the for every one bad, 9 are good posted above.. I've been running that same alternator for close to 10 years with no issue.. Well, I think it's the same, Got it from ACN back in the day, think it was advertised as the Dual Cool 90amp Alt due to internal fans or something.. Dunno, just know it works for me..
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-pariah
'72 Volksrod

[liquidrush]

If you switch to all LED lights you can keep your original alternator. They hardly draw anything.

[oprn]

I have been following this thread and wondering what the heck you are trying to power in an antique car that is drawing that much current...

My buzz box stick welder only goes to 90 amps!
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[BFB]

HID lights are a killer , but aside from them my rail has electric fuel pump, external oil cooler fan, and an LED light bar plus a few other odds n ends and a 55 amp alt couldnt keep up and charge the battery so i switched to a 90amp
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"how am i supposed to torque the rear wheel nut to 250 ft lbs??? " - clonebug
An interesting thing happens in forums where everyone starts parroting the same thing and "common knowledge" takes over.
Most experts aren't.

[Rob Combs]

Guess I just got unlucky with mine - it howls like hell and has since new. I just didn't have the time or energy to pull it back off of there and line up a replacement. (I needed the car daily at the time.) I also have quite a few consumers on board that eat up some amperage.

Just rebuilt the one I took off so I'd have something for my ongoing engine build. Cheap and easy to do if the major parts are still ok and all you need are bearings, a brush block, and voltage regulator for good measure.

To each their own I suppose...

[sidemarkers]

[sidemarkers]

[tattooed_pariah]

[DesertSasquatchXploration]

I did a new generator with my top end refresh guess what it had 1/4 of end play. Did I return it NO Pulled the end caps it was missing the shim/spacers so used the lathe and made some. This is what we have now you just need to play the game finish the job and get it done. Instead of bitching expand your knowledge and ability.
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Key is to have downward travel Preload keep both wheels on the ground at all times once you lift a tire your DONE. Guys worry about clearance instead think of the opposite you want the suspension to drop that tire in the hole and keep you going. A spider for example they keep their body low but their legs can reach pretty far so they don't (bottom out)