horizenjob wrote:
Quote:
capacity at idle to support fuel pump, electric fan, electric water pump, ignition, injectors, ECU and lights.
I think 60 amps at idle would be overkill. The injectors are not firing for a long time and the coils are going slowly, so these are only a couple of amps. Having a number for the electric water pump would be good. Headlights usually have a watt rating so that will help too. Watts are equal to volts times amps. The ECU is only about an amp.
The flip side of the coin is with a car like this you actually want to be seen pushing it along whenever you are stuck in traffic. It speaks to a young man's dedication to sport in the face of obstacles. DId Hercules worry about his amps? No, he laughed at his obstacles.
Also consider being seen riding a stationary bike next to your car on the side of the road with a generator connected to the car with jumper cables!
Marcus, you're right, it may be overkill on my part (again.) However, the fuel pump, water pump and radiator fan can pull a combined (rated) 43 amps. Throw in some juice to fire the engine and then turn on the lights. Sneaks up towards 60 amps and I'm not planning a big battery for reserve. Roll bars are handy push handles, though. Don't ask me how I know.
So the next step is to see what the physical sizes of the various alternator options look like by visiting a rebuilder. I plan to mount the alternator at or below crank height on the drivers side, out of sight. Steering linkage is a minor obstacle to avoid, but I'm not a fan of high mount alternators. The last time I did one of those was with an old school generator atop a flathead motor.
Dug into the ND factory alternator on-line catalog tonight, cross-referenced Honda models with CCW motors and linked to pictures of their alternators. Lots to chose from, from 45 amps (max) to 110 amps (max.) No spec on idle amps, though. The position of the lugs and stud on the case are important for the mount I have in mind, so it was a productive bit of research. My favorite right now is from a 1995-96 Acura TL, 110 amps max. It might be a little bulky, though. We'll see.