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3g upgrade... PA Performance?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JGT
  • Start date Start date Oct 13, 2007

JGT

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Oct 29, 2006
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Oct 13, 2007
#1
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #1
http://www.pa-performance.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=50

I've never bought from PA Performance before. How are their products and customer service?
 
D

Daggar

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Jul 19, 2004
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#2
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #2
No idea about their cust serv but their products are top notch. I've heard of the odd unit here and there being defective (unavoidable) but replacements arriving in timely fashion.
 

5spd GT

"the 5.0 owns all"
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Oct 13, 2007
#3
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #3
I had no problems with shipment time and the color instructions and quality of the alternator and wire upgrade kits are quite nice.

That is about the extent of customer service I encountered. I never called them so I do not know, but their products are nice!
 

TRWXXA

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Oct 13, 2007
#4
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #4
5spd GT said:
I had no problems with shipment time and the color instructions and quality of the alternator and wire upgrade kits are quite nice.

That is about the extent of customer service I encountered. I never called them so I do not know, but their products are nice!
Click to expand...
+1

 

JGT

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Oct 17, 2007
#5
  • Oct 17, 2007
  • #5
Shortly I'll be running about a 1000watt sound system, an electric fan, and HIDs. Will a 150amp alt be able to handle pretty much anything I can throw at it? What about a 200amp alt? Would a 200amp alt be more drag on the engine?
 

TRWXXA

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#6
  • Oct 17, 2007
  • #6
JGT said:
Shortly I'll be running about a 1000watt sound system, an electric fan, and HIDs. Will a 150amp alt be able to handle pretty much anything I can throw at it?
Click to expand...

You might want to step up to a 200 amp alternator, and a 2 ga. power wire. It's not a question of what the alternator's rated output is, it's a question of what it can put out at low rpms. At idle the alternator will only be able to put out about half of what it's rated for, and it sounds like you want to put on some high-demand accessories.
 

jrichker

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#7
  • Oct 17, 2007
  • #7
And the answer is... volts x amps = watts, 14 volts x 150 amps = 2100 watts.

TRWXXA's comments about idle output compared to cruse are a very important part of the picture that you need to consider. The single wire alternators have lower output current at low speeds than a conventional multi wire alternator.
 

JGT

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Oct 29, 2006
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Oct 17, 2007
#8
  • Oct 17, 2007
  • #8
So the PA Performance 200amp alt, rated at 100+ idle amps, should be good?

Also, I was wondering, would this new alternator take more power from the engine? Is it harder for it to spin the pulley?
 

TRWXXA

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Oct 18, 2007
#9
  • Oct 18, 2007
  • #9
JGT said:
So the PA Performance 200amp alt, rated at 100+ idle amps, should be good?

Also, I was wondering, would this new alternator take more power from the engine? Is it harder for it to spin the pulley?
Click to expand...
It should be good enough. 100 amps (idle) is good for up to 1400 watts of power. You might be a little bit in the hole if you have your electric fan, HVAC fan running, and all your lights on.

Yes, your alternator will take more power from the motor. There is no free electricity. The more current your alternator has to produce, the more power it has to take from the motor. It's my understanding that the 3Gs rob less power than the stock alternators under the same load, but you will have parasitic loss proportional to the electrical demand.

If you're that concerned about the parasitic power loss, keep the stereo off. Or ditch it altogether, and save the weight as well.
 

JGT

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Oct 18, 2007
#10
  • Oct 18, 2007
  • #10
Yes, thats what I figured, but I'd be more than doubling the electrical power coming from the motor. Am I going to lose a noticable amount of speed?
 

TRWXXA

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#11
  • Oct 18, 2007
  • #11
JGT said:
Yes, thats what I figured, but I'd be more than doubling the electrical power coming from the motor.
Click to expand...
No. You are only doubling the ABILITY of the motor (alternator) to produce electrical power. The alternator only puts out as much current as is being demanded at the time. If you have no accessories turned on, your alternator might only be putting out a few amps to run the computer and charge the battery. If you crank on all the lights, the HVAC fan, the stereo, and the electric cooling fan kicks on, your alternator might be putting out something like 150 amps. If this demand exceeds the capacity of the alternator (at the RPM it's running), then the extra current is drawn from the battery (discharge).

JGT said:
Am I going to lose a noticable amount of speed?
Click to expand...
You are going to rob power from the motor. The more current put out by the alternator, the more power it takes from the motor to produce it. It has nothing to do with which alternator you put on the car, it has to do with the fact that you are asking the engine to convert more of its power into electricity, rather than putting it to the rear wheels. You have chosen to put high electrical demand items on your vehicle, and the power to run them has to come from somewhere

Power (watts) = amps X voltage

A 200amp alternator that is putting out 100 amps is putting out 1.4 kilowatts. 1KW = 1.34 hp, so it's taking almost 2 hp (not including mechanical losses) to make that 100 amps.

