Plane Power Alternator Ideas anyone?

[Don Heene]

I have an 1968 M20C,  I'm going to replace my 1968  Prestolite Part# ALY-6406 12 volt  60 amp alternator it with a Plane Power alternator AL12-70 and regulator R1224.  Old alternator is producing 11.3 to 11.7 volts at full power.   I understand the Plane Power alternator  will charge up to 70 amps.  Is this OK and won't blow the 60 amp breaker?  Maybe that's what the regulator will help with.  Has anyone replaced their alternator with Plane Power alternator?  Can anyone offer ideas installing and wiring it up.   I'm doing this with an A&P by the way.  I would like some knowledge before meeting up with him. 

Thanks,

Don

[RLCarter]

When I did mine, the instructions gave you the option , leave the old wring & circuit breaker or upgrade to get the full potential. I left the wiring and CB and have had no issues 

[Raptor05121]

As Robert stated, you need a 70-amp CB swap to take advantage of the 70amps. I left mine in place with the 60amps. I have LEDs throughout and with EVERYTHING on, I'll barely be cracking 30amps. I wouldn't bother.

Wiring is simple. Identify and label the wires you are taking off the old one, and then install per the PlanePower drawings. BE SURE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. I left mine hooked up when I went to test the field wire and got a zap when it touched the engine mount and got more injury from falling backward off the chair.

The problem I had is the bracket that joins the starter to alternator wouldn't fit and had to source a longer one from someone. I've noticed others have simply left it off. I also purchased some thick rubber-felt like material from aircraft spruce and closed off the gap between the baffle and alternator to control the lower deck pressure.

[Andy95W]

Why not just install the PlanePower voltage regulator and send out your Prestolite for overhaul?  Save a lot of time and money, and the Prestolite alternators are generally bulletproof if overhauled every couple thousand hours or so.

[Don Heene]

Many Thanks for the advice!   Andy to answer your question I think I might look into an overhaul.  I fly every weekend and didn't want the plane down for weeks getting the alternator overhauled.  I just want a new alternator that lasts I will pay for that.  The one I have lasted since 1968 that's amazing.  

19 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

Why not just install the PlanePower voltage regulator and send out your Prestolite for overhaul?  Save a lot of time and money, and the Prestolite alternators are generally bulletproof if overhauled every couple thousand hours or so.

 

[Andy95W]

A lot of places have overhauled exchange.  They send you an overhauled alternator, you send them your old one when it's out.  No downtime.

[mooniac15u]

16 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Why not just install the PlanePower voltage regulator and send out your Prestolite for overhaul?  Save a lot of time and money, and the Prestolite alternators are generally bulletproof if overhauled every couple thousand hours or so.

Is the PlanePower regulator approved for installation on an M20C without also installing a PlanePower alternator?  The STC looks like it requires both.

[Aerodon]

Just like the average house, the 'peak demand' is on the decrease.  Just replace your landing light with an LED and you've knocked 10-20A of your peak demand.  To use the 70A of the plane power you need 2 things:

1) wiring and CB in place to handle 70A

2) the ability to load over 60A.

I can do this on my Seneca with dual heated electric props, heated windshield, 2 x 100W landing lights etc.  But I have 2 60A alternators so I only need to pay attention if one alternator is out.  Now I have 2 LED landing lights, avionics that draw less current so its even less of an issue.

What does your electrical load analysis show - I would say its hard to need 60A, never mind 70A in a Mooney?

Aerodon

[orionflt]

I installed the plane power conversion on my C model years ago, I have an older style case so my mount is slightly different. Plane power supplied everything I needed. As for swapping breakers and wiring. Don’t worry about it. Even though the alternator is capable of 70 amps. It will only supply as much as you call for up to your breaker limit. With the upgrades in electronics and Led lighting the chances of needing 70 amps is slim. You would have to add prop deice. 

Brian

[Don Heene]

4 hours ago, mooniac15u said:

Is the PlanePower regulator approved for installation on an M20C without also installing a PlanePower alternator?  The STC looks like it requires both.

I was told the STC requires both.

[Andy95W]

The PlanePower regulator is an STC'ed replacement for the InterAv mod, I didn't realize Prestolite alternators were standard equipment beginning in 1968.  My bad.

[Jim Peace]

I have the plane power alternator now for 300 hours.  Has anyone done some sort of preventative mx yet in this time frame or did you wait until the 5 years or 1000  hours for a send back to the factory?

[jetdriven]

You replace the brushes every 1000 hours.  That’s it. 

Since Kelly took over the PP line they don’t repair them. They exchange them for the same price as buying a new one. 

Edited September 29, 2018 by jetdriven

[Guest]

On 9/28/2018 at 12:03 AM, Don Heene said:

Many Thanks for the advice!   Andy to answer your question I think I might look into an overhaul.  I fly every weekend and didn't want the plane down for weeks getting the alternator overhauled.  I just want a new alternator that lasts I will pay for that.  The one I have lasted since 1968 that's amazing.  

 

If it’s lasted since 1968, how are the brushes?  They’re very easy to pull inspect/ replace.

