Voltage regulators cheap or mopar

Just curious to what brands are good and what are crap.I just bought a Mopar made in USA regulator .works great so far and the quality looks. good.

I've not had any problems, in the past, with aftermarket regulators from Napa or Carquest but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,they were made in the USA at that time. Unsure if they still are or come from China now. If they source them from China, I'd be leery about using it.
Put a repro regulator on my Aspen, made in USA and also because it "looks right". Had to make an adapter plate to mount it though. The repro is for A, B, E body and use diagonal mounting holes instead of 2 on the top like an F-body.

I haven’t heard of any issues using “cheap” voltage regulators, ballast resistors or even ICU (Ignition Control Units).

That said, it is always a good idea to keep a spare in garage, or in trunk (with a few hand tools), for any of those items are subject to failing at any time.
BudW

The issues are they tend to not last very long in many cases. Like with most things, there's a reason a cheap part is cheap ESPECIALLY if it says "Made in China" At work I've seen parts bad right out of the box, and that always makes you question your diagnosis. In the end, you try a different one and everything is good. Cheap ass Chinese crap (JMO) That said, the Chinese can build good quality things when they want to but seem to not want to way too much. Made in China rant over now. Thank you for your patience!

I have added a better stereo, headlights, and some other gear that was seriously taxing the 60 amp alternator. I tried a cheap eBay alternator, but it didn't charge any better. I decided to try one of the "1-Wire" Power-Master alternators. Although I had no problem with my regulator, the 1-wire (integrated regulator) unit did away with my firewall-mounted. I would like to give an endorsement to the Power-Master units. Any and all charging and light-diming issues have gone away.

I have looked at Powermaster before – and so far, like what I see (but no first-hand experience, yet).

What size output alternator did you get?

Did you upgrade the wiring coming from alternator to battery/to ammeter?
BudW

my 20 dollar find at Carlisle

BudW said:

What size output alternator did you get?

Did you upgrade the wiring coming from alternator to battery/to ammeter?
BudW

Click to expand...

I had to check my paperwork. I bought the 100 amp model. Summit has a dizzying selection... They had a one-pulley unit, which was nice because I have the Slant 6. I did not alter the wiring in anyway, other than to tape-back the wires that go from the alternator to the regulator. The headlight dimming, and lowering of the fan-speed from my A/C system while at idle has completely gone away. I was having an issue where the discharge tell-tale light was coming on every time I came to a stop. Although I never had a dead batter, the low-voltage situation always made me nervous. The unit was not cheap, but I feel it was worth it for the peace of mine.

You “might” not have any issues. Then again you “might”.

Leaving the alternator the:
The 60 amp alternator (and down) uses 10 gauge wire
The 78 amp alternator uses 8 gauge wire
The 100/114 amp alternator uses 6 gauge wire.

The battery cables is also larger with 100/114 amp alternators (6 gauge vs. 8 gauge).


If alternator doesn’t put out more than wire can handle (ie: load is under rated capacity) then you “should” be OK.
If you add electrical items to car that allows usage to go above rated wire capacity, then I see trouble.

I just don’t want to see your car featured in tomorrow’s news, in a bad way.


Unrelated item, can you take a picture of your installed alternator and post here, please?

I’m planning on using a pair of cooling fans, electric fuel pump and Fuel Injection – so am thinking about using "that" larger alternator.

I also plan on upgrading the alternator wiring size, removing extra pigtails (ie: Lean Burn removal) and other things – to make a more clean underhood look, with existing wiring harness (or a pair if I decide to convert both cars).
BudW