alternator getting super hot

[flashback87]

alright, so i think i finished my 3g install but it is getting super hot now. the belt was whining so i put a new belt on it and now the tension is tight and no more noise. my battery guage is reading really good as well. a little above the middle bar.

i got the 3g out of a 95 tauras and i had it tested 2 or 3 times. each time it passed. i have a 4 guage wire going to the starter solenoid with a 125 amg fuse protecting it. i took the car out tonight and when i got home i took the hood off and i could onlytouch the alt for a second. as i stated though my batter power was good the whole time i was driving.

what could be causing this? is this normal?

Please help as this 3g project has taken almost 3 weeks and i really want to start driving my car again.

thanks

 

[Lawbreaker5.0]

I don't know what could cause it to heat like that but most 3g alt are rated at 130 amps so your gonna keep blowing that fuse. I used a 150 amp fuse from an car audio store. You could always get another alt at the junkyard. They should have a 30 day warranty if not 90 days

 

[flashback87]

thanks, do you think i should take it back for another one. i have been doing some research and some say alternators get pretty hot. so is this just normal?

also it was pretty hard getting the new belt on so i really don't wanto to have to take it off but if the alternator is bad i guess i have to.

any suggestions?

 

[2000xp8]

If the belt was that hard to put on, there may be too much tension on the alternator.
Do you have an air pump or air pump delete pulley?
Normally i'd say no air pump or pulley is fine, but if your belt is literally that tight you have a ton of pressure on the alternator bearings.

If putting the belt on is your biggest concern, you have the wrong belt.

 

[flashback87]

thanks, it wasn't that bad, it still has a litte give. i could get it on and off again.

when i first put the alt on with the old, loose, squealing belt the 3g alt still got hot.

any other ideas? i really want to be done with this 3g upgrade.

thanks again i really apreciate the advise as i am new to all of this.

 

[jrichker]

Did you add the extra 4 gauge ground wire when you installed the 3G alternator?

2.) The secondary power ground is between the back of the
intake manifold and the driver's side firewall. It is often missing or
loose. It supplies ground for the alternator, A/C compressor
clutch and other electrical accessories such as the gauges.
Any car that has a 3G or high output current alternator needs
a 4 gauge ground wire running from the block to the chassis
ground where the battery pigtail ground connects.
The 3G has a 130 amp capacity, so you wire the power side
with 4 gauge wire. It stands to reason that the ground side
handles just a much current, so it needs to be 4 gauge too.

The picture shows the common ground point for the battery & extra 3G
alternator ground wire as described above in paragraph 2. A screwdriver
points to the bolt that is the common ground point.
The battery common ground is a 10 gauge pigtail with the computer ground
attached to it.

Picture courtesy timewarped1972

Correct negative battery ground cable.

 

[flashback87]

i did but then i took it off because i the wire i bought was too long. when the ground was connected it was still hot. also, can you connect the ground wire anywhere on the fenders and firewall or does it have to be the spot in the picture? and can i run it from the top of the alternator bolt to the passenger side fender?

also, i felt the alternator in my wifes 07 mazda 3 when she got back fromn the store and it was super hot too. about the same as the 3g.

is this just normal?

please let me know what you guys think and thanks for all the advise.

 

[2000xp8]

Alternators do run pretty hot.
First off all it spins on bearings, then it generates power, last of all it's under a hot hood in the summer.
Pretty much anything you touch under the hood after a drive is hot enough to burn you.

 

[jrichker]

You can put ground almost anywhere there is clean solid metal to bolt the ground to. The best plan is to have all the grounds connect in one place since it is neater and avoids any ground loop problems.

 

[MustangLX-5.0]

+1
The alt on my 96 3.8 gets burning hot after the AC has been on for awhile. The electric fan and interior blower motor consume a lot of amperage. So yeah, it's normal for the alt to get hot like that, mainly under high loads though. Make sure the battery is charged well or the alt will be working serious over time trying to charge the bat and run electrical equipment. And not to mention, if bat isn't charged well, you could kill your alt and or deplete your battery. Alt should not be getting extremely hot under normal loads (ie, you are not running your AC or eec fan all the time).

 

[flashback87]

You can put ground almost anywhere there is clean solid metal to bolt the ground to. The best plan is to have all the grounds connect in one place since it is neater and avoids any ground loop problems.

ok, so i connected the ground to the common ground location next to the washer fluid fill tank.
i then ran it to a bolt on the power steering bracket. is that bolt on the bracket an ok spot to hook the ground wire up to. it is a relocation bracket because i do not have a/c.

just to clarify, i am running a 4 guage ground wire from the common ground location next to the windshield washer fill tank to a bonlt on the powersteering bracket.

any help would be greatly apreciated.

Thanks

 

[flashback87]

does anybody have any insight on my last post.

thanks