Best alternator upgrade ?

Wow- great info! Thanks

AD244 from '05 trailblazer with 5.3L was direct fit on my L31.

I like the cs144 you can get stock replacement at 140amps pretty cheap. And plugs right in to your harness.
You just need to elonggate the mounting holes a bit.

Do some research with alternator man.com They sell complete alternators or parts. If the the squeak is the belt, there should be a 2.5 second time before it turns on, other wise is the belt. They have a videos installing the AD244 in place of the CS130, but certain vehicle will have challenges. Still it can be done. With a large group of diodes on different sides or not stacked, plus the rear fan, keeps the AD244 cooler than other models. It is worth looking into before going to Napa unless you need a hose clamp.

I you have a digital multi meter (DMM) you can get familiar with voltage drop across two ends on one wire while the thing is running. Current has to flow thru the wire to check how much voltage is lost and where. It is quick, doesn't lye, and positive or negative doesn't matter as it just shows a (-) negative symbol in front of the reading. It the same reading either way. There are a lot of good amp clamps that have a digital readout and not only cheap, but accurate as well. This way you can set it read and note each branch of the mail fuse box with circuits on or all on for "Max" amps required.

Otherwise, I just rebuild them. ASE Master Tech since 1978 / Retired

I assume it has sealed bearings? If so you might remove it and drop it on your work bench. I'd say a 12 inch fall on the back housing. Internal grease will shift in the cavity and relube the bearing. I've saved numerous bearings with this method at the first occurance of whine/noise.
Sorry for the poor man's repair suggestion, not everyone can afford to re-engineer their charging system. I would think a higher amperage alternator should be coupled with a bigger battery.

mechman alternators is where I'm looking right now...

I keep seeing on this forum the big 3 mod. Can someone explain what that is and what does it do?

Deathpunch0311 said:

I keep seeing on this forum the big 3 mod. Can someone explain what that is and what does it do?

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"Big 3" refers to upgrading your main battery cables to a larger gauge wire. Positive battery terminal to alternator, negative battery terminal to engine ground, and negative battery terminal to chassis ground. It gets rid of voltage drop issues which can be caused by large electrical draws.

Sorry for hijacking the thread OP,
Thanks for the info @df2x4

Is there a certain size you go to, or just bigger that what’s there

Deathpunch0311 said:

Sorry for hijacking the thread OP,
Thanks for the info @df2x4

Is there a certain size you go to, or just bigger that what’s there

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Depends on your electrical needs and amperage draw. Personally whenever I've done it to a vehicle I just go straight to 0ga. Might as well do it once and do it right, it won't hurt anything to go a little overkill as long as everything is fused properly.