Alternator cooling mods, heat shield and ducting

[rattle_snake]

Alternator job isn't fun, and is wosre when its 110+ degrees so I procrastinated on doing a cooling mod until now. Stocker made it 40k, Ebay 160 about 3k. I have a spare waiting for when it goes again.

The regulator is about 4" from the exhaust port #5. This is an unhappy place to be. I added a heat shield between the Alt and exhaust, above the oil filter. The shield uses the forward bolt hole and is located between the 2 holes

First I made a template out if flashing, then transfered to 1/8" aluminum.

View from top

3" Duct from left fog light vent goes to the lower left front side of the alternator to feed it cooler air.

:beer:

 

[oldmodman]

That is a job that is absolutely worth doing. If anyone drives with outside temps over 80 degrees that ducting will save your alternator. And the heat shield is a great idea. Very nice fabrication.

Ford did not do us any favor by mounting it where they did. It absolutely roasts down there.

 

[big dad]

Nice work and good idea. I think I'll do this in addition to my contribution to this problem.

Alt. cooling mod.

 

[va boy]

I've got my next project, thanks for the idea and pictures!

 

[TXEnginerd]

Looks great! I've got my alternator out right now to put a new one in. I'd like to do this myself. Can you tell me what thread size/pitch fits in that hole?

 

[Tractionless1]

Nice work and good idea. I think I'll do this in addition to my contribution to this problem.

Alt. cooling mod.

When are you going to be done with that? Haven't seen an update.

 

[Tractionless1]

 

[Wicked46]

Hmmm.....

 

[Tractionless1]

Hmmm.....

Or just get a Billet Tech and forget about all of it. I have one now but left the cooling duct in, can't even see it behind the black mesh. I did notice a bump in voltage with the old alternator when cruising for a bit.

 

[big dad]

When are you going to be done with that? Haven't seen an update.

I finished it about 2 months ago and ran some tests while the car was in the trailer. On an 80* day I let it get up to operating temp and heat soak. The alt. got up to 133* then I turned the blower motor on and it went down to 107*. and would stay there. I also put a Ford Racing alt. on with a 3.5" pulley and the volts at idle were 14.2 to 14.3. With the blower mtr. on the voltage would drop .1v then recover. This was also while the cooling fan was running.

The results were encouraging, and I'll know more when I drive the car and have it dynoed next year.

 

[01cobravortech]

So I can't help it...


All you advocates of doing a 'cooling mod' for the alternator...how many miles have you gotten out of your alternator with this mod?

Because the most I ever got of an OEM alternator, mind you not a re-manufactured one, is 42k.

Because if you aren't putting any substantial miles on these bad boys...we'll never get tot he bottom of this no matter how fancy your air ducts look...

 

[big dad]

Don't you think it's better to be proactive instead of reactive?

 

[Tractionless1]

Because if you aren't putting any substantial miles on these bad boys...we'll never get tot he bottom of this no matter how fancy your air ducts look...

1. The purpose of my car isn't to be a test bed for the masses. Showing voltage gains after installing the ducts should be proof enough.

2. Do you really think anyone is installing alternator ducting for looks? How about being appreciative of pics. on how to do said addition if so iinclined. :idea:

 

[START 'N CHARGE]

The cooling mods are beneficial no matter what.Those units are mounted in the worst possible location for airflow & heat retention.
I applaud everyone that does them & feel it is worth the effort! :beer::rockon:

 

[Jmccormick]

The cooling mods are beneficial no matter what.Those units are mounted in the worst possible location for airflow & heat retention.
I applaud everyone that does them & feel it is worth the effort! :beer::rockon:

I still have the bad ass alt I purchased from you laying in my basement lol!

Haven't had a chance to put it in!

 

[01Jes]

I like this idea. Thanks for the pics op and others. Here in Texas it's not hot it's ****ing Africa hot sometimes.

 

[Jefe]

Need to do something like this. 70k miles on my stock alternator. Car sees 110+ degrees for 3 months during the summer.

