T&T: Alternator Sizing

[Mark Richter]

Jim,
Many Lehmans have been succesfully upgraded to 100A or 120A alternators,
which will do a good job of charging a bank of 8 golf-carts.  You will have
to upgrade the alternator output wire from the present #10 or #8 to #4 or
#2, depending on the length of the cable.  If your Lehman has a
double-groove pulley on the crank and the water pump (unusual), get an
alternator with a two-groove sheave also.  A single 1/2" wide v-belt will
work, but is marginal, and the belts will wear out regularly.

Many Lehmans are wired with long runs of small (#10 or #8) wire from the
alternator to a steering station ammeter (look to see if you have one of
these), and then on to the battery, either via the main house panel or via
the starter motor solenoid.  If yours is one of these, you can nearly double
your 60A alternator's actual output just by replacing this long wire with a
much shorter one of #6 or #4 from the alternator to the starter solenoid.

Mark Richter, m/v Winnie the Pooh
Mark's Mobile Marine, electrical system design, installation and repair.
presently lying Brockport, NY on the Erie Canal and eastbound