Saleen Alternator pulley change.

[ZmanM3]

I have searched this so either I'm not using the correct key words or it hasn't come up.
I recently fried my stock alternator and decided to go with the PA 200a one. My question is, while I know I have to swap the pulleys, if for no other reason then the PA comes with a 6 rib pulley and I have an 8 rib pulley setup, I was also told by Jim III that the alternator has to spin in one direction. Now looking at the alternator it spins freely in either direction. Why does the alternator have to spin in only one direction to work properly? I know you can spin a generator in either direction and it will work fine. I know an alternator is different from a generator but why would you need to spin it in only 1 direction. I also don't understand how swapping the pulley is going to change the direction of spin when I put the alternator in my Saleen setup car. I am pretty sure that the Alternator is turned around and the direction of spin is going to be changed from stock too. This is something I mostly want to know for my own knowledge, obviously I'm putting the 8 rib pulley on, I just what to know how this is working.

 

[94tbird]

mine spins in either direction. Apparently built into the stock pulley is a clutch that only allows it to go one way. We dont have that in 8 rib kits

 

[ZmanM3]

mine spins in either direction. Apparently built into the stock pulley is a clutch that only allows it to go one way. We dont have that in 8 rib kits

So then it would appear that the only reason you need the Saleen tool is to take the stock pulley off the stock alternator so that you can have the altornator spin in reverse. Makes sense because all I needed to swap pulleys was a 15/16 socket and a impact ratchet.

From the thread I posted in JDM's section:

The only thing I could find was that it is relative to the cooling charecteristics which in turn prevents over heating.Also by reversing the rotation current flow is also reversed. This doesn"t mean that Polarity is reversed, just the direction in which it flows. Diodes are made for current to flow in one direction. Kind of like the same principal that a water pump works on, the impeller will move more water, faster, and more effectively cool, opposed to when it spins in the opposite direction. Hope this helps. Also changing operating range rpm's will also affect output.

This makes sense but I have to admit the stocker lasted over 3 years spining in reverse. There were several long drives I took in on too, 1K miles + from GA to TX to WI back to GA and from MO to TX and it was never an issue. What actually happened to mine seems to be one of the barrens let go and then the regulator failed and fried everything. With all the issues people have had with the stocker I am surprised mine lasted as long as it did.

 

[Agent Jones]

where did you get the aftermarket alternator. how is it better than stock

 

[ZmanM3]

where did you get the aftermarket alternator. how is it better than stock

I got it from PA performance, it is a 200 amp alternator as apposed to the 130 I think the stocker puts out. It is more pricy but I haven't heard of people having issues with them failing.