Alternator upgrade for bagged 1964 Deville

[Boardie101]

Hey everyone, hope all is well and thanks in advance for the breadth of knowledge/info. this site provides...

I recently installed an air bag suspension kit to my 1964 Deville and needless to say the original alternator is struggling to keep up. I plan to add a sound system and am assuming that I'll need a 220 amp alternator, but wanted to see if anyone else has been successful going a different route??? To complicate the matter, I have an early built 1964 Deville that was given a 1963 390ci engine due to the factory's surplus (as opposed to a 429ci like most '64's). I found a 220amp alternator on Powerbastards.com, but it doesn't appear to be compatible with a '63 390 engine (I'm waiting for final confirmation)... Any assistance or feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Mike

[3ft7bqmb7dryo]

As long as the casing has the same mount holes, it will work. You will need to run a single wire alt 9the GEN light will not work) or get the conversion kit that has a jumper plug and adaptor pig tail.

You will also need to rewire the charging wire harness to take the new amp charge.

[3ft7bqmb7dryo]

Curious as to what the VIN is on your engine. Why do you think it is a 63?

[Boardie101]

Thank you all for the feedback... I'm on the road for work, but will check the engine VIN against the car to confirm original vs. swap when I return. The original owner (technically second) advised me that it was built with a '63 engine and I could've sworn I saw something online that supported the possibility. I'll take the time to fully research.

Russ, appreciate the note on wiring/conversion kit.

Thanks!

[2xgoda54p8tdu]

The alternator listed for the '63 on that website is a Delco CS130 style alternator. It should physically mount in the bracket but it will need a pigtail wired to it to make it work. I have attached a basic wiring diagram for this alternator showing what it will take to make it work. Hope it helps.

Be wary. This style of alternator (CS130) is inherently poor in general. The unit has a small rear bearing and if excessive tension in applied to the pulley the rear bearing will suffer from premature failure. Proper belt tension is key to get the proper life out of these. 

Greg

[Boardie101]

Thanks Greg, appreciate the note and the diagram!