Headlight, driving lights.

[AuroraGirl]

It's about 4 1/2 amps per-bulb. I'm sure a healthy OEM alternator can manage the 18 amps, most of these trucks are running either a 63 or 78 amp alternator.

Kind of a side discussion (which is fine with me), I don't like to see people go to high of amperage alternator. The CS130 I think is rated at 160 amps, and the AD I think is up there too. Both designed for a serpentine belt, the problem comes in when you try to spin that thing with a single V-belt, you get a low battery and that alternator will shread a single V-belt, it's just to much load. IMO, even an alternator around 80 amps is getting close to where dual V-belts would be ideal, certainly anything over 100AMPS really aught to be dual belted. This is one of the reasons we saw some rigs later on run V-belts for the air pump, A/C, Power steering, but a simple manually adjustable serpentine belt, which typically went over the water pump and alternator. It was to handle higher output alternators.

None of this is needed for an extra 9 amps. My square is single headlights, but I've got hella 550 fogs and use them a lot with the low beams. They also draw about 9 amps for the pair. The alternator handles them no problem even at idle with the heater rolling out defrost on high. I'm running a 4 year old ACDelco reman alternator, I believe it's a 78 amp.

The ad230 and cs130 are 105amp alternators and they both have “soft” start and slow ramp up regulators. If your 10si or 12si doesn’t cause belt to chirp, there is no reason the cs130 and ad230 should start to do that too

If the 4hi mod used relays, disregard the next thing. If it doesn’t, be conscious about the voltage drop between battery and lights and the alternator relative to all that as well.

If you are comfortable with your alternator, keep it. Just at low RPM is what I’m thinking about

 

[AuroraGirl]

10si and 12si

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The cs130d and ad230 are very similar so here is one chart for those

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The ad230 just makes more at idle and between its max output but not by huge amounts. I couldn’t find a chart for that

 

[77 K20]

On my truck I switched from a 10si to a 12si as it made more amperage at a lower RPM. And I also put on a smaller pulley. I believe the stock one was 2.6" in diameter. I found one that was 2.342"

For something like $14 it helps a bit at lower RPM.

 

[SirRobyn0]

The ad230 and cs130 are 105amp alternators and they both have “soft” start and slow ramp up regulators. If your 10si or 12si doesn’t cause belt to chirp, there is no reason the cs130 and ad230 should start to do that too

If the 4hi mod used relays, disregard the next thing. If it doesn’t, be conscious about the voltage drop between battery and lights and the alternator relative to all that as well.

If you are comfortable with your alternator, keep it. Just at low RPM is what I’m thinking about

I did not know about the soft start. To be perfectly honest my reference doesn't show the AD230 & the CS130 is listed at 160amps. However I see from a web search that they could be 105, 140, 160. I really don't know to much about running soft start alternators on a v-belt, but I can see how the 105 would probably be just fine. I'm not sure that a 160 even if ramped up to the 160 would work on one single v-belt.

 

[SirRobyn0]

On my truck I switched from a 10si to a 12si as it made more amperage at a lower RPM. And I also put on a smaller pulley. I believe the stock one was 2.6" in diameter. I found one that was 2.342"

For something like $14 it helps a bit at lower RPM.

Good for your off road tasks I'm sure.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I did not know about the soft start. To be perfectly honest my reference doesn't show the AD230 & the CS130 is listed at 160amps. However I see from a web search that they could be 105, 140, 160. I really don't know to much about running soft start alternators on a v-belt, but I can see how the 105 would probably be just fine. I'm not sure that a 160 even if ramped up to the 160 would work on one single v-belt.

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If you wanted some educational video from GM, I linked to where it describes the Load Response Control feature of the CS alternators. The same feature went on into the CS130d and AD230 alternators.

I just went and checked out to see if the alternator guru of them all had different options for voltage regulators. IF you were to use a CS130(Not a CS130d or AD230) it seems like the stock "LRC" (load response control) could be used with a stock alternator, or if someone wanted to open up a used one to repair or modify(a new one even) you could get a 2.5 second LRC or a 10 second LRC or instant (no LRC)

https://store.alternatorparts.com/cs130-regulator.aspx

This is from a 1972 350 with stock pullies(the 10si on the bottom, ignore the 10dn)

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[SirRobyn0]

@AuroraGirl Yes, I'm interested in the video but will wait to be on a computer with speakers (or my phone) to watch it. I did find what you had to say about it interesting. I did do a little bit of reading after my last post and I see that you are correct a regular stock CS130 is a 105amp. It looks like the higher output units were built by remanufactures, or even in some cases newly manufactured aftermarket.

 

[AuroraGirl]

@AuroraGirl Yes, I'm interested in the video but will wait to be on a computer with speakers (or my phone) to watch it. I did find what you had to say about it interesting. I did do a little bit of reading after my last post and I see that you are correct a regular stock CS130 is a 105amp. It looks like the higher output units were built by remanufactures, or even in some cases newly manufactured aftermarket.

