Best Alternator to give sufficient juice to the MSD 6AL ?

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Mopar64340

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Hello guys

I am ready to buy the alternator for my build. I will be running an MSD 6AL and need some suggestions on the best alternator

I found one so far. See picture. Anybody use this one yet ?

Screenshot_20240217_194918_Chrome.jpg
 
I’ve run a stock 40 amp without issues unless it’s raining heavy at night and the tunes are cranking through the multi amp stero system …….

During the day, no issues
 
I used a stock replacement '89 318 truck alternator. My Dart is running EFI and electric fans as well as the MSD 6A.
 
I have never had any issues running MSD with stock alternator. If you have any high load accessories like electric fans or stereo amps, that is when you should start thinking about upgrading.
 
A 78a stock alternator as listed for an 80s Dodge would be plenty.
And looks like your 70s alternator. Bolts right in, hooks up the same too
 
I don't think the 6AL takes up much juice at all. It's probably the blaster coil that sucks juice... Again like others have said. You need to get on the website and find out how many amps. It takes and how many amps you need. As far as headlights radios blinkers , you know all your electrical stuff and add that all up and see how many amps it is...
Remember as well that when it says a 100 amps, That's at full r p m's not at idle... Remember, a little bit of overkill on this is fine as it doesn't push the amps. It more gives the amps under the draw, as in it'll only use what it needs...
Also consider a good quality battery in combination with this as when you are at idol. And it's not putting out full amps. The battery is making up the difference and it will get recharged when you are up to full r p m...
My-2... other's WILL differ...
 
Could also go with the factory Mopar 100a as used from the mid 70s on. Those did have different brackets though.
They were rated higher right off of idle than the smaller Mopar alternators. But again if the system is only calling for 17 amps even a newer car's 180 amp alternator will only produce 17a.... They don't have full output unless demand is there
 
All of those are recipies for more problems.
As already stated, the MSD 6 series pulls 1 amp per 1000 rpm.
So at idle its pulling no more than a points or even a Chrysler ECU.
The coil on an MSD is fed from the MSD's capacitor so that's a red herring.

On the other hand, these new replacements, especially those based on the revised squareback, draw far more field current than any standard factory alternator through 1976.
Go look in your shop manuals at what the field current draw should be, and then compare it to what you're buying.
If its pulling more amps than the MSD will pull, then its a zero sum improvement.
Worse. The voltage regulator may not handle it well.
 
They used the same voltage regulator for all of the factory equipped alternators into the 90s, I remember my 89 diplomat had that same regulator even though it had the same alternator as my sons 89 ramcharger, which was controlled by the computer on the first efi/TBI trucks.
( No more computer or efi on that one anymore, we retrofitted it with an 87 harness and a 4bbl)
They used that same regulator on the Cummins trucks at least til 94-95.
And those newer alternators put out more amps when called for than anything Mopar used as the alternator when they first started using that regulator. My biggest worry about the regulator is that you don't get a newer offshore made version.
Those ARE garbage.
I have a few of them I bought from eBay a few years ago, brands like Sorensen and niehoff that were popular in the 60s/early 80s stashed for my spares
That square back Mopar alternator was used til about 1987, as was the monster size 100a they had.
The square back over the years could have been anything between a 37a and 78a. Otherwise besides the possibility your unit still had its tag on it, which can be looked up as to the original rating, they all looked identical to each other except for the late model 78a, on all the rest the windings were the same width, about 5/8" or so that could be seen between the case halves. On the 78a (which 1 think also had a slightly smaller diameter case) there's a gap between the case halves where the stator is that's about 1/4" and the windings/stator is "less obvious".
 
Been my experience is to stay away from ProForm. I good 80-90 amp one wire is what I run.
 
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