Help: Alt excitation

[haygood@myway.com (Brian Haygood)]

So I burned up an alt a few months back and got another one from a lister that was "recently rebuilt".  My old alt would excite and start charging at about 1200 rpms, so it was rare to even start the car without the alt kicking in.  The replacement alt won't excite until 3000rpm.  Works fine once it is going.

I have tried swapping in a new Voltage regulator (the one on there was in really bad shape), cleaning all the contacts, and grounding it with jumper cables.  None of this made any difference.  Given my new wires and performance of the previous alt before it burned up, I have faith in the wiring.  Car starts really easily and all.

Old alt burned when I briefly hooked the battery up backwards (because my Optima's terminals are oppositte the old Die Hard's, and also because I'm an idiot).  Only part I'm reusing from that is the capacitor that plugs into the back of the alt and screws into the alt's body.  

What can I do to improve the excitation in an Alt?

Thanks.

BH



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