higher amperage alternator require different wiring?

[slam59]

I want to get a new alternator and saw some nice chrome ones and the stock amps are 63 i believe. I see the chrome ones are 65,80, and even 100 amps. These can just be bolted in without upgradeing the wiring correct? I saw on one website showing an upgraded wire harness for using alternators that have higher out put than stock and was wondering. I would like to put a higher amp alternator if i could.

[gchemist]

I run a 165 amp alternator. Power windows like the extra amps. I run a large power wire from the alternator to the battery. It's fused just incase of a problem. You can upgrade your alternator. All you have to do is swap a few internal parts. An alternator repair shop can upgrade yours.

[willett]

I'm running a 100a chromie. It is designed to run either a 1 or 3 wire setup. Have a good look at all of your lines coming off the alt. I thought my 60a alt was hooped but during the installation of the big alt I found a bunch of corrosion and split insulation on my 30 yr old lines.

[xole]

I put a 140A powermaster in mine. It came with a larger wire to go the battery.

-D

[SilverMiner]

Originally Posted by xole

I put a 140A powermaster in mine. It came with a larger wire to go the battery.

-D

XOLE - Is your 140A using the v-belt or did you switch to serpentine? I bought a 100A powermaster this past summer but have had quite a few belt-slipping issues with my v-belt.

[xole]

Well, kind of a story there. The powermaster I got came with a v-groove but I had swapped the pulley to the stock serpentine originally.

It worked fine but then I added a vintage air AC unit and making the combo v-groove and serpentine stock setup work with adding the AC was a nightmare (in combination with truck headers) so I ended up switching all my pulleys to v-groove and have not had any issues.

So I am currently running a 3 belt v-groove setup.