An alternator is one of those pieces of automotive equipment that gets taken for granted. It doesn't roar when you step on the gas, you can't see it with the hood shut, it doesn't make any noise, but it spins tirelessly doing its job of keeping your electrical system at full power without any maintenance or care.
In fact, the only time you'll even think about your alternator is when it goes bad or doesn't live up to the electrical strain you're trying to put it under. Winches, extra lights, big stereos, and in-vehicle blenders can all zap a lot of power and leave the potential for underpowering your battery and even burning out your alternator if your electrical demands are too big.
This is where the masters at Powermaster come in. They realize that once you bolt on your alternator, you'll likely never touch it again until it breaks. That's why they are built to stand up against the worst elements - dirt, mud, water, and heat - while continuing to satisfy the amperage demands necessary for your modified electrical systems.
 |  1. We started our installation...  1. We started our installation with the removal of the stock alternator. Once you remove the positive and negative field wires, along with the positive lead to the battery, only two bolts and a serpentine belt need to be removed to pull the alternator off the engine. |  2. Even after 14 years, our...  2. Even after 14 years, our original OEM alternator was still working fine, but our power demands had grown to a sketchy point and we wanted to add a little more charging juice to be safe.
The Powermaster alternator is a direct bolt-in replacement for our stock unit, and a welcomed addition to a truck running three auxiliary lights, two winches, two stereo amplifiers, split between two batteries. Needless to say, we were a prime candidate for a high-output alternator. Each Powermaster unit is tested before it leaves the facilities. Our particular Dodge unit (No. 43311) put out 118 amps at idle and 176 amps at highway cruising speeds. The old stock alternator we replaced peaked at 120 amps. |
 3. The Powermaster alternator...  3. The Powermaster alternator bolted in place as easily as the original one did. We did have to add three washers onto the lower bolt to make up for a slightly different housing width, but it was an easy adaption. |  4. We apologize for the poor...  4. We apologize for the poor angle of this image, but the alternator is tucked under a crossmember and an air-intake tube. But, you can see that we were able to bolt the positive and negative field wires, along with the battery lead, onto the new alternator without issue. |  5. With the alternator completely...  5. With the alternator completely installed, it was time to put the serpentine belt back on. Most engines made within the last couple decades have a spring tensioner pulley that puts the correct amount of tension on the belt and makes for easy removal and installation. You can simply put a box wrench on the tensioner and put force against the spring to release the serpentine belt. |