Sharing my painful to pocket book story

[383RAT]

There doesn't seem to be a good category for this one but I'll put it here.


I discovered the hard way the alternator doesn't like the higher RPMs so much. I do not have oversized or undersized drive pulley, alternator pulley is stock size so lets clear that up now. After full time automotive mechanic friend did a little searching around it seems the max recommended RPM for a stock alternator is 5600 RPM. Well I've been routinely taking my car to 6300RPM. Doesn't seem like much more does it. Well the laws that govern centrifugal force seem to disagree. My alternator fan quite literally tore apart and exploded. I can see the metal tear from the attachment point on out. If I knew how to load pictures on this forum I would.

I was impressed by the amount of damage a small metal fan blade can do. Went right through the hood liner, bent the hood out ward with enough force some paint popped off, it came back down sliced right through a custom made fuse box, and then struck the high pressure steering hose cutting it.


Fixing and repainting the hood ouch just ouch for the quotes I got.


So anyone running high RPM's I strongly suggest measuring your pulleys and doing the math. Exploding alternator fans are not cool.

[midias]

Post some pictures or put a video on youtube

[8t2 z-chev]

cs130 alternator fans are prone to developing fatigue cracks because of the design of the fan and flying apart.Earlier models of Delco alternator do not have this problem.

[Toxicant]

Originally Posted by 383RAT

it seems the max recommended RPM for a stock alternator is 5600 RPM.

well im going to go ahead and program my FiTechs rpm cut off now.

[383RAT]

Originally Posted by midias

Post some pictures or put a video on youtube

I don't really do youtube videos anymore. Time consuming to do and I don't really enjoy making them. I don't have much spare time.

How do you post pictures to this forum? I can't figure it out. I think it might be my browser??? I don't know but I see nothing to attach pictures. I'll post pictures if someone would tell me how. I think I still have the pictures or the fan bits.

[Drew]

Click the little yellow box with the gray mountains and the sun.

[TTOP350]

Guess I should stop spinning my engine to 8k then...... naaah

[383RAT]

Had to fiddle with browser add ons. Now it works



Alt fan whats left of it.



Custom fuse box destroyed



Hood damage

[DynoDave43]

Yikes.

[PurelyPMD]

Ok, so that's bad. I was a little fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. (Ghostbusters)

[legend71]

When I was in college I had a nice 93 Z71 with a brand new motor. On the drive back from summer break my alternator threw a blade through the cowl hood...


I feel your pain.

[W.E.G.]

I think you should JB weld the fan-blades so they are sticking out of the holes in the hood.

Zip-tie a twisted piston rod so it shows below your K-member while you're at it.

Make the most of it!

[SirReveller]

So GM stuck on an alternator that may (probability to be determined) grenade if you routinely blast past 5600rpm? Damn. I’m flashing past 6 every second day. And I thought generally if and when these puppies went they just failed in your driveway...