I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Leece-Neville alternator has...
1. Adjustable Voltage Regulator Installed Externally On The Alternator Case. 6 Volts DC to 38 Volts DC.
2. Full Time Working Amperages Up To 160 Amps On The Garden Variety Leece-Neville Units, Up To 300 Amps Full Time Output On Some Of The Tricky Special Order Units. Most 'High Output' alternators are rated for 'PEAK' output, not working amperage.
3. Separate connections for Positive & Negative.
4. Insulated Case (A Very Good Idea For A Welder!!!) That Keeps welding voltages out of the primary electrical system. (anyone here have radios or other sensitive electrical equipment?)
5. Sealed Roller Bearings Front & Rear, Very Large Heat Sinks, and Over Sized Stators & Rotors.
Originally meant for industrial trucks, locomotives, bulldozers and the like, these are built to take a beating.
6. Enough Mounting Ears to accommodate nearly anywhere you want to put it.
7. Compact Size. Not much larger than the Delco Or Motorcraft alternators that Jeep used on '90 and older Jeeps, and will normally bolt right into the stock brackets.
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Another couple of thoughts...
1. In the '70's and early '80's Ford used a second alternator on the 'Power Everything' cars, (IE: T-Birds, Loaded LTD's, Lincoln's, Ect.)
That second alternator was an UN REGULATED DC ALTERNATOR PRODUCING UP TO 200 Volts.
(Used for window defrosters and instant heat in the car)
It can be identified in the bone yards by the short metal conduit coming 90 degrees out of the back of the alternator, and the three large gauge wires coming out of it. (Normal alternators have terminal connections, and no wires coming out of them.
These alternators can be used directly for welding, no modification necessary, are internally rectified, are case isolated, are cheap in the bone yards, and I made two or three in the late '70's that are still working to this day...
2. Plain Old Ford alternators can be used, (they are normally low amperage), but the do offer the plus of external voltage regulator, and the ability to wire directly to the field terminal.
I haven't had much luck with the regular Ford alternator, but it may just be the way I'm doing it.
3. Chrysler made a 'Minnow Bucket' alternator for several years that is externally regulated.
(Minnow Bucket because they have a large, rounded case that is slotted to dissipate heat and reduce weight.)
Look for alternators that came off of Taxi Cabs, Large Farm Trucks, Ect. Most of the time the amperage in stamped or etched into the case somewhere.
I have found these alternators are plentiful, cheap, easy to wire, (Full 12Volts to the Field terminal while welding, Wired through the External Voltage Regulator for standard 12Volt duty).
If you can find the Farm Truck/ Industrial Engine/ Taxi Cab version of the alternator, it will be a 120 Amp unit, have large bushing type 'bearings', and have relatively large heat sinks on the rectifier.
So many cats, so few recipes...