[Desert Dwella]

FYI: The car has been modded and tweeked as far as exhaust goes but the electrical is the same. It had a 6 in it but it was swapped out for a 289 before I got it.

1. Here is the ?. I am planning on installing a SPAL 16" electric radiator fan with a 40amp relay. Is anyone running this???? What obsticals did you run into? Tips?

2. I am told that the stock alternator will fizzle out and the external voltage regulator is crap when adding electrical radiator fans companied with A/C. Does anyone know the part # or who makes a alternator that fits the 289 with an "INTERNAL" voltage regulator that is preferred 100amps??? Anyone running one now?

3. Why in the hell is my lights dimming/pulsing when I stop and when I am driving at 35-40 the lights stay steady?? This is bugging me out!?


Thanks for helping me out fellas,


-Danny

[Cracker289]

I bought a single-wire 140 amp off ebay and installed that just so I could avoid some of those problems. It was a Chevy alternator so I had to make some minor modifications. Basically I had to use the lower Chevy alternator bracket, but I had to cut off 3 or 4 inches of it and drill a new hole.

Use a relay bank to power stuff like your electric fan so all that current is not flowing thru the switch.

[.boB]

1. I did this. Pretty straight foreward. Relay gets main power directly from the battery through a circuit breaker. Switched power controls the relay. Thermal switch in the control ground half of the relay. Works just fine. Better cooling than the stock fan. I noticed the increase in available power.

2. I'm using a stock replacement 65A alternator from Autozone. Also using a stock replacement electronic voltage regulator fro AZ. They're easy to install, work just fine, and have a lifetime warrenty. I used the same parts in my Cobra.

3. That dimming is usually caused by poor power production or control. I'd replace both alternator and regulator. Poor grounds can also cause this.

Large alternators are usually not needed, and not always a good idea. An alternater will only produce as much power as is needed. If you're only using 30A, it will only produce 30A. It's takes a lot of stuf to draw more than 65A in one of these cars.

A one wire alternater is a GM part. You have to modify the mounting brackets to use one. Of course, you also have to modify your wiring harness. Performance will be exactly the same as with a Ford alternater and seperate regulater.

[Cracker289]

I added up all the electronics and figured 140 amp would suit me:

All the original electronics combined, 35 amps (estimated this, figuring that was the original alternator capacity).
Stereo head unit, 10 amps
Amplifiers, 60 amps
Electric fan, 15 amps
A/C 20 amps

I'm counting on not all of these components being maxed out at the same time, but better safe than sorry right.