 

[01cobravortech]

Don't you think it's better to be proactive instead of reactive?

1. The purpose of my car isn't to be a test bed for the masses. Showing voltage gains after installing the ducts should be proof enough.

2. Do you really think anyone is installing alternator ducting for looks? How about being appreciative of pics. on how to do said addition if so iinclined. :idea:

Its not an issue of appreciating pics or anyone's work on the weekend.

Its an issue of the fact that none of these things offer any kind of substantiated proof that we're looking at an air issue, causing the failure of alternators.

I mean if some of you guys never even bother putting any serious miles, in daily driving, then how can you try and sell people that you just need an air duct and you're good to go?

To date, in daily driving, real world activity, the most I ever got out of an OEM Ford alternator, is about 42k. That's all year round driving. No air duct, nothing.

I simply don't like when people, who never put any serious miles on these cars for whatever fears, try selling people on reasons for alternator failures, that can't be backed up.

In fact, I think a real solution to getting longevity out of these alternators, for the upper only guys is a 3.0 vs. a 2.6 pulley, and for the upper/lower guys is the proper sized alternator pulley based on the combos.


Don't attempt to sell people on your gimmick weekend projects, when you don't have any miles to back up the claims. That's just feeding false hope into guys. Its not an attack on your efforts or ingenuity. Its an attack on declaring you have it figured out when you can't even hit the miles stock alternators can hit, with all this jazz...

 

[01cobravortech]

The cooling mods are beneficial no matter what.Those units are mounted in the worst possible location for airflow & heat retention.
I applaud everyone that does them & feel it is worth the effort! :beer::rockon:

That may be the case...but why are there enough of your customers that do report that their alternator fails prematurely?

This is not an attack on what you offer, but simply reporting what I've seen on here and ModularFords before.

Is it really an issue of heat and holding an undesirable location in the engine bay...or is the real issue just incredibly inferior parts used in the engineering of a alternator?


I just find it a bit tiring of people saying, "You see, you see we found the formula..." Yet the alternators that are still coming out aren't even hitting the ranges that the original OEM Ford alternators used to.

 

[big dad]

Its not an issue of appreciating pics or anyone's work on the weekend.

Its an issue of the fact that none of these things offer any kind of substantiated proof that we're looking at an air issue, causing the failure of alternators.

I mean if some of you guys never even bother putting any serious miles, in daily driving, then how can you try and sell people that you just need an air duct and you're good to go?

To date, in daily driving, real world activity, the most I ever got out of an OEM Ford alternator, is about 42k. That's all year round driving. No air duct, nothing.

I simply don't like when people, who never put any serious miles on these cars for whatever fears, try selling people on reasons for alternator failures, that can't be backed up.

In fact, I think a real solution to getting longevity out of these alternators, for the upper only guys is a 3.0 vs. a 2.6 pulley, and for the upper/lower guys is the proper sized alternator pulley based on the combos.


Don't attempt to sell people on your gimmick weekend projects, when you don't have any miles to back up the claims. That's just feeding false hope into guys. Its not an attack on your efforts or ingenuity. Its an attack on declaring you have it figured out when you can't even hit the miles stock alternators can hit, with all this jazz...

I never claimed that I had the cure for this problem, it was my way of addressing some of the believed to be contributing factors to the said problem.
Opinions are like belly buttons or other parts of the human anatomy, everyone is entitled to at least one.
If these threads frustrate you to the point of ridiculing or finding the efforts of others annoying you can either contribute in a more positive manner or don't bother at all.
Over the many years of owning high performance vehicles I've tried numerous things to address various problems, some were successful, some were not.
But the bigger point I'm trying to make here is that I tried.
You seem to look at a glass as being half-empty, while I look at it as being half-full.
BTW, you never did answer my question about being proactive or reactive.

As far as people who don't drive their vehicles enough, that's their choice, but I would feel better knowing that I have made some improvements that are sound in theory than doing nothing at all if and when I am driving my Cobra. It may be a gimmick to you, but I believe it's a positive contribution to known problem.