Alternator Temp

[Enigma]

Just a general question.

How hot does your alternator get after running, say 30 minutes.

Is it touchable? Can you hold your hand on it?

Mine is extremely hot. You can't hold your hand on it for more than a second.

Enigma

 

[igasper10]

I wouldn't worry about it. C3's are notorious for getting hot under the hood. I can't even touch my air filter after my 74 has been running awhile.

ian - :eek

 

[Dave L.]

Enigma - That sounds normal to me. Like Ian said you could probably fry an egg just about anywhere under the hood after 30 minutes!

Dave

 

[Mike Carter]

Mine is hot everywhere, I work on it daily always making what I think is some improvement. It's hot always. Even the test stuff is hot.

Mike

 

[Enigma]

Thanks Guys.

I had nothing to compare to.

I can hold my hand on my F150's alternator for long periods of time with out burning myself.

Sometimes I think I can cook an entire meal under the hood of my 1980 vette within 15 minutes.

Enigma

 

[Mike Carter]

Enigma,

In TX I don't need a heater, even in the winter. Vettes are hot not comparable to other cars, I can watch heat waves off my hood. I let it cool over an hour before I work on it,

Mike

 

[SwaveDave]

Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but, my alternator isnt excessively hot even after 30 minutes of running. I have a 100 amp TuffStuff Alternator which is brand new. I found out that its a good idea to occasionally blow out the alternator with compressed air to get rid of the dust and dirt that accumulates inside and contributes to it running hotter.

Dave

 

[Mike Carter]

Good point, but my point is the alternator is not hot everything is.

Mike

 

[SwaveDave]

Mike, When y ou say that everything is 'very hot' in the engine bay...do u mean even the walls of the engine area as well as parts like the distributors outer surface, horn relay, etc...??? I cant say that my engine bay is that hot and i have a BB .

Dave

 

[Enigma]

Mine is the same way. In the summer after driving for a few hours, I dread coming up to a stop light. You can see the heat waves and feel them.

Enigma

 

[VRGSVET]

If your alternator is putting out good voltage and doesn't make any noises (squealing or grinding) it should be ok. They do get very hot especially in the summer time. My Corvette and the Chevy trucks I've had were too hot to touch just after driving, especially in the summer time.

 

[Mike Carter]

Dave,

yep, anything metal, we're at 90 everyday now shortly everyday until SEPT will be in the 100 range, and my vette is hot under the hood, the trans and the exhaust. I agree with Enigma, it's hot. I have to let it cool to work on it, I put a rebuilt 69 Qjet, on it the other day (good results BTW) and had to close the hood during work, the sun made it hot and the fenders burned my legs through my jeans.

Mike

 

[SwaveDave]

Mike,

Bummer....we had a heat wave today in Northern Illinois. Made it up to 77 degrees ! Nice to drive the vette with the T TOps off and the windows down.

Just for kicks, i have a lazor Thermometer., the kind which shoots a red beam at whatever you aim it at, and it instantly gives you the surface temp.
Ill take Ol BLue out for a good run then take some measurements of different things under the hood, and post the results. Not till tomorrow though.

Dave

 

[Mike Carter]

Dave, ol stick that's winter here, if it gets below 70 I break out the sweats, or move farther south, I walk in the house at night and ask the wife if she's hanging meat it's 80.

Mike

 

[Stallion]

Hey guys, wanna hear a dumb story?

I was working on the exaust, I had dropped the driver side muffler. And I had pulled the Vette back in the garage with the muffler back up. It had been running for about 20 minutes. So I turned the car off. I knew the exaust was going to be hot. But I was checking the "U" clamp bolts. And then I wasn't thinking and I put my arm dead smack on the muffler. OUCH!! And then as a reaction, my shoulder went up on the tail pipe. Just to say, those seconds felt like hours on that hot exaust. I pulled away as quick as possible.

But I came away from it alright. A little red on the arm. Mostly scared me more than it hurt.

TR

 

[SwaveDave]

TR, Glad you werent hurt. Sorry you dont get the 'DumbAss' award though... that title belongs to this guy which is a real newspaper story : A customer went to his mechanic and complained of a very annoying vibration with his Truck ,but only at a certain speed. So after alot of the mechanics time spent on trying to solve the problem...in frustration , the Mechanic suggests that his customer drives the Truck while he is underneath the vehicle. I guess they did this on some backroads where no one would see them. After about 10 minutes, the customer (whos driving) hears ALOT of noise from the back so he pulls over and stops. Upon looking underneath , he finds is mechanic wrapped around the driveshaft due his clothing getting caught up in it. Mechanic is dead.

So be careful under your cars folks!

Dave

 

[SwaveDave]

TEMPERATURES OF VARIOUS ENGINE COMPONENTS on my BB after giving it a good run on the street for half an hour. :

Outside temp : 65 degrees. Cloudy day.
Engine temp : 190 degrees

Popped open hood and immediately started recording the 'highest' temp obtained on each part in the engine bay , using an infrared lazer type thermometer, as follows:

Chrome Alternator (100 amp) : 155
Horn Relay on side wall : 128
Distributor close to the intake : 143
Chrome wiper door actuator : 129
#1 Header close to the Cylinder Head : 503
Sides of the engine bay : 147
Firewall in the middle : 144
Intake just below the carb : 150
Top of the chrome cover for the brake fluid : 133
Carb booster leg (down the venturi) : 117

Note : My radiator is completely sealed around the sides so all the air HAS to go thru the radiator.

Result : Doesnt sound too excessive to me ; you guys down in Florida and Texas just dont know how to live right !!! )))

From Northern Illinois, Dave

 

[ccflorida]

Dave,
How about the top and bottom radiator temps.

 

[SwaveDave]

Roy,

Just got back from a long run in the vette and measured the inlet and outlet temps of the radiator (while idling) . The twin electric radiator fans were running , and its 75 degrees out right now :

Inlet at top of radiator : 190 f.
Outlet at bottom of radiator : 175 f.
Radiator is a 4 core copper type - aftermarket. Fan assembly covers just about the entire radiator surface. Engine thermostat is a 180 f. type.

A 15 f. drop at idle sounds good to me ; im sure its much more when moving as there will be more water being pumped thru the radiator as rpms increase, and more outside air should be hitting the radiator . If youre interested, i can hood up an electric thermometer with 10' sensor wire and make recordings of the outlet temp at various speeds.

Dave