Alternator for 2002 Taho

[Water Bear]

Question for the more experienced installers from a complete newb:

I'm thinking of putting a high power set up in my 2002 Tahoe. Probably 2-3k watts of bass.

I know I will need to upgrade my electrical. Batteries are easy to upgrade...alternators I don't know much about. Looking at the options from Mechman, most of them use a smaller-than-stock pulley and require a 1/2" to 1" shorter belt.

Try not to laugh at these stupid questions.

1) How hard is it to install a new, shorter belt?

2) Are all high-amp alts going to be like this?

I've watched some Youtube videos and it looks like it *might* be as simple as backing off the tensioner, slapping on a new belt, then tightening the tensioner back up. I don't have any experience with this sort of thing...can a complete moron do it without destroying his engine / causing an accident?

Click to read more...

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

It's easy, your stock belt should fit but if you're worried go to the store, have them pull out a stock belt and then have them pull out a belt about a quarter or half inch shorter and buy the shorter belt. If you don't need it return it.

Our vehicles are easy as pie to get the serpentine belt swapped on. Pull off the intake and you're pretty much there. the intake plastic tube between the air filter and throttle body, that is. Not the entire intake lol

You can go to a junkyard and get an OEM AD244 for like $40 when you pull it out of the vehicle and that'll give you about 120a at idle and that's really all you need for 2-3k

dual alt brackets are around $250, for a while I just used two stock AD244's and got a great amount of idle output

Here's what they clamped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HhpIeDytDohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HhpIeDytDo

 

[Water Bear]

It's easy, your stock belt should fit but if you're worried go to the store, have them pull out a stock belt and then have them pull out a belt about a quarter or half inch shorter and buy the shorter belt. If you don't need it return it.
Our vehicles are easy as pie to get the serpentine belt swapped on. Pull off the intake and you're pretty much there. the intake plastic tube between the air filter and throttle body, that is. Not the entire intake lol

You can go to a junkyard and get an OEM AD244 for like $40 when you pull it out of the vehicle and that'll give you about 120a at idle and that's really all you need for 2-3k

dual alt brackets are around $250, for a while I just used two stock AD244's and got a great amount of idle output

Here's what they clamped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HhpIeDytDohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HhpIeDytDo

That's a really good idea! Thanks for the information, man. It sounds like the AD244 is a 2-pin, I guess there's an adapter? Mine is the old 4-pin style.

So the AD244 has the same pulley size as stock? Also, just out of curiosity, how did you figure out the length of belt for the alt bracket? I know Sky High will include the belt in a kit...did you do that or measure one yourself?

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

That's a really good idea! Thanks for the information, man. It sounds like the AD244 is a 2-pin, I guess there's an adapter? Mine is the old 4-pin style.
So the AD244 has the same pulley size as stock? Also, just out of curiosity, how did you figure out the length of belt for the alt bracket? I know Sky High will include the belt in a kit...did you do that or measure one yourself?

It is 4 pin, but only 1 pin is used. I thought the same thing when I was at your level of knowledge. Go look at the wiring. It's a 2 wire alternator. positive post is on, plug is one more. my truck is a 00 silverado

A belt came with the bracket, when I swapped alternators I went to the store with the belt (had to use a friends car) and showed it to them. They were really helpful considering it was an advancedauto and pulled out a few for me to judge the size on

Oh and yes ad244 is stock pulley size. Even with one alternator having a smaller pulley I imagine the stock belt will work

 

[Water Bear]

It is 4 pin, but only 1 pin is used. I thought the same thing when I was at your level of knowledge. Go look at the wiring. It's a 2 wire alternator. positive post is on, plug is one more. my truck is a 00 silverado
A belt came with the bracket, when I swapped alternators I went to the store with the belt (had to use a friends car) and showed it to them. They were really helpful considering it was an advancedauto and pulled out a few for me to judge the size on

Oh and yes ad244 is stock pulley size. Even with one alternator having a smaller pulley I imagine the stock belt will work

Thanks for the information, man! I've been sitting here scratching my head and looking at all these expensive options lol.

