Break-down kit for long Nationals drives

[Brett027]

Well, I can run a dead battery on a live generator

[Blacky]

I can run a battery all day on a dead generator. All you guys that modify to alternators......well

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I had the generator on my ute give up the ghost about 2 hours into a trip along the great ocean road - drove all the way to Roger and Leslies in Mt
Gambier to pick up a replacement and installed it when we stopped for the night in Kingston , a day and a half after it died

[Errol62]

Never yet killed one…
Genny or alternator.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

[Brett027]

Getting a little serious here though... a generator at 20 amps max will take all day to recharge a flat battery, while even a miserable little 55amp alternator will do it in a few hours. Both, when not charging, will not stop you driving your FB/EK unless you have a fancy computer set up. I know which system I would rather have on a cold wet night with the headlights, heater and wipers all going Tim. It's the one update that is an absolute must in my view, and so simple to do with a self regulated alternator.

[Harv]

Never yet killed one…
Genny or alternator.

I disabled one, then watched the NRMA kill it by fiddling with the regulator contacts (holding them closed) until the magic smoke came out of the gennie

Cheers,
Harv

[Brett027]

An old furphy I think Tim. As long as the exciter field is powered ( ignition light comes on) an alternator will give it's all. An exception to that is where the battery is so damaged that it doesn't create a circuit from one terminal to the other, in which case the alternator would do no more than a generator could - which would be nothing. So, in my view a flat battery in otherwise good condition will recharge way quicker with an alternator. Another exception might be a gel or other type of battery that requires a trickle charge from flat or when trying to stir up a sulphated lead acid battery, but a car trip wont do the trick for those circumstances either way. While on the soap box electrical, the other conversion which is 100% a must is chucking away those silly old original headlights. I am now hiding behind my dogs taking cover.....

[Errol62]

I love my bosch lenses. Good enough for me.....

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[Brett027]

Only if you have H4 or better bulbs I bet.

[Errol62]

45w incandescent. The H4 globes have a different geometry which buggers up the beam pattern, so you can't achieve low beam set up.

You can get halogen globes to suit but haven't bothered.

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[Brett027]

A pair of glow worms would do more

[Errol62]

Well it's only an FB ffs

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[Mick]

I have a new-found respect for modern batteries. When I first saw those little jump-start packs, I thought "pffft! no chance that something the size of a cigarette packet will turn over an engine". I was wrong... they have an incredible amount of grunt for something you can charge with an USB cable.

Cheers,
Harv

yeah i had a commodore that would just flatten batteries if the car sat for 3 or 4 days so i bought one of those little jump pack that also will charge your phone and other electrical items, it would start the car from a dead flat battery like it had a brand new battery in it

and the alternator in the car would recharge that completely dead battery in a trip around the block, so YES an alternator WILL recharge a dead flat battery