Haulin_in_Dixie

Thought that this might be of interest and could get someone out of a dark road breakdown one day. My alternator went out on Saturday morning, I returned home on Saturday evening. Spent Sunday afternoon trying to find a rebuilt for it. Best I could find was a three day wait and $289.00 for a rebuilt. I have loads on Monday.... so to the backyard drawing board.

I have a '98 Dakota here for parts. The altinator which sells for $90.00 and is available in stock, looked the same but a lower amperage. Changing the pully made it mechanically fit and with the addition of two short leads with a connector on the end soldered to the Ram harness, it now charges.

I will replace the stock unit soon, but this got me out of a pinch. I am not sure of the amperage of this unit, they list a 90 amp and a 136 the same as the RAm. This had the tow package and the heavy duty cooling and electrical so it may be the same unit with a different plug.

matthopp

Great idea! An alternator is just a charging unit so if you can incorporate it with the components of the Cummins, it should charge mine. I had a 1990 Dakota and replaced the alternator numerous times. It seems like they had a standard output and a high output which was like 115. Good way to get out of a bind though!

kd460

One would thing that a rebuild kit would be available at a reasonable price, but there I go thinkin again!

Does any one know what the amperage rating is on the CTD rams?? Is it hte sam as say the v-10?? Thanks, Kevin

KatDiesel

[quote author=kd460 link=board=5;threadid=21555;start=0#msg202356 date=1067304175]Does any one know what the amperage rating is on the CTD rams?? Is it hte sam as say the v-10?? Thanks, Kevin
[/quote]

135 or 136 amp alternator for our trucks. Can't remember the exact spec.

Don't know what the V10 trucks come with.

Haulin_in_Dixie

Did a little more checking, the Dakota that I used for the alternator had the heavy duty group, it's a 136 amp alternator. So except for the plug on the field coils it is the same. A few hundred miles on it and the thing runs the same. The Dakota uses two screw terminals instead of the two pin plug. Guess I will leave it that way. I checked, the parts are available for the stock alternator so I will repair it and have a spare. Looks like a cheaper way to get a replacement for the Ram. And like I said at the beginning of this thread, stuck on a back road, the Dakota is available, the Ram alternator is not. All it requires is changing the pully and adding the two wire leads to the harness.

1ST CUMNZ

I HAVE PERSONALLY USED GAS ALT ON DIESEL,BUT HAVE NOTICED 8OUT OF 10 TIMES NOT ALT THAT IS DEFECTIVE
BUT THE COMPUTER.IT REGULATES THE ALT.JUST MY .02

Haulin_in_Dixie

[quote author=1ST CUMNZ link=board=5;threadid=21555;start=0#msg203560 date=1067532539]
I HAVE PERSONALLY USED GAS ALT ON DIESEL,BUT HAVE NOTICED 8OUT OF 10 TIMES NOT ALT THAT IS DEFECTIVE
BUT THE COMPUTER.IT REGULATES THE ALT.JUST MY .02
[/quote]

Currently the regulator portion of the system is working fine, the diode bank went out on the original alt. The charge rate has always been a little high on mine, hense the boiled over batteries. One way of slightly lowering the charge rate is to pull the plug on the temperature sensor at the left side battery. If it ever becomes a problem I will hook up a regulator external.