Thinking I'll just grab an AD244 out the junkyard and slap that in there, see how it does by itself, and maybe do the dual setup with the bracket like you did if I really need to.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

Thanks for the information, man! I've been sitting here scratching my head and looking at all these expensive options lol.
Thinking I'll just grab an AD244 out the junkyard and slap that in there, see how it does by itself, and maybe do the dual setup with the bracket like you did if I really need to.

That's what I'd do. Worst case scenario you're out $40 lol and you can keep it for a dual setup if you decide to.

Look out for rusty AD244's at the junkyard, you want no shaft play, and no grinding or rough spots when you spin the bearing

Do some googling to see what an AD244 looks like.

If you're in ATL like it says you will have no problem finding a junkyard big enough to have some AD244's but they are usually one of the first things to get stripped out

You want it to look like this, notice the size and black band

 

[Water Bear]

That's what I'd do. Worst case scenario you're out $40 lol and you can keep it for a dual setup if you decide to.
Look out for rusty AD244's at the junkyard, you want no shaft play, and no grinding or rough spots when you spin the bearing

Do some googling to see what an AD244 looks like.

If you're in ATL like it says you will have no problem finding a junkyard big enough to have some AD244's but they are usually one of the first things to get stripped out

You want it to look like this, notice the size and black band

I'm actually finding some on Google search and eBay for not bad prices, new ones.

eBay AD244

AD244 from a random website

Part numbers seem to match up...thinking I might just grab one of those.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

I'm actually finding some on Google search and eBay for not bad prices, new ones.
eBay AD244

AD244 from a random website

Part numbers seem to match up...thinking I might just grab one of those.

That's definitely easier than going to a junkyard but I tend to trust the OEM ones as they may have better OEM bridge rectifiers but I could be wrong. I am honestly not familiar with those

 

[Water Bear]

That's definitely easier than going to a junkyard but I tend to trust the OEM ones as they may have better OEM bridge rectifiers but I could be wrong. I am honestly not familiar with those

There are fancier ones available but they're not worth the cost IMO

Fancy AD244

I'm currently seeing if I can find OEM AD244's on the web...

 

[Water Bear]

If I go searching at a junkyard, I guess I'm looking for any of the vehicles on the fit list from this website?

Website with fit list

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

If I go searching at a junkyard, I guess I'm looking for any of the vehicles on the fit list from this website?
Website with fit list

I use car-part.com

put in a 2002 chevy express van 3500hd or whatever it is and they came stock with ad244's

i used to look first in small cities, but in a place like atlanta find the biggest junkyard around and walk around the chevy/gm section you'll catch on quick

bring 15mm sockets, a hammer, and some wrenches. I think its 15mm, could be 13mm

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

You want a good quality alt that's very competitive priced compared to those other guys contact

https://www.facebook.com/CustomElectricService/ Jonathan Patrick is the guy you wanna talk to.

 

[Water Bear]

I use car-part.com
put in a 2002 chevy express van 3500hd or whatever it is and they came stock with ad244's

i used to look first in small cities, but in a place like atlanta find the biggest junkyard around and walk around the chevy/gm section you'll catch on quick

bring 15mm sockets, a hammer, and some wrenches. I think its 15mm, could be 13mm

That's a super useful web site. Makes it real easy to find a lot that has the right vehicles.

 

[Jeffro83]

You want a good quality alt that's very competitive priced compared to those other guys contact
https://www.facebook.com/CustomElectricService/ Jonathan Patrick is the guy you wanna talk to.

I can vouch for this, Jonathan Patrick is a good dude, who takes **** good care of his customers. I just ordered two 270 amp large case hairpins, plus a dual alt bracket from him, and altogether everything cost me 895. and his alternators and work ethic are known for top-quality, just check out the reviews on Facebook. I have nothing but good things to say about him. on a side note though, and this is not saying anything bad about CEs or Jonathan, but the guy who does his alt brackets obviously does them by hand, as there are some in Perfections, but he got me the bracket for $150, and it came with a belt, two idler pulleys, and all hardware needed to install. so I have zero complaints, and I honestly can't say enough good things about them.