In my exhaustive/fruitless search for replacement parts for the O.E.M. alternator, I noticed parts/information/up-grades for the GM alternators were as thick as hairs on a baboon's head; you can even get them with a sink and refrigerator---honest.

Almost every alternator site I looked at stated in big bold letters across the top


WE SPECIALIZE IN REBUILDING, CUSTOMIZING, AND UPGRADING GM/DELCO ALTERNATORS



On these sites, there are pages and pages of goodies for the GM alternators; whereas, they might list a chinese-made set of brushes for our alternator, if they are even mentioned at all.



This got me to thinking, with parts and information so plentiful and easily obtained (and cheap), why not retrofit a big externally-regulated GM/DELCO alternator onto the Cummins.



Has anyone already done this ?? (Externally regulated---not the "one-wire")


Thanks.

 

If Jim Lane can put one of those big Leece-Neville Alts. In his there shouldn't be any problem making one of those GM ones work.

Just need to space it correctly and get the right pully set-up. Alternators don't care how they get regulated.

 

I was fortunate enough when I did the Ford/Cummins that the pulleys were a direct swap; I simply removed the pulley from the Dodge/Cummins alternator and slid it onto the Ford alternator.


I need to "mike" the Dodge/Cummins shaft that is laying on the bench and compare it to a GM shaft; who knows, they might all three be the same size.


Thanks.

 

Might very well be.....

 

BK,
This might make your brain hurt.

What kind of externally regulated alternator are you thinking about using, the kind from like late 70’s Chevy trucks before the 10SI (Systems Integrated) or the AC Delco’s used on medium and heavy duty trucks? I think they have a standard mounting foot like a Leece Neville.

Back in the late 70’s most of the Mopar police interceptors had a 140-amp Leece Neville to power the radios and lights, I was impressed the way they designed a fan that ducted cool air from behind the grille to cool the internals of the alternator.

All of the Detroit engines used in transit coaches from 6 cylinders up to the 16 cylinders all had AC Delco’s oil cooled gear driven from the accessory case I think they were around 300 continuous amps and the regulator was in a box about 12” X 12”

By the time that you tried to get the Delco to fit you could install a Leece Neville that you can get with an external regulator.
You can also set them up with external diodes on a heat sink.


Here I will show you how difficult it is to service a Leece Neville “triple nickel”

First Disconnect the battery and take off all jewelry.

Disconnect the Red and the Black wire and remove the 4 hex head screws that retain the regulator.



Remove the regulator and disconnect the 4 spade terminals, then set it aside.



Look directly at the Brush Holder and Slip Rings, then noticing how Heavy Duty they are.
With your Ľ” nut driver remove the brush holder.



This is your replaceable part.

Wasn’t that easy? You can replace all of the serviceable parts within 5 minuets and all you need is a Ľ” nut driver.



I wanted to upgrade mine to have a few extra amps.



Exact same frame only this puts out 160-amps.






It takes a lot of copper strands to get 160-amps to the battery, both are #2 welding cable.



Idling with all accessories ON.

This alternator at a fast idle will output almost as many amps as the 120-amp Nippondenso at cruising.

The 110-555-JHO will output 100-amps @ 2000 shaft RPM (fast idle) and 160-amps @ cruising.



http://www.prestolite.com/pgs_produc...tem=8LHA2071VA

BK here are some technical specs and different system diagrams you might like to read, see how they are connected internally and how to test them.

When other kids were reading comic books I was reading manuals like these.

http://www.prestolite.com/literature...viceManual.pdf

Jim

 

JIM, I like what I see.

Not to be nosy, but how much does that 160-amp unit cost ??

Did it come equipped with the 8-rib pulley ??


Did I see right ??; you initially had a 140-amp, then I see a 160-amp, right ??

Where did the 140-amp unit go ??


During my research, I came across these :


http://www.alternatorparts.com/Dual_...r%20System.htm



Would something like that complement the Leece-Neville, or do they have something similar of their own manufacture ??




Oh.........., is there still room for the oil-filter or did you relocate it ??


Thanks for the information.

 

No problem.

