alternator Q

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sweatybetty

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will an alternator work regardless of rotation direction? im thinking of using one off a 92 ram deisel. its the small nipondenso with the external voltage regulator, but im not sure which way they rotate if it matters. thanks
sb
 
I haven't had physics for about 20 years but IIRC it should work spinning in either direction. Since alternating current is constantly reversing it souldn't matter which direction it turns & then the diodes/rectifier only let it through in one direction. I think a generator would work in either direction, too. My only concern would be that the brushes might be on the "trailing edge" of the slip rings when turning in one direction & would fall on the "leading edge" if you changed direction, but every alternator I've ever been into seemed to have the brushes situated so the direction wouldn't matter. TMI Confused now?
 
Dont know. I recall warning tags on altenaters that read "DO NOT SPIN BACKWARDS" something about killing diodes. Might have just been a Ford thing.
 
It will charge, it may not last as long due to overheating since the fan is turning backwards. Depending on under hood temp even heating may not be an issue.
 
ray79rt said:
It will charge, it may not last as long due to overheating since the fan is turning backwards. Depending on under hood temp even heating may not be an issue.
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didnt think about that, makes sense
 
You know.. I can't recall ever seeing a factory setup that ran alt. counter clockwise on anything.
 
well, i found that the alternator i want to use turns the same way as the crank..............so the only other thing is does a cummins turn the same as a 383? i would think so.
 
Rotation should be the same on a truck engine (all bets are off with marine stuff). One thing to watch out for when mixing and matching accessories is water pumps on some serpentine belt systems which operate on the backside of the belt. They will spin the opposite direction. Alternators a/c compressors and power steering pumps typically get located inside the belt due to their high loads.
 
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