Well, all I can report is that I got the same story from everyone, including
one race engine builder in Sydney who said that he has had a car on the
rolling road and it dropped > 5HP just by pulling off the alternator lead
and
popped straight back up when reconnected. this was at 7200 rpm.
Compared to when it was running smoothly, the engine felt fluffy and down
on power at high revs. It wasn't like an audible misfire.
Over here, no-one runs without an alternator. If the current drain isn't
big, the
losses are very small.
My old engine builder also gave me the same advice independently. he said
it was a sure way to lose HP.
Anyhow, when this engine gets fixed, I'm back on the rolling road. I'll do
the experiment myself and report the results!!!! We'll then know if it is a
folk tale
or real.
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: Wm. Severin Thompson <wsthompson@thicko.com>
To: Mike Gigante <mikeg@vicnet.net.au>; <team-thicko@autox.team.net>;
<spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, 6 October 1999 7:09
Subject: Re: What I've been up to...
> Mike,
>
> Below... you said "It is well known by spridget racers that you can't run
> off battery alone you'll get a high rpm misfire..."
>
> I run the RRB up around 7,500rpm in hour long enduros, on a garden tractor
> battery. Now, this is with a piece of shit stock distributor. We charge
the
> battery between sessions. very rare that you see any vintage Sprite guys
> with generators or alternators... but most of them don't rev over 7,000
rpm
> either.
>
> I did have an un-explained high speed miss when trying to use a Mallory
dual
> point...maybe because of the scenario you've described. I'm not sure if
the
> horsepower drag from the alternator is worth the slight advantage of the
> dual point. What do you think?
>
> WST
>
>
> > In the post race check, I discovered a dangling wire - it was from the
> > alternator -
> > the small tab that goes to the alternator light (the energiser circuit)
> was
> > broken
> > (damn Lucas alternator). This may have explained the inability to rev
over
> > 7000.
> > It is well known by spridget racers that you can't run off battery
alone -
> > you'll get
> > a high rpm misfire. I was hopeful that I'd get my power back. I'd been
> > having other
> > electrical problems that first became evident by unreliable brake lights
> and
> > a partly
> > melted rear wiring loom. There was further evidence of electrical
problems
> > in the
> > engine bay which led us to power a couple of items directly from the
> > battery! This
> > certainly wouldn't have helped as it would have cost voltage to the
> ignition
> > circuit.
> > With the alternator fixed, it was just putting out 13 volts at 5000rm.
Not
> > great, but
> > maybe enough I hoped. I put the car on trickle charge all night.
> >
>
>
>
|