Jim

 

That $175 doesn't look bad at all when you compare it to replacing with an O.E.M. unit :

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...S_538993234___


The cheapest price I saw to simply replace the stock unit was for a re-manufacturered unit = $168.99 + core, which seems silly to me when the same place has a new one for just a few dollars more and you can keep the core.




I guess one could also connect to those three-phase studs for welding ?? or as a source for AC-electric ??


It seems like somewhere I read of someone tapping into an alternator to keep a refrigerator/freezer going in some kind of black-out emergency.

Will the Dodge pulley fit ??

Did you purchase it "on-line" or across the counter ??

Thanks.

 

JIM, can you, or anyone else, point me in the direction of an internet source for 8-rib pulleys that fit the LEECE-NEVILLE ??


As best I can tell, they must all have the same shaft diameter.

Thanks.

 

Jim, I have to quit looking at your posts. I run the big, BULLETPROFF 100 amp Leece Nevilles on all my Mopar Cars. I have 10 or 15 in my shed and buy them every time i see one at the crusher (15 bucks) I saw one of the alternators you show at the International shop I get my filters from They want 125.00 for a brandy new one (i think it is overstock.) The only thing that kept me from grabbing it was what if it craps out in Resume speed Nevada? I see now, that they are plentiful. Guess where I am going monday?

 

I fully intended to stick with the original ND alternators on the Dodge portion of our fleet; and, I honestly believe that they are excellent alternators that are merely plagued by a poor regulator system and sorry Dodge wiring.

But, when I spent nights searching for good solid information and non-"fit-all" cheapie replacement parts, I had little success; anything I did find was exorbitantly expensive.

Also, at the parts-houses around here, the least expensive replacement ND alternator for our trucks, re-manufactured by some incompetent whoever, and me then still have to hand over a probably fixable better alternator than they were selling me for a "core", was gonna cost quite a bit more money than I can buy straight out a warrantied LEECE-NEVILLE of much higher amperage.


Then, when I typed in LEECE-NEVILLE and hit search, pages and pages of information and parts sources came up; E-BAY has anything one could desire for them at poor man's prices.

 

I'm going to put a Leece-Neville upgrade project on the to-do list. I think I'll start by replacing that atl-to-batt wire with a heavier cable and proper fuse. Jim, I'm not too electric savvy, but am I correct in reading that is literally the one and only wire involved with this conversion? Tape off the old stuff and run that one wire to your new Leece-Neville? That would be too easy.

 

The 110-555 JHO alternator is self-exciting and all that it needs to produce power is to start turning there are no other connections except for the ground and of course the connection to the battery that are required for it to operate.

About 12 inches down the harness from the alternator is a connector that you can disconnect and remove the end that connects to the factory alternator.

If you installed either the 140-amp or the 160-amp version I would use no smaller that a #2 welding cable for both the Battery feed and for the Ground connection to the engine and to the frame at the same connection point where the battery ground cable is connected.

Also you MUST use a fuse at the end of the cable close to the battery to protect the battery in the event of a catastrophic failure, this would not be like a fuse link melting with a bit of smoke, you would have glowing white hot cables and lead post melting off the battery.

I once had dropped a 9/16” Craftsmen wrench across the terminals of 4) 8-D batteries wired in series/ parallel while working on a Mack tow truck, the wrench was vaporized in a bluish flash that probably lasted 3 or 4 seconds.

I would definitely install a Voltmeter in the cab so you can monitor its output.

The only problem that I am aware of is on years with a crank sensor, an indicator light stays on because the computer thinks the alternator is not charging because it is looking for an output on the factory harness.

I would have to look at a schematic but I am sure it can be fooled by applying a 12-volt signal down the factory harness to the computer maybe from the Fuel Solenoid.

Jim

 

I would not worry about not being able to find a Leece Neville in the middle of nowhere; they are common on OTR tractors as well as School Busses.

You should be able to stop at most 24-Hour Truck Stop along the interstate and pick up at least a Remanufactured Leece Neville or “Triple Nickel” as they are called.

Jim

 

Thanks Jim, I guess I am just not clear on the ground part then. I thought the alternator would be grounded through the case by virtue of being bolted to the engine. No worries on the PCM, mine is collecting dust in the corner of the garage along with some other redundant parts now.