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Saturday Night Racer >> RACE TECH >> Hobby Altenator
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Message started by bakominimamma on 01/08/11 at 3:47pm

Title: Hobby Altenator
Post by bakominimamma on 01/08/11 at 3:47pm

Whats everyones opinion on running a altenator on a Hobby?? Just wondering.

Thanks

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by Chad11 on 01/08/11 at 5:27pm

You dont need one, just charge the battery overnight the night before the race.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by 03 on 01/08/11 at 8:55pm

Agree with Chad11

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by 01M on 01/09/11 at 7:26pm

i run an alternator on my hobby so i dont have to charge it. just one less thing to worry about when doing maintence on the car. the power loss is very minimal from 1-3 horsepower depending on what alternator you use.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by 17t_racer on 01/09/11 at 9:04pm

01M wrote on 01/09/11 at 7:26pm:

Ditto. With a dry slick track like Bako or anywhere else in cali it would help you! I don't know anyone who has won a race without spinning the tires!

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by Chad11 on 01/10/11 at 10:07am

Loss of HP is not the reason I would chose to not run a an alternator. Running an alternator adds weight to the front of the car. Being that Bako is dry slick alot, combined with the fact that they lowered the weight rule to 3200 last year, I would want to keep as much weight off the front end as possible. The alternator also adds to the list of things that can break and cause a bad night. You've got the added risk of throwing a fan belt and what if the alternator itself decides to stop working. Even when we ran the 100 lappers a few years ago, I had no issues without an alternator.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by ministocker56 on 01/10/11 at 1:54pm

I't not a hobby , But my mini stock i've allway's ran an Altenator & just run a Switch to shut it off & restart it so it will charge

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by chevy68pickup on 01/11/11 at 1:07am

I always ran a Altenator on my cars. I raced a Street stock, Limited Late Model, and a Super Stock. If you thing about it, you want your coil to put out as much volts at you can get it to. Once your battery starts getting a little low on charge your coil isnt going to sp out as many volts as when you started the race so your loosing HP. If you run a Altenator you will keep your battery charged and keep your volts up to make you have as much Hp at the end of the race as when you started the race. You might loose a couple Hp running one but you have more Hp then some one not running one at the end. The set up i use is chep and works very well. You can get it from a wrecking yard. I use the crank pully, water pump pully and 1 wire Altenator off a early 90's chevy with the Serpentine setup. I do not run a switch to shut the power off to it.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by TURBO98 on 01/11/11 at 7:58am

Here's a great article on the subject...

http://stockcarracing.automotive.com/82833/scrp-0506-racecar-alternators-debate/index.html

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by 01M on 01/12/11 at 4:59pm

in my 8 years of racing i have never had any problem with my alternator. i also run the one wire setup but i do have it "race prepped" at an auto electrical shop here in merced. the owner is a veteran racer that ran alternators and modifies them to handle high rpms and racing stress.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by woodracin13 on 01/12/11 at 7:45pm

Well, I have never ran an alternator on my hobby in bako.
I don't think I have ever lost a race to someone because they were running and alternator and I have won several races without one.

So to me I don't think there is a need to run one as long as you keep your battery charged good.

Like Chad 11 said. I have run 2 of the 100 lap races and completed ever lap without a problem. Even stopped halfway and the car started just fine and started just fine after the night was over. I finished 2nd in one and 5th in the other.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by Racin72 on 01/12/11 at 11:55pm

i havent run one since i started racing I just charge it the night before and through out the night at the track no problems yet

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by 18racr on 01/13/11 at 10:37am

Alittle off the subject,,, 01M, in your picture it sure looks like you had a toe in problem on your car?

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by Andrew on 01/13/11 at 6:12pm

That's not necessarily toe in, more likely an ackermann problem.

Title: Re: Hobby Altenator
Post by 01M on 01/13/11 at 6:44pm

ya toe was always set good but i think something was bent but i bent the clip in hanford so now the whole front end is being replaced.