Yes. A cs144 was a 140 amp which could also fit but these were larger and I believe that would run into clearance issues on the normal alternator mounting spot because of the valve cover but im not sure on that. that would also, likely, have issues with the belt unless more wrap could be assured. they also get hot (cs130 already have a heat problem compared to newer models, cs144 makes more heat lol)

 

[SirRobyn0]

I have not updated my own experience with my headlight / driving light combo for a while so here it goes. For anyone that might be getting into this thread late, here is the recap. Last fall I decided to upgrade the headlights and fog lights. What I installed hella buckets #003427291 And hella fog 550's. I bought the LMC relay kit but have not installed them.

A year later I'm still singing their praises. My square sat in the shop for 2 weeks, while the transmission was out being rebuilt and I had to drive the Dakota, the headlights just seem dreadfully in that thing now. I've been super happy with this combination, and the fogs have worked out really well for me too. My biggest question is why did I never try a quality set of fog lights on any of my past vehicles? And what took me so long to update the headlights?

My only complaint about the hella buckets is that the rubber cover for the back of the bulb is to big to be able to pull it out the hole where the wiring connects. So in order to replace the bulb one must remove the headlight bucket. Yea, I know that's the way the sealed beams were changed, but I mistakenly thought easier bulb changes would be another side effect. I've thought about cutting the rubber, but don't want to end up with water in there. Other than that much brighter.

But that's not the purpose to this post. I got to try them out in a pretty good snow storm this evening. We don't get a lot of snow around here, most of it is in the mountains and when I need to do the pass in the winter I tend to do it in daylight. So coming home tonight I drove though a bit of heavy snow fall, rolling along about 30mph, I was having trouble seeing the road, flipped on the fogs, oh, ya I could see the edge of road crystal clear, and this is just regular clear fogs. I can't express how happy I am with these.

Also put a set of 440 hella fogs on my Jeep which I'm also very happy with.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Thanks for the update.

 

[SirRobyn0]

The other day I noticed the right front headlight was dim. Maybe 1/2 brightness. Assuming it was connection issue I took the battery out yesterday to get a look. I was expecting to find a bad ground, which technically I did, what I didn't expect was to find that the ground pin on the headlight connector was melted. In checking the drivers side I found the same thing, melted ground pin. I ran the normal resistance tests on the ground wires and found no issues, but cleaned up the ground where it connects to the core support anyhow. I don't think that the H4 bulb draws to much power, the original sealed beam was 35L / 55H, the Hella H4 bulbs are 55L / 60H. But I think I know what happened. Back when I installed the buckets a year and 5 months ago, I had to tighten one of the connectors on the passenger side though I don't remember which side. So I image that connection broke down, and because that connector has both headlight grounds running though it, resistance got high, both connectors got hot and wiped out the connectors.

Below picture of the damage on the left front, right side was worse:

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I had O'Rielly's order a pair of headlight connectors in. They had a pair of regular (non-covered) connectors in stock, but I wanted the ones with the rubber boots over it for added protection. So those came in today.

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Below pictures the left side with new connectors installed:

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Total install time after work was about 50 minutes, including new bulbs. It could have been quicker, I could have thrown these things in, in 15 minutes using butt connectors, but we are talking about headlights here so I wanted my repair to last and not have any issues down the road. So each connection is soldered and shrink wrapped, while not at all difficult it does take a little bit of time to make nice strong solder connections and to be sure the shrink wrap has made a moisture tight cover. Because the terminals on the headlight bulb were blackened pretty good, I installed my spare Hella H4 bulbs. Also put a little dielectric grease on each terminal of the new connector, before putting it on the headlight bulb.

Headlights are back to working great again!

 

[Randy and Easton]

@SirRobyn0 , great thread. Take a look at the American Autowire relay kit versus LMC. We bought both, but the LMC version was “made in China” and the American Autowire was such higher quality.. just our opinion, and we got it on scamazon for about the same price with free shipping!

Best to you sir….

Randy and Easton

 

[SirRobyn0]

@SirRobyn0 , great thread. Take a look at the American Autowire relay kit versus LMC. We bought both, but the LMC version was “made in China” and the American Autowire was such higher quality.. just our opinion, and we got it on scamazon for about the same price with free shipping!

Best to you sir….

Randy and Easton

Thanks Randy, I bought an LMC relay kit back when I did the Hella h4 conversion buckets but have never installed it. It's just sat on my shelf. I've come to understand that the LMC kit is not the best quality particularly the relays. People seem to complain about the relays failing. So if I get around to installing the relay kit one of these days I'll by quality relays to go in it at least. If I'd have know then, I wouldn't have bought the LMC kit, but it's what I've got and I'm well past any return deadline.

 

[Scott91370]

Just remember, the relay kits the comanies sell can be built, a lot of times for less, at home with quality parts and a little time. Not much more time than it takes to hook up the kit.

 

[Doppleganger]

There was a video on YT of a guy installing the LMC kit and showing how the wiring they used was chicom-esquely (I'm killer at scrabble, lol) over-rated with more insulation than copper. Then there are some very good vids showing issues with their power window kits also. For the same $ I bought some high grade USA made copper wire and a relay box to put them in. I agree that most all relays that come with these kits are garbage. Replaced them all with NOS German /Spain made Bosch relays from Rock.