If it's putting out its maximum 200 amps, it takes 3.8 hp. To account for mechanical loss, you should probably double that.

So you are losing 4 to 7 hp at the flywheel, and whatever that translates to at the rear wheels.
 

JustA5.0

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May 12, 2007
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Toronto, ON
Oct 18, 2007
#12
  • Oct 18, 2007
  • #12
TRWXXA said:
No. You are only doubling the ABILITY of the motor (alternator) to produce electrical power. The alternator only puts out as much current as is being demanded at the time. If you have no accessories turned on, your alternator might only be putting out a few amps to run the computer and charge the battery. If you crank on all the lights, the HVAC fan, the stereo, and the electric cooling fan kicks on, your alternator might be putting out something like 150 amps. If this demand exceeds the capacity of the alternator (at the RPM it's running), then the extra current is drawn from the battery (discharge).


You are going to rob power from the motor. The more current put out by the alternator, the more power it takes from the motor to produce it. It has nothing to do with which alternator you put on the car, it has to do with the fact that you are asking the engine to convert more of its power into electricity, rather than putting it to the rear wheels. You have chosen to put high electrical demand items on your vehicle, and the power to run them has to come from somewhere

Power (watts) = amps X voltage

A 200amp alternator that is putting out 100 amps is putting out 1.4 kilowatts. 1KW = 1.34 hp, so it's taking almost 2 hp (not including mechanical losses) to make that 100 amps.

If it's putting out its maximum 200 amps, it takes 3.8 hp. To account for mechanical loss, you should probably double that.

So you are losing 4 to 7 hp at the flywheel, and whatever that translates to at the rear wheels.
Click to expand...
Good bit of info, learned something new today. Thank you
 

JGT

Member
Oct 29, 2006
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0
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Charleston, SC
Oct 18, 2007
#13
  • Oct 18, 2007
  • #13
TRWXXA said:
No. You are only doubling the ABILITY of the motor (alternator) to produce electrical power. The alternator only puts out as much current as is being demanded at the time. If you have no accessories turned on, your alternator might only be putting out a few amps to run the computer and charge the battery. If you crank on all the lights, the HVAC fan, the stereo, and the electric cooling fan kicks on, your alternator might be putting out something like 150 amps. If this demand exceeds the capacity of the alternator (at the RPM it's running), then the extra current is drawn from the battery (discharge).


You are going to rob power from the motor. The more current put out by the alternator, the more power it takes from the motor to produce it. It has nothing to do with which alternator you put on the car, it has to do with the fact that you are asking the engine to convert more of its power into electricity, rather than putting it to the rear wheels. You have chosen to put high electrical demand items on your vehicle, and the power to run them has to come from somewhere

Power (watts) = amps X voltage

A 200amp alternator that is putting out 100 amps is putting out 1.4 kilowatts. 1KW = 1.34 hp, so it's taking almost 2 hp (not including mechanical losses) to make that 100 amps.

If it's putting out its maximum 200 amps, it takes 3.8 hp. To account for mechanical loss, you should probably double that.

So you are losing 4 to 7 hp at the flywheel, and whatever that translates to at the rear wheels.
Click to expand...



Thank you.
 

JGT

Member
Oct 29, 2006
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0
7
Charleston, SC
Oct 18, 2007
#14
  • Oct 18, 2007
  • #14
Anyone know offhand the diameter of the stock crankshaft pulley?
 

JGT

Member
Oct 29, 2006
0
0
7
Charleston, SC
Oct 22, 2007
#15
  • Oct 22, 2007
  • #15
I went ahead and ordered the 200amp alternator from PA Performance. I got my sub, amp, and wiring kit in today also. I went into the local Tweeter just curious to know how much they would charge for a box. The guy said $1.5k, $1000 labor and $500 parts, to $3k, 2000 labor and $1000 parts. I don't think $1000 of fiberglass will fit in the car. Anyway, like everyone else, I know someone who can build me a box for parts. Next month I hope to get the new comps and amp.
 
T

TheShagg

Member
Mar 30, 2002
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Jan 11, 2009
#16
  • Jan 11, 2009
  • #16
Just a note: HID's use less power than an equal output normal bulb. Now.. if you are keeping your stock lights, and adding more lights, then that will obviously increase the demand. However, if you are replacing the stock lights with HID's, you will probably be using LESS power.
 
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