Installing bigger alternator?

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Installing bigger alternator?

Home > Discussion Forum > Bus Conversions - School

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All Messages in Thread	Author	Date
Installing bigger alternator?	Lost River	4-7-02
I posted this on one other board, sorry for the duplication if it bugs anyone... I Just bought a bus. All I know for sure is that it is a 1988, had 72 passenger capacity as a school bus, has "GMC" on the front grill, a gas engine under the hood, and manual 5 speed transmission. I will be converting it fully... eventually, but don't have a lot of money this year, or time for converting. So I will be hitting the road with it minimally "converted". OK, almost 'camping' out of the thing for about 1.5 months up in northern Quebec this summer. Since I can't do much this year, financially, or time wise, would a good first step for this trip be to install a bigger alternator to handle an inverter and for extra lighting & stuff? I will eventually outfit the bus with a second group of batteries for the living quarters and I'm pretty sure I'll opt for installing one of those nifty manual switches everyone talks about where you can switch from the engine battery, or "house" batteries, or both, or neither. But for this summer I'm thinking I can get away with one of those portable emergency power sources (300 watt or 600 watt) that one can use a number of ways... (to run 12v appliances for short periods, boost a stalled battery, run AC appliances for short periods) they're like an inverter crossed with a battery pack and you can recharge them through the cigarette lighter. Anyway, any thoughts on what I'm saying here? and If I do only install a bigger alternator this year do I have to install anything else to "match" the higher amperage, Like a regulator or something? Please go easy on my ignorance about this Mechanical/electrical stuff! Mark.
Re: Installing bigger alternator?	Mark O.	4-20-02
With enough time and money you can change just about anything. Before you start changing stuff, figure out what you have already. Most gas powered school buses had at least 70 Amp alternators. Some had as large as 105-120 Amp. If you have a 105-120 Amp already I doubt you will need a whole bunch more most of the time. The cost of going much bigger can cost $$$$. Most all of the new alternators have built in regulators. It is fairly easy to change any system over to a one wire alternator. Good luck and happy trails. Mark O.
Re: Installing bigger alternator?	Ron S	4-8-03
I have an 88 pace arrow with a 454 chevy engin. I need a new alt but have to pull the old one to get the numbers. Anyone know the #s so I can still travel to the parts store to aquire it?
Re: Installing bigger alternator?	Aaron	4-9-03
Just managed to change my alt for myself yesterday. Now, I'm not especially technical but on the +ve battery terminal there's this box with 3, 30A fuses. Last night on startup, the house light suddenly got really bright for a second when the engine started. I didn't take it on until I had to stopped and then I tried to start gain. No juice. Upon inspection, I noticed that one of the fuses was blown in the box. I didn't have a spare that size so I tried just switching the blown fuse with one of the other and it worked (wiper, lights, stereo and cig lighter too). Is it that there's too much current in the curcuit? Should I get a limiter of some sort? Should I just get a 40A fuse instead? Are those 2 other fuses just spares?