It's been my experience that you never get the rated amperage from an
alternator with a standard built-in regulator. I think the engineers
put in way too much cushion on these things. If you WERE getting the
full 90 amps, it would fry your belt. When I went to an external
regulator with three step charger, and manual override for quick
charging, I had to increase the pulley & belt size (easier and cheaper
than doubling up the belts) to an 'A' size. This on a boat diesel,
mind you, but the alternator was only 60 amp. That's the same size as
the middle A/C pulley on my 86, so with a longer belt and some re-
aligning, that maybe could be done.

Jim C
71 Van
86 Westy

On Sep 12, 2008, at 9:35 PM, Tony Collins wrote:

> Sorry Scott,
>
> I mean to do this as a reply all.
>
> Well would you say that if you had a 65 amp alternator you would not
> preffer
> the 90a? If you say that I have a 90a on the 85 already, then I
> would have
> to agree that this swap is unnessesary, but I am of the persuasion
> that the
> 65a alternators are not enough to keep the current going on my
> radio, heater
> fan, headlights, windshield wipers.....and forget adding upgraded
> stereo
> equipment. This is provably due more beacuse of bad(old) grounding.
> But if I
> had the amperage at a higher level as you mention I would power al
> my gizmos
> and keep a healthy current in the battery. I have free the electrons
> on my
> rocco and I am quite happy with the results when I run everything I
> want on.
>
>
> The annecdote of the 120 amp alternator was more as to say that they
> had
> been built during the 80'-90's. You are right the TDI 120 do exist
> but doing
> the serpertine conversion is more time consuming that I would want
> for the
> scirocco and I would not know whatto do with it on the vanagon
>
> Thanks,
> Tony
> On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 7:20 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> all US model waterboxer vanagons have the 90 amp alternator.....
>> and it's the exact same alternator on many VW's of the 80's and early
>> 90's........
>> a gasoline Quantum car with AC would for sure have the same 90 amp
>> alternator, for example.
>>
>> I don't see any need for a larger output alternator except for two
>> reasons......
>> one, you have so many high current drawing gizmo's..........like high
>> wattage lights .......
>> or you want 10 current sapping things on all at once, like AC, big
>> wattage
>> sound system, the heater fan, and high beams on, all at once.
>>
>> or, you want quicker recharging time for your auxiliary # 2 house
>> battery
>> after camping.
>> I carry and have tested a 65 amp back-up alternator for  my 85
>> wolfsburg
>> Weekender 2.1 waterboxer Vanagon - that works just fine.
>>
>> many tdi VW's have a 120 amp alternator, though it's not a v-belt
>> belt
>> system.
>>
>> 'more' is not always better.
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Collins" <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM
>> >
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 8:59 AM
>> Subject: Re: Alternator Question.
>>
>>
>>
>> The reason I was asking is that I already have a 90 Amp alternator
>> from a
>>> scirocco parts car. I was looking at pictures of the vanagons and
>>> believe
>>> that the bodies on both alternators look the same. I just did not
>>> know how
>>> many amps the vanagons where running.  I like to free the
>>> electrons in all
>>> of my vehicles rumor has it that there are some 1980's audi with
>>> 120 amp
>>> alternators that would fit the roccos ergo the vanagons if my
>>> observation
>>> is
>>> correct. Any other comments or suggestions are welcomed
>>>
>>> I really have to get a Bentley.
>>>
>>> Tony
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 10:38 AM, joel walker
>>> <uncajoel@bellsouth.net
>>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> How many amps on an alternator for an 85 Vanagon with ac?
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> two show up in etka ... 65amp is the normal one, and you could
>>>> special
>>>> order a 90amp model (for like radio trucks and such).
>>>>
>>>> hope it helps. good luck!
>>>> joel
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> 82 Scirocco
>>> 85 Vanagon
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> 82 Scirocco
> 85 Vanagon