james singleton
Well-known member
I am curious as to any thoughts/comments concerning the use of a "1-wire" alternator versus the use of a "3-wire" alternator. Is there much difference such as longevity of the regulator, etc.??? Thanks, James
Long ago I bought a 10Si self-exciting unit for mine (it's a single wire alternator) after finding out that the stock alternator was not working. You do have to rev the engine a bit to get the regulator going but it doesn't need an obnoxiously high rev so it's no biggie. I really like the simplified wiring and the fact that my ammeter now works much better with the update. As far as longevity, I've had a similar alternator in past cars and never had an issue with one.I am curious as to any thoughts/comments concerning the use of a "1-wire" alternator versus the use of a "3-wire" alternator. Is there much difference such as longevity of the regulator, etc.??? Thanks, James
No harshness or contention intended, but this is not correct. The 1-wire alternator I am running charges MUCH better than ANY factory alternator of any brand I've ever run in 48 years of driving. Perhaps it's just the brand (Tuff Stuff), their selling point is the low RPM amp output due to the coil windings. At 750 RPM the alternator keeps up with a 50 amp load. It begins charging the moment the engine fires, and never has less output than the amp demand above 750 rpm. It's very impressive, and I will not be returning to a factory-based external regulator system again.The the 3 wire is the way to go. "The 1-wire alternator is self-exciting, it requires the driver of the car to exceed an engine RPM threshold to tell the alternator to start charging. It does not start charging until it reaches a threshold RPM – which requires the engine to rev up a bit." “The 1-wire alternator only has a sense of what it is sending current to, which is the battery. If the battery is up, it does not recognize a voltage drop. The three wire alternator senses voltage at the fuse block and the ignition, and the alternator will then charge more to get all the systems up to power,”
No mention was made of an external regulator nor does 3 wire mean an external regulator is used. The difference between the ONE-WIRE and THREE-WIRE alternator is the voltage regulator. The Delco part # D680 voltage regulator is used in both the 10SI and 12SI THREE-WIRE models. The same model of alternator can be assembled with different types of voltage regulators (for ONE-WIRE or for the THREE-WIRE system).No harshness or contention intended, but this is not correct. The 1-wire alternator I am running charges MUCH better than ANY factory alternator of any brand I've ever run in 48 years of driving. Perhaps it's just the brand (Tuff Stuff), their selling point is the low RPM amp output due to the coil windings. At 750 RPM the alternator keeps up with a 50 amp load. It begins charging the moment the engine fires, and never has less output than the amp demand above 750 rpm. It's very impressive, and I will not be returning to a factory-based external regulator system again.