Help: Alternator for my DC 5k

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

I'm going to be running a DC 5k and a Rockford T400-2 soon. Trying to find an alt for my 2011 Ford Taurus, here is my current electrical setup idea and my alternator options:

Current Items

(1) Two runs on KnuKonceptz Kolossus Fleks 1/0

(1) Stock 140amp alternator

(1) Stock battery under the hood (XS D3400 to come soon)

(2) XS XP3000's for the trunk

Alt Choices:

DC Power Engineering

1.

270XP

200 amps @ idle / 180 amps when @ 200ºF

270 amps @ max / 250 amps when @ 200ºF

(12) press fit 50 amp diodes

$590

2.

370XP

170 amps @ idle / 150 amps when @ 200ºF

370 amps @ max / 330 amps when @ 200ºF

(12) press fit 50 amp diodes

$800

Mechman

1.

270 amp G series unit

165 amps @ 500 rpm

Full (270) output ~2,000 rpm

(6) press fit 65 amp diodes

$450

Iraggi

1.

320 amp unit

~170 amps @ idle

Full (320) output by 1,800 rpm

$660

Singer can't build me anything. Excessive Amperage can only go up to a 220 amp unit, which definitely isn't enough. Ohio gen never responded lol. I feel I should focus way more on the idle output instead of the max possible output. In that case, the DC 270XP would look like my best bet. Any further input? Thanks guys, not easy finding an alt for this car.

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[martiandancer31 10+ year member]

 

[myjaja 10+ year member]

I have the dc 270xp alternator in my honda and its amazing and built like a tank. The specs you posted on the iraggi alternator seems pretty good too for the price.

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

Depends on how you listen to your music. Rarely am I sitting parked idling with my music turned up, I am not into competing. I turn it up while I'm driving, so personally I would lean toward 370amp unit, price factor excluded. To me it is worth giving up 30 amps of alternator power at idle, to gain 100 @ ~2k rpm. I don't know if I could ever drop 800 on a single alternator however. I didn't mention the Iraggi because I would never buy an alt from him after what happened before.

 

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

Thank you @martiandancer31 for your always superb help haha. You better be enjoying that alt btw!

[quote name='myjaja']I have the dc 270xp alternator in my honda and its amazing and built like a tank. The specs you posted on the iraggi alernator seems pretty good too for the price.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I am really liking the 270XP, it has super idle output, which for demo's and in city driving, I feel would be a great investment.

[quote name='Chriszle']Depends on how you listen to your music. Rarely am I sitting parked idling with my music turned up, I am not into competing. I turn it up while I'm driving, so personally I would lean toward 370amp unit, price factor excluded. To me it is worth giving up 30 amps of alternator power at idle, to gain 100 @ ~2k rpm. I don't know if I could ever drop 800 on a single alternator however. I didn't mention the Iraggi because I would never buy an alt from him after what happened before.[/QUOTE]

Yeah see I have a mix of city and thruway driving. And I get worried of my voltage at stop lights if I'm beating on the system pretty good. On the thruway I am at about 1,600 - 1,800 rpm. In the city is is around 1,000 - 1,200 with the car idling down to 650 rpm. Not sure if to focus on the max or the idle... grrr wish this was easier. DC emailed me and said I should call them today about my options, so I will after work.

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

Realistically either one should work for you. With your driving habits the 270 might be a better option, plus save some cash. Unless you have a solid frame to ground to, I would think about running dedicated grounds front to back as well. I have 2+ and 2- runs under my car with 2 2500s and 100.4.

 

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

Realistically either one should work for you. With your driving habits the 270 might be a better option, plus save some cash. Unless you have a solid frame to ground to, I would think about running dedicated grounds front to back as well. I have 2+ and 2- runs under my car with 2 2500s and 100.4.

Ah see I have read a couple of times about having the negative runs from the front as well. Idk if I should though. Seems like a lot of extra wiring... Did you try it with just the positives and then add the negatives? If so what difference did you notice?

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

I didn't try it without the negative runs, but I have a unibody car, and I wanted solid connections front to back with that much current flow. Just remember, the grounds are just as important as the power wire. Your electrical is only as strong as it's weakest link.

 

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

I didn't try it without the negative runs, but I have a unibody car, and I wanted solid connections front to back with that much current flow. Just remember, the grounds are just as important as the power wire. Your electrical is only as strong as it's weakest link.

Ah okay. I had a 300amp Iraggi alt on my 02 Impala with a D3400 and the two XP3000's, just with dual runs of 1/0 and on full tilt my voltage with the 5k never dropped below 13.7 volts. Thought that was pretty good! Might thinking about adding it though on this car. Does your negative runs go straight from the battery under the hood as well?

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

Yup. Both runs are connected front back to rear. My voltage drop is .5-.8 volts full tilt listening to decaf, but it holds steady no matter how long I play. I only have 1 D3100 in the trunk with the odyssey group 34 up front, and an underrated 300amp alt from E.A.

 

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

Yup. Both runs are connected front back to rear. My voltage drop is .5-.8 volts full tilt listening to decaf, but it holds steady no matter how long I play. I only have 1 D3100 in the trunk with the odyssey group 34 up front, and an underrated 300amp alt from E.A.

Oh that is not a bad voltage drop at all! Is that full tilt while driving along or idle?

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

270xp is a beast alt, have a few of them...

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

Oh that is not a bad voltage drop at all! Is that full tilt while driving along or idle?

Full tilt driving.

 

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

270xp is a beast alt, have a few of them...

Just ordered mine //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Thanks!

 

[mrclean636 10+ year member]

Full tilt driving.

Okay. Well I think I may consider running a negative run back... I'm not sure yet. You think I could get away with only 1 1/0 negative run back and then the other negative run just ground to the frame in the back? And btw I spoke with DC and I just went ahead and purchased the 270XP. The 370 would be better if I had a larger engine and such.