How much amperage can an alternator support? no really...

[LL - NY]

On a 4000, that is easy to do. The switch simply had to ground the hot lead
to the thermoswitch in the radiator. Standard 12 mm (or whatever the larger
spade lug connectors are) spade lug. Make a proper splice and run the switch
back to the dash. I hid my switch in the ashtray of my 4KQ. I used it b/c
the thermal switch was on back order, so I used it to back up my faulty (it
leaked internally) switch. When I got my replacement thermal switch, I never
bothered to remove my backup switch. Never had to use it again after the new
thermal switch.

LL - NY

On 2/5/08, cody at 5000tq.com <cody at 5000tq.com> wrote:
>
> Quoting John Larson <westcoast at mypowerpipe.com>:
>
> > On 2/4/08, Vittorio Bares <Vittorio.Bares at nuance.com> wrote:
> >
> >>>
> >>> Thanks - this is good info, and encouraging.
> >>>
> >>> My cooling fan is on a manual switch and I typically run it always-on
> >>> (eliminates one more point of failure in the temp-switch). Any idea
> what
> >>> amperage that draws?
> >>
> >
> > Running the fan all the time is a less-than-good idea.  The engine will
> > never get up to correct operating temperature and tend to burn
> > substantially more fuel over any given period of time than an engine
> > running at the prescribed engine temperature.
>
>
> Um... no. The coolant thermostat will keep the engine at the stats
> design temp if it's in proper working order. Granted the engine should
> be allowed to run 10 or so degrees above stat temp, but with a 190
> degree stat the engine should run roughly at 190 degrees with the fan
> full on.
>
> Now if it were my car the fan would be on an automatic fan switch with
> a manual over-ride. That way if it ever starts getting warm you can
> assume a switch failure and flick on the over-ride, voila good to go.
> Saying that a manual switch is removing a failure mode is very very
> faulty logic...the toggle switch used sure as hell isn't impervious to
> failure (in many cases it may be MORE likely to fail), which means you
> have deleted one failure point and added another, plus added
> additional wiring that could fail.
>
> -Cody Forbes
>
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