Clarence

[Yetti]

sounds like your airboat alternator should go down to the local alternator shop for a quick fix up

[Don Heene]

On 9/29/2018 at 5:30 PM, M20Doc said:

If it’s lasted since 1968, how are the brushes?  They’re very easy to pull inspect/ replace.

Clarence

Looks like I'm keeping the Alternator.  Found out a wire came loose from the Alternator.  Got it hooked up and it's charging at 13.4 to 13.6 volts.  Sending the Plane Power Alternator back.  

[FloridaMan]

I suggest you replace all of your alternator wires. You will have more issues with them if they’re old. I ended up AOG twice due to bad wires, and had an engine failure on takeoff that landed me off field after an alternator repair. 

[David Lloyd]

52 minutes ago, Antares said:

I suggest you replace all of your alternator wires. You will have more issues with them if they’re old. I ended up AOG twice due to bad wires, and had an engine failure on takeoff that landed me off field after an alternator repair. 

About half my electrical failures were wiring related.  Old planes, lot of hours, one generator, two alternators, three voltage regulators (one may have been a faulty mechanic). One alternator (Interav) failed at 50 hours due to the brush assembly being installed crooked at the factory.  One broken B lead at the alternator, several broken field wires mostly at the alternator. Twice the field wire was incorrectly crimped and was loose in the terminal.  Most of this involved different mechanics over a 35 year period before I started doing my own work.

[JoeM]

I had my Interav Prestolite "airboat" alternator OH'd at a marine electric specialist. It tested fine on their bench, twice. Installed a used Plane Power R1224 which Hartzell confirmed worked normally. The system would NOT charge, and Hartzell couldn't tell me why. Said "it should work". Others have told me Plane Power regulators don't always work with Interav alternators. I ended up giving my OH'd alternator to Spruce as a core for a new Plane Power STC kit. Worked like a charm. And I also replaced ALL the wiring to field and buss. 

[A64Pilot]

On 9/30/2018 at 12:31 AM, Yetti said:

sounds like your airboat alternator should go down to the local alternator shop for a quick fix up

That was my plan for the alternator for my 140, but unfortunately the rotor was bad, and you can’t get them rewound like you used to, so it was either buy another one hoping the rotor was good, or go to a Plane Power, factory one was $2,000 and no one had one.

So $1300 or so later I’m all fine, however I found out the AC Spruce doesn’t give you your money back on your CC for the core charge, they give you store credit.

I wasn’t pleased with that

[N201MKTurbo]

In my world Aircraft Spruce store credit is as good as money…

[LANCECASPER]

On 4/10/2022 at 3:36 PM, A64Pilot said:

That was my plan for the alternator for my 140, but unfortunately the rotor was bad, and you can’t get them rewound like you used to, so it was either buy another one hoping the rotor was good, or go to a Plane Power, factory one was $2,000 and no one had one.

So $1300 or so later I’m all fine, however I found out the AC Spruce doesn’t give you your money back on your CC for the core charge, they give you store credit.

I wasn’t pleased with that

They've always given me the core back on my credit card.

[A64Pilot]

They didn’t me, see attached screenshot

 

[Yetti]

On 4/10/2022 at 3:36 PM, A64Pilot said:

That was my plan for the alternator for my 140, but unfortunately the rotor was bad, and you can’t get them rewound like you used to, so it was either buy another one hoping the rotor was good, or go to a Plane Power, factory one was $2,000 and no one had one.

So $1300 or so later I’m all fine, however I found out the AC Spruce doesn’t give you your money back on your CC for the core charge, they give you store credit.

I wasn’t pleased with that

the local alternator shop aint' like it used to be.   I wonder if Aeromotors that does the fuel pumps would do an alternator.      It was not long ago the local shop redid a magneto on a really old air compressor engine that we dragged out from somewhere.

 

[A64Pilot]

Yeah “fixing stuff” is going away, used to be you had TV’s repaired, vacuum cleaner motors rewound, and shoes repaired. Things are built much cheaper now and meant to be disposed every few years, they aren’t meant to last.

The knowledge and skill required to repair things is going away.

Yesterday I took apart and cleaned and re-greased my 1946 Grimes landing light in my 140, every few years it requires cleaning and relubing, but it’s 75 years old, works fine and isn’t near worn out, seems it will last forever. Thing is mechanically brilliant, very easy to service and built like a tank, just requires servicing every so often. Heavy though.

My Wife’s Grandmother still had and used all her original stuff, Iron, Vacuum, toaster etc. the fridge was replaced because the door seal couldn’t be sourced, but it still ran fine at 50 years old, she still had a rotary dial telephone that weighed about 10 lbs.

Good Army boots are over $200, used to get them re soled for $25 or so, now you throw them away I guess and buy a new pair for $200.

I think my Plane Power is actually an Hitachi auto alt, and if so it’s a good unit, will probably outlast me, but I’d rather had the rotor rewound on the old one as that would probably outlast me to for 1/5 the cost, and no 337 to deal with.

Edited April 13, 2022 by A64Pilot