Any of you guys think if you swap the pulleys from existing to replacement alternator it would keep the existing belt and operate at a higher rpm because the pulley is smaller? I've been considering this swap but I want enough juice to be worth the squeezing.

 

Rusty

When I first heard about needing a bigger belt, I thought of that. I think the issue can't be resolved with a smaller pulley because 1. the pulley is moved up and left because of the sheer size of the alternator. like the standard one is the size of a softball nestled in it's spot being replaced with a basketball [in principal]. 2. any reduction of the pulley would be negligible and still get it's retaining bolt/nut inside with an impact socket.

 

Thanks DARK. Lifetime warranties on my alt. and gatorback from local store that came in the paperwork with my jimmy has kept me from throwing any dough. Rex's dinner made me hungry. I don't want to fork over any bread.

 

Thanx for the pix guys. They help a lot.

I think before I install it I'm gonna have it checked for max output Just so I know what I can expect. If this is a factory replacement, it may be an upgrade. Too new looking to be 16 or 17 years old.

Whenever I have to fork over real dough, I usually go with Lifetime warrantee and an upgrade in the process. I am gonna ask the parts guy if he can identify the model/vehicle cross reference when I check it out. With any luck, I'll find a guy that actually knows what he is doin' lol

 

I took the big alternator to AAP today. They cross referenced it and had two in stock [105 and 140 amp]. They put mine on a test machine and it was putting out 13-14.5 volts across the board with nothing wrong with it but they could not tell me which amperage it was. I wasn't worried because I was already told that the bigger housing could handle a bigger voltage regulator if I needed it. So now onto compatibility.

I asked to handle the reman of the 96 Blazer alternator. She brought out a little one and set it next to the monster. It was about 1/3 the size! The plug to the voltage regulator was a straight, flat 4 pin. The other was 3 pin and in a "L" shape.

Back to square one. I don't need an alternator now but I want a supper one in my future as I build my dark one. I have seven months to swap it for a AD244 or DR44G . Can anybody say if one is better or more powerful than the other?

 

Apparently the DR44G is a newer version of the AD244 (or the other way around). From what I read the AD244 was a bit more serviceable. When I got my DR44G it had a 2 pin regulator on it. I bought a new 4 pin on eBay and it fit right in. I had to modify the plastic backing a little bit with a Dremil tool. But from there I haven't had any issues with it. If you look at my build thread here, I took a bunch of pictures even though some of them are blurry, you get the idea.

 

Tajohns34
your thread is very educational and thorough. If I have to replace a voltage regulator - I'll be back. I don't want to disconnect my Alt plug without taking the - off the batt first to find out what my OE alternator plug looks like. I really like your instrument cluster. none of my needles ever come back to "0" and I'm not sure I can really trust them. I do know the temp gauge is OK because I did run it up when I blew the water pump. My fuel gage has never been on spot and my trip meter only works sometimes

 

Well, I took the Monster alternator back and looked for a DR44G again. Learning from other members threads is often a great opportunity to learn from their mistakes and choose well (I hope.) Now that I know what they look like, I guess I just have to find one with a 4 pin regulator. During the course of my search I rolled a little one off of a blazer and cut the plug to test fit with.

Since I was just there a few days ago I didn't expect much but I expanded my search to include ALL GM trucks, vans and SUVs. I found another monster on a Chevy Express van and other big ones that had no labeling on them. I found a 2002 GMC Envoy fully loaded with a DR44G. It was hung all wrong from what I expected. The belt didn't follow the path I'm used to seeing at all. Since it was not on a van; I can't understand why they mounted it on the drivers side under something else. The mounting bolts don't even go in from the front. They are short and mount from the right side.

The yard closes at 5 and it was 20 mins til; so I decided to come back when I was more sure of taking it. I may have to untangle it from all the other appliances and pull it just to test the Regulator plug and look for "standard" front mounting holes to see if it will mount "normal".

This little upgrade is becoming a project of it's own and I still can't even get in my back window. I gotta re-prioritize. lol

 

AC Delco New Take Off Alternator 145 Amp OEM Part # 22781130 DR44G 5.3 6.0L | eBay