I bought one at autozone (gasp) for about $100. It's running like a champ in my Poncho. Can't think of any cons....I think all of our rides are now converted over to GM 1 wire.
PROS: easy to hook up and very, very reliable. About the only cons I see is that a generator looks a hell of a lot better, the only problem with that is, looks won't get you home!
Nope. I gladly spend the extra 50 bucks. It (engine bay) looks cleaner and there is less thing I have to trouble shoot when things go wrong. Less stuff to buy too, so it evens out. It's a sad day when 50 buck is a mere drop in the bucket. Now, the 200 or so for a powermaster, and we'll start talking cons. JMHO. Now if I had a generator to begin with , I MAY think about keeping it because it looks cool, but I would rather get home as willy said.
Just had an alternator rebuilt and changed to a one wire last month. battery is charging even better than before! no complaints here.
yep i agree one of the better things i did mine cost 75 bucks i have to wind the engine to 1500rpm before it starts charging just use a volt guage and you will always know if its working by the way it was cheaper than getting a new generator and regulator and new wireing bill
Dang dudes got mine for $10 in a junk yard. 35 amps is plenty. If you hook up the second wire to the idiot light it works, or jsut rev it to make the light go out.
Pros: -reliable -80 amps or more -clean wiring -easy to install -easy to find chrome dress up goodies -No need for a Voltage regulator Cons: -Doesn't look as cool -cheaper -needs RPM to charge I love em. Enough juice to power all my electrical accessories, no brushes to burn out, and still costs less then it costs to have a generator rebuilt. With as many miles as I put on my car, it's the only way I'd go. The only time I think the sacrifice is worth it is if it's a car with an exposed engine
NAPA sells a little conversion harness that plugs into any normal internal regulated GM alternator and makes it a 1 wire. It has a little diode and a small jumper wire to the terminal on the back. It cost me under 10 bucks. Now, any GM alternator is a 1 wire for me. Saves a bunch of money buying a pre-made 1 wire unit.
I have read a lot of negitive things about 1 wires, but I installed one 3 years ago and it works perfect, I even have the charge wire running all the way to a shut off switch on my rear bumper. Bought mine at Jegs 100 amp. Jeffrey
Thanks alot for the tips, I was leaning towards one-wire, it's for my daily driver, but had read alot of negatives about them and wanted some real world advice. Thanks
I was thinking more along the lines of the whole economy in general. 10 years ago 50 bucks would have been outrageous to me, now it isn't as alarming. Gas prices. OI. Won't even go there.
Heard the powermaster and tuffstuff brands are the ones to buy will excite at a lower rpm.im running a tuff stuff and love it.
What year, make and model do you have to have AutoZone punch into the computer to bring up a part number and what to guarantee it in for that alternator? Seriously!
You have to be lucky enough to have an autozone with an employee without their head up their ***, or know the part number. I was lucky enough to have both.
I too have heard some bad stuff about 1 wires, but I put one on my roadster 3 years ago and have had no problems with it. Easy to hook up, less wiring to mess with and no regulator to hide. Go with the 1 wire alt.
I've got an AutoZone a short walk around the corner, really... So, what's the AutoZone part number? Please?
I think what you want is a one wire "self exciting" alt. Heres some of the good stuff about them... http://www.angelfire.com/mo/bucketheadsgrotto/onewire.html Now, to get the whole story on which way to go see here: http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical-tech.shtml
I think there was just a post about 1 wire alts in the past week or so....hmm anyways.... I have never used one, never saw the need. Just get a regular 3 wire, clip the white wire out of the clip in harness, loop your red back to the B+ terminal on the back of the alt, run the B+ obviously to battery or the like, and when you start the car, just bump it up with a rev or two, it will excite and start charging. Ive run them in dozens of cars and never had a problem, just put one in my 55 Olds. I started off doing it cuz they were cheaper and I was determined to find a way to make cheaper work as good.
I installed dual electric fans on my 80 C-3 and found I didn't have enough amps to keep the battery charged. I went to several parts stores and the ding-a-lings working the counter could only offer up another 70 amp unit.They didn't have a clue of what I wanted, they could only see what was on there screens. I found a local independent rebuilder who built me a 105 amp unit. Because my Vette has both Voltmeter, and the idot light, he said he could wire in an adaptor plug that I could plug my harness plug into. Total cost was $133.00, but to talk with a knowledgeable person that knew what he was talking about the extra bucks was no problem. The new unit made a world of difference in that car. Fans are running at full speed and it runs 10 degrees cooler.
I run a one wire in my shoebox w/283. Works great. $45 Autozone rebuild, $8 regulator from the local alternator/starter rebuilder.
Here is some info may be helpful Here is a webpage http://mightymo.org/Proj_OneWire.html Here is an article a guy sent me, I did not write the notes on it.
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