Rapid Power Alternator

Has anyone used Rapid Power alternators? Looking at them since they are sealed and liquid cooled. Would like to use one on my 4.0L

 

Aren’t they like 2k a peice? What is your need for one?

 

Liquid cooled? I wasn't aware they needed that much cooling.

What amperage are you looking to run as far as electronics go? What items will be drawing power?

 

Haha, I am interested in the sealed aspect. I live in west texas and there is a ton of dust especially in the summer. I am planning on doing multi day trips through big bend national park's trails. I won't really run into any major rivers but like the idea of a waterproofed engine bay, alternator is probably the major thing to worry about. I will eventually be mounting a wench, lights and boosting my audio system so I have been looking into a high amperage alternator along with a cabling upgrade.

 

This kind of wench?

 

Funny, *Winch

 

That was my first thought, I'll be 72 in April however in my youth I "mounted" a few...

 

Sealed and water cooled seems like extreme overkill. Anyone that lives on a dirt road or works on a ranch will get more dust in their alternator than some camping trips.

 

I live in West Texas. Especially in the summers it gets quite dusty. The trails in big bend are going to be worse. Alternators already include small fans to cool themselves. Liquid cooling is just a beefed up air cooling.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...rical-system-upgrade-is-now-available.318682/

 

Nothing I have read in that thread points towards rapid power alternators or sealed. If you have found something in that thread a more specific link would be appreciated.

 

He offers higher output alternators, standard type, as well as the "Big 3" wiring upgrades.

 

Montana is very dusty. I drive dirt roads daily all summer long. It doesn't concern me. I just replace my air filters regularly. My stock 130 amp alternator has been doing a good job of keeping my Northstar battery topped off, even with regular use of my winch.

 

Air filters won't have any effects on your alternator. My concern is water around one of the highest electrical potential components in a vehicle. That combined with dust that can damage enamel coatings could lead to massive electrical discharges through previously isolated wires. This could happen after fjording a river and then heading down a very dusty trail in western Texas letting all kinds of grit get plastered inside a pretty delicate electrical component. A sealed alternator keeps the dust and water out of the interior keeping the coils nice and pretty and the moving components free of obstructions and moisture. Then add a liquid cooling system to transfer heat generation out to a spot to dissipate it via a radiator and fan.

Edit: The alternate option is to get a cheap alternator with a warranty like a Duralast. Then just swap it out every time it breaks from water and the like. However, if for some reason the 3 auto parts stores within an hour drive dont have a replacement. I still have to be able to get to work on monday.

 

The point was :

You're over thinking this.

You are correct in your thinking, to a point. Unless you're mud bogging your rig, it's going to be okay. If you're really concerned, just carry a cheap replacement alternator as a trail spare. There are guys on here who just pull the alternator, clean the mud and shit out, and reinstall it. Seems to work for them.

I mentioned air filters because that's the only component you really need to worry about with dust.

 

People overbuild vehicles all the time. It is completely reasonable to overbuild one of the most important things to keep the truck running. To run you gotta have fuel, air and a spark. If you blow your alternator going through water, mud or whatever, yes you can run the vehicle for a bit off battery charge but not terribly long especially if part of that is trails getting back to the roads. It is several orders of magnitude more reasonable than all of those guys who have built mall crawlers and spent easily more than the so far determined $2,000. My original question was only if someone had ever tried one. The practicality or cost effectiveness of such an upgrade was never asked about.

 

You asked for opinions. Mine wasn't the one you wanted, and now you're butt hurt. It's okay. Go spend your money.

 

I'm not butthurt. Waterproofing electronics is just as important as a snorkel or diff breather if you are fjording a river or just want to wash out your engine without bagging half of it. I asked: "Has anyone used Rapid Power alternators?" Then mentioned I was interested in them.

 

Stock alternator, lots of dirt, water, etc.. Still rocking except for the diodes started to go out and I replaced them. The stock alternator is more robust and reliable than any auto parts lifetime replacement warranty..
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZOCaI6hKkO/

 

Bagging half the engine? You're coming off as paranoid. Seems to be little interest for that caliber of Alternator coming from people that offroad, live in dusty climates, etc, because they're completely overkill.