Heavy Duty Alternators & Starters

Today’s alternators and starters come with some really cool features like OCP (Over Crank Protection) and IMS (Integral Magnetic Switch) style starters. Let’s take a look at those first.The integral magnetic switch is located at the top of the starter. It serves two primary functions. Firstly, it employs large wire gauges to allow for current flow with less resistance, ensuring no voltage drops and enabling full voltage delivery for pinion engagement. Secondly, it acts as a low-resistance cell, facilitating positive pinion engagement even in high compression scenarios.Over Crank Protection (OCP) is situated at the back of the starter. It functions like a thermal switch, opening and closing with heat to protect the starter from damage. This feature is crucial in scenarios with high amp draw, such as when the engine is hard to turn over due to factors like a weak battery or bad cables.The alternator also boasts impressive features, including a remote sense terminal that allows for sensing the voltage needed by the battery to optimize output. This prevents overcharging the battery and protects both the battery and alternator.Installing remote sense involves following precise instructions to ensure proper connection and torque specifications. Disconnecting the negative battery cable is the first step to ensure safety during installation.After removing the necessary nuts from the alternator terminals, a jumper lead is crimped between the remote sense and battery terminals. Care must be taken to tuck the wire securely to avoid any contact with other components.Replacing the hardware for the remote sense terminal and torquing it to specifications is essential to ensure a secure connection. The battery terminal nut is then reinstalled and torqued to the appropriate value.