Forced_GTA

I have an 1989 GTA w/ a paxton SN2000 supercharger and some other little mods too. Today I started hearing some bad whining and thought it was my supercharger going out, but when I took off the paxton, I noticed that the whining was still there. I listened for the sound, and it looks like it is coming from the Power Steering resivoir or the alternator. Since the alternator is re-located under the car with the paxton, removing it is a hassle to say the least, so I wanted to check it on the car if possible. I suspect the alternator because my car isn't holding a charge (voltmeter sits at ~9 V. which started about the same time the whining did) I thought it might have been that I used too small cables when I re-located my battery to the passenger side (4 guage), but when I put the battery back it didn't charge up, and it worked fine w/ that guage for a couple weeks. I just got a new alternator a few weeks ago!

I want to check the alternator before pulling it (before paxton, pulling it took 10 minutes or less, now it takes well over an hour). What can I check with a DMM to see if the alt is working correctly or if it is another problem? I have a lifetime warranty autolite re-build from kragen, but in the last 1 1/2 years I have gone through 6 different alternators. One was bad out of the box, one I fried by hooking up the engine ground right next to the positive terminal of the alternator when I installed my paxton. I have gone through more alternators than I can think.. could there be something else wrong w/ my charging system, all the wires look good (I made sure the ground connections were good), the battery is only 9 months old too.

Oh well, after I figure this out I can figure out why I got 51 knock counts and over 100 deg of timing retard when dataa logging my car w/ a laptop (everyone should do this, i learned so much about why my car was running so poorly). I got some work ahead of me, this car is making me sick.. I'll never make it to the track.

But, any help would be greatly appreciated on diagnosing my charging problem.

purpleworm

Well you could check how much voltage is going to your battery with a volt meter. Turn the car on and check to see if you are getting 13.5v - 14v. If it only making noise you have no way you check unless you take the belt off and spin it by hand to check the bearings. If youe battery keeps going dead......your battery might be bad or you might have something going to ground and bleeding off the power? I am not really sure but there are a few things to check.

Aaron87SC

Sounds like the bearing to me. The alternators in our cars are crap. I'd get it out of there before it seizes completely and you tear up your belts...

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1987 Camaro Sport Coupe LG4
700R4 with 2.73 open rear
Hypertech chip, 180* stat
L69 Dual snorkel air cleaner with K&N air filter
CK rods with B hanger
Hooker catback
Pioneer DEH-P4000, Pioneer speakers front/back

Forced_GTA

I took off the belts and spun the alternator.. sounded fine, no noise. The stupid thing still won't charge up, it kind of just sits at 9-10 volts but wont go higher. The noise is really bad, and sometimes makes a metal on metal sound, but I can't physically see anything that is being hit (sounds like one of the accessories is hitting something when the metal sound happens). So if I am getting ~14V at the battery, and not off the alternator, then the alt is my problem? I don't know if I should chance it and drive to work today. I can't drive a thousand miles without something breaking!

Vader

Yeah - the last POS Delcotron I had fail only had 180,000 miles and eleven years on it - WTF? Don't these things last several billion miles and several centuries?

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Later,
Vader
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"Let the bodies hit the floor!"
Adobe Acrobat Reader

Forced_GTA

Well, this last $100 re-build lasted me less than 200 miles. I think it's time for an new AC delco alternator. Maybe I will just get my replacement and upgrade it w/ that kit from summit that lets it run cooler. F*ck alternators. Evertime I have had to be towed in my car it was the alternator. I just got towed home today falsely thinking I could make it to work and back. Should of taken the bus.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Since they get around 600M miles every year just from rotating around the sun on the rotating earth, you should expect get a few billion miles out of an alternator, even if you never start the car.

Centuries? That's a little harder...

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat & 3" cat-back).
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