Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Kev,

the radio would fry that circuit, just for thought parts would have be up graded to what ever load is being sought.

my gen does ok, for me. and if I put lights on relays that will should take care of any dimming. (headlights)

I'll have to agree with Owen Dyneto and others that have said the OEM generator is more than adequate even for modern day accessory demand. I won't bore anyone with personal experience to confirm the claim.

On the other hand i suppose if i had a car that was completely missing the generator or generator beyond rebuilding then i would consider an alt but only in the case where a gen was NLA or too expensive.

Consider the (THREE wire) alternator regulator whether built in reg or otherwise. I think more study of such a regulator is is needed here. One of the 3 wires is a system monitor that monitors the voltage in the system and then regulates the output of the alt. So it mite very well be that such an alternator would never fry any wires and only supply current that is demanded at the time. I don;t know but i am suspect that is the way it works.

Again, i suspect that most of the worry about the higher output alt frying anything is not really an issue at all.

In the early '60 we used to service state police cars which were outfitted with Leece Neville alternators. They used an alternator instead of a high output generator because the alternator would charge at idle. The cars were often required to idle for long periods of time with the radios and lights on. The generators would not keep the equipment going in these conditions.

(o{}o)

Quote:
My Packard is not a daily driver, but one that usually goes to local shows, pleasure drives, and some parades. I do, however want the car to be able to drive a long distance for various tours, maybe across country (after all mine is a 'touring sedan').

The fixing of the gen/reg is simple enuf, but what about reliability and availability of repair parts while on the road? Most, if not all, of the time when I go into any auto parts store, I get a kid who's never heard of Packard, looks in his computer/register and says "I don't show anything". I end up spending a lot of time explaining the 'basics of automotive engineering' to a blurry eyed kid (and a crowd of people gather to listen for a minute or so).

Bob,

The generator,, bearings or brushes are the only thing that need repair,

brushes you can take with you, or a spare generator,
on my Toyota camry I have gone thru 4 alt, with bad bearings. or given up.

my only B, about generator is that its right over no. 2 spark plug,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riki,

You're right about the brushes, that's probably all mine needs. Also about the 'huge' generator vs the smaller alt. The gen blocks the pass side motor mount (which I need to replace).

I'm with Riki on this one. I can't seem to buy a reman alternator that lasts--got another one making bearing noise and it has maybe 4000 miles on it. On the other hand, put new brushes in my 51 40K ago and haven't given it another thought other than a couple drops of oil at oil change times.

I bought, and have received the new alternator from Quality Power. HERE is a link to their FAQ page, I hope this helps.
Also, I was thinking what about some sort of ballast resistor, like Mopar use on their HEI ignition system? One that would limit the amperage to my older electrical wiring.

BTW - The new alternator is NOT rebuilt, but a NEW unit.

A Ballast Resistor drops voltage, not amperage. I think the answers have been provided on the valid options.

Well, my generator needs more than brushes, the armature is grounding (shorting) inside and it's a goner. Since I've already bought and have the new alternator, guess I'll go that route. I'll post the results soon, either from home or the hospital burn unit

EDIT - here are some pics of the alternator and bracket. I'm going to install it tomorrow.

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