Gone are the days of 100-amp 22SI alternators and 42MT starters. The drive for high-efficiency and lightweight has made way for gear reduction starters and brushless alternators with higher than ever amperage output. Reliability has also risen; we see fewer failures of these components. New design alternators are also more efficient, using less fuel to deliver the amperage needed.
Brushless alternators eliminate 13 moving parts by doing away with the slip rings and brushes. Brushless alternators are two alternators in one, with two rotors and two stators. Brushless technology allows the transfer of electrical current between the rotor and stator in the rear portion to excite the main alternator. All major internal components that carry current, such as field coil, regulator, bridge, stator, and the connectors are stationary components and are more resistant to vibration and debris. Vibration and debris are the weakness of brush type alternators. Brushes must make contact on the slip rings to carry the current, dirt and vibration can cause the brush to hang resulting in loss of output. The other benefit to brushless is the efficiency numbers, brushless run better than 75% efficiency throughout the RPM range.
Leece-Neville has designed their line of brushless alternators to provide more amps at idle, providing 90% of rated amperage at idle speed while maintaining 76% efficiency. The Idle Pro Extreme line has ratings from 220 amps to a whopping 420 amps in both pad mount and J mount setups. Another reason to choose Leece-Neville is warranty and core returns. The warranty on the Idle Pro Extreme is 4 years unlimited mileage for on highway applications. There is no core on any Lecce Neville product, you are buying brand new.
If price point is an issue, Leece-Neville has you covered as well. Their Idle Pro line covers 170 amps to 240 amps in both pad and J mount. These alternators are brush type dual internal fan with dust covers for the brushes. These alternators will produce 63% of rated amperage at idle with 70% efficiency. These alternators carry a 2-year 250K mile warranty and again have no core charge. Both the Idle Pro and Idle Pro Extreme use remote sense, to overcome the voltage drop back to the batteries.