Great video man, only thing I will say is, if at all possible when doing the big 3 you should add to the original wiring and not replace. If it's possible reconnect the original ground and power wire. Any ways great first video 🍻
I agree and this is a great video I appreciate this content . There are many ways to skin a deer .now on the Chveys smart system that it reads amps threw the ground cable I actually feed the ground wire threw that system so the ecu can read the amperage I also used the fuseable link connector from alternator to battery on the 2021 Silverado the link has a 420amp fuse just got to make modifications to the cover to make factory and aftermarket 0 gauge to fit been running like this over a year with zero issues running 4dd8 and a m3 3000 watt amplifier
for anyone looking, you can install a normal mechman 370A alternator on the newer stretch belt trucks. I just put my 370A mechman from my 2014 silverado on my 2023 and it works fine. The stretch belt is impossible to remove without cutting but get a belt installer tool (I used the Lisle 59560 stretch belt install tool) and put the OEM stretch belt (GM part number 12669858) on the truck. It works great so far but I don't have any big loads on the truck as I'm not putting a sound system in this truck. The only problem I have is by using the factory charging system it will fluctuate the voltage a ton because the 370A can charge up the battery faster so it goes up and down a ton at idle but works fine. My alternator had the mistake by mechman where the positive stud comes out the back and not the top but all you need to do is trim the plastic corner of the valve cover to accomodate for the stud and wires but if you get a top mount stud it's no problem.
I have a 2021 Silverado as well, but my truck does not have the thread point point to attach the tension pulley. At this point I have 2 options. 1) take it to a shop and have them drill in a thread point. 2) risk it and put on a High output alternator without the attachment. But with that Tony said they will not guarantee the performance of said alternator. Unfortunately for us with the newer models of GM truck we are still too new for all the bugs to be worked out so it’s as risk for any new modifications when it comes to this application unfortunately. But I’m still keeping an eye out for any new changes. The video was still awesome to watch and thank you for sharing I hope soon I will be able to do the same! I would love to see any new updates of your set up and how well your system is performing.
got a 04 yukon and jjust got the 370 im cool with the old style pully sytem but im sure the streach sytem have it place thanks for the vid it was a good one
you did a big 3 upgrade? i saw the power wire from the alternator to the posotive battery post, the ground from the alternator to the negative battery post….i didn’t get to see the 2nd ground wire?
Awesome video and thanks so much for doing it bro! I just ordered the billet 400 in red for my 2020 silverado... I'm sorry to ask as but just want to 100% sure, which size belt did you end up using? I know you grabbed 2 sizes.. thanks man and Awesome setup!! I'm on 6" lift with 35x12.50r22 tires/rims... have 4 db drive wdx g5 8" subs under the seat with a ds18 hooligan 5k Korean board amp, 8" prv 700 in the door with a taramps smart 3k and 2 big lithium battery's installed in the bed . Appreciate you man! And Tony has been a pleasure working with, he sent me your video :)
Sorry for the late response but the belt that ended up fitting with the correct amount of tension was the 735K6 Duralast from Autozone. I hope everything works out for you. If you have any other questions just message me and I'll be happy to help if I can.
I have a 400 amp alternator from JS Alternators for my 08 Trailblazer SS. Is it possible that my 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV share that same alternator because both of their alternators look similar
so did you use a different pulley than what was supplied by ICT? not super clear on what you swapped when you said you changed the pulley. definitely appreciate the video tony sent me to you!
No, I used the same pulley that was in the kit. I just had to swap the pulley that was on the tensioner to be the idler pully and the one that came as an idler to the tensioner. The kit from ICT now comes with instructions, we Tony sent it to me there were no instructions included.
Mechman gets their idle amp output higher by using a smaller diameter pully on the alternator than stock. Problem is, why don't they make a kit that has larger pulleys for your idler and tensioner to make up the difference so the stock multiV belt can be used? Seems fair to say this can be done so that when a belt is needed no one has to know "its shorter than OEM" and guess which one is needed if one were to come off completely while on a trip. Sure is nice to know the alternator has wide bearings and robust insides so it will never become an issue, in most cases.
i keep my stalk alt and my stock belt in my truck and the serrp tool to change if neeeded when im on the road on long trips thats wy it took me so long to get into the high op alt game
Hi I have an 2021 silverado 1500 6.2 do you know the proper size belt I need for a mechman 400 or how I can find the right size I bin trying but cant find it all the belts ive used isnt working
@austinhenry8814 use a string with no tension on the idler pulley. Measure that string length and then get a belt slightly shorter than that measurement. I'm sure there's probably an equation somewhere on how much shorter it has to be, but maybe the parts store van help you find the sweet spot. You'll just need to know the over all loose length
@austinhenry8814 I'm not sure. Some engines have threads where I showed and some don't. Check there first and if tou feel threads, then definitely add it. So much easier than the stretch belt system
Right I added the tensioner and idler pulleys. Truth is you could figure out the correct size belt you need for the different size pulley on the alternator. But the ease of changing the belt out with a tensioner instead of a stretch tool is well worth it. I believe there's also some function with the tensioner and the way it reacts when an engine is revved that may also protect such an expensive alternator by allowing a bit of slip. Can't say this is 100% but if it is then I'd prefer that instead of whip lashing my expensive alternator. Hope that answers your questions, if anything else let me know. Thanks!
I just got done tonight installing mine. But the only difference on mine was where you plug into the alternator wire. The little clip where the factory harness plugs into. Mine came with one with one wire coming out and said connect to a 12v switch source. Everything started up fine but here the tensioner a bit a idle and I have a battery light saying system charging system Not sure why
@@troyntu you got a different alt but that one cable is basically a reference input. If you hook up a wire that has 12v with the key on that should fix your problem, I can be 100% on that as I'm not looking at your truck and what exactly is going one but that's what I'm making out from what you are describing. Try running a wire from the accessory turn on on the passenger side fuse panel to that wire and see if you get an output. Put a fuse on it as well and do this at your own discretion. You can also reach me on my insta @sd_yeti_6.2, should make it easier to respond on there
Hows that alternator working out? I installed that same alternator 2 yrs ago and everything seemed fine at first except every cold start the belt would chirp. Another issue was the voltage would fluctuate crazy cause i don't think it worked with the trucks computer well. I just replaced it with the gm 220 amp alternator for now but i still want to go bigger. Are you having any issues?
None at all, everything is working flawless, I haven't had any voltage spikes or belt chirping. Suck that you had an issue, what all did you do to install the alternator?
It was just plug and play. I tried everything i could to keep that alternator but just didn't work. I had 3 different shops work on it, even the chevy house. Even went with the smallest belt but no luck. Did big 3. All 0 gauge
Work has had me out of the country for a good while. As soon as I can get enough time home to where I can take care of all my honey-do's and have free time, I'll be jumping on that.
I have a 2021 silverado and im being told I can’t upgrade the alternator. But I watched your video and it shows otherwise. Have you had any problems out of it
@@michaelthompson2460 I haven't had any at all. The voltage fluctuation is unnoticeable. I was told I couldn't do it either and its mainly because of the smart charging system and the fact that the drive belt is a stretch belt. I was told if anything, the biggest alternator I would be able to use was the 250A since it has the same size pulley. Go ahead and email Tony@mechman.com and let him know you saw my video and you wanna do the upgrade as well. Anything else just let me know and I'll try to help out
Thank you I appreciate it. Cause I have 4 8s under my back seat on a Rockford fidgeted 2500.1 bdcp and I’m wanting to maximize my performance with that
@@michaelthompson2460 yeah at 2500 watts you'll definitely start to pull more amps. In all honesty, now that I have the install figured out it's not a hard one to complete. It's pricey and at that price jumping into an experiment was sketchy but its been working flawlessly.
Nice set up bro got the same truck
I’m doing the same upgrade
Running 4 8 dc audio under the seat
Pushing it with a rf amp t2500 bcp
I just did my trail boss with the 370 Mechman came out good now my system has the juice I wanted
No more clipping
Yo what did u do about the regulated voltage system? Still gonna fluctuate a lot
Great video man, only thing I will say is, if at all possible when doing the big 3 you should add to the original wiring and not replace. If it's possible reconnect the original ground and power wire. Any ways great first video 🍻
I agree and this is a great video I appreciate this content . There are many ways to skin a deer .now on the Chveys smart system that it reads amps threw the ground cable I actually feed the ground wire threw that system so the ecu can read the amperage I also used the fuseable link connector from alternator to battery on the 2021 Silverado the link has a 420amp fuse just got to make modifications to the cover to make factory and aftermarket 0 gauge to fit been running like this over a year with zero issues running 4dd8 and a m3 3000 watt amplifier
yea i left mine in place the more the merryer the small wires still move curent along with the big ones
for anyone looking, you can install a normal mechman 370A alternator on the newer stretch belt trucks. I just put my 370A mechman from my 2014 silverado on my 2023 and it works fine. The stretch belt is impossible to remove without cutting but get a belt installer tool (I used the Lisle 59560 stretch belt install tool) and put the OEM stretch belt (GM part number 12669858) on the truck. It works great so far but I don't have any big loads on the truck as I'm not putting a sound system in this truck. The only problem I have is by using the factory charging system it will fluctuate the voltage a ton because the 370A can charge up the battery faster so it goes up and down a ton at idle but works fine. My alternator had the mistake by mechman where the positive stud comes out the back and not the top but all you need to do is trim the plastic corner of the valve cover to accomodate for the stud and wires but if you get a top mount stud it's no problem.
@@towmantowman question what do you mean by a normal 370 mechman alternator
@@towmantowman I bin having problems finding a belt for my 2021 1500 6.2 for My 400a elite alternator
I would disconnect the factory charge wire from the positive on the battery too so that no power in that wire between the battery and alternator.
I have a 2021 Silverado as well, but my truck does not have the thread point point to attach the tension pulley. At this point I have 2 options. 1) take it to a shop and have them drill in a thread point. 2) risk it and put on a High output alternator without the attachment. But with that Tony said they will not guarantee the performance of said alternator. Unfortunately for us with the newer models of GM truck we are still too new for all the bugs to be worked out so it’s as risk for any new modifications when it comes to this application unfortunately. But I’m still keeping an eye out for any new changes. The video was still awesome to watch and thank you for sharing I hope soon I will be able to do the same! I would love to see any new updates of your set up and how well your system is performing.
ICT Billet sells water pump with the thread holes for the tensioner
Good video thanks for the helpful information.
got a 04 yukon and jjust got the 370 im cool with the old style pully sytem but im sure the streach sytem have it place thanks for the vid it was a good one
Thank you!
I would also disconnect the factory ground cable on the other end from the body so it doesn't ground out.
you did a big 3 upgrade? i saw the power wire from the alternator to the posotive battery post, the ground from the alternator to the negative battery post….i didn’t get to see the 2nd ground wire?
Awesome video and thanks so much for doing it bro! I just ordered the billet 400 in red for my 2020 silverado... I'm sorry to ask as but just want to 100% sure, which size belt did you end up using? I know you grabbed 2 sizes.. thanks man and Awesome setup!!
I'm on 6" lift with 35x12.50r22 tires/rims... have 4 db drive wdx g5 8" subs under the seat with a ds18 hooligan 5k Korean board amp, 8" prv 700 in the door with a taramps smart 3k and 2 big lithium battery's installed in the bed .
Appreciate you man! And Tony has been a pleasure working with, he sent me your video :)
Sorry for the late response but the belt that ended up fitting with the correct amount of tension was the 735K6 Duralast from Autozone. I hope everything works out for you. If you have any other questions just message me and I'll be happy to help if I can.
@@unome55 thanks man, much appreciated. Have a good day
Have you put a heavy load on this alternator? I am running a jp63 and 4 8s. I'm battling a squealing belt right now
I have a 400 amp alternator from JS Alternators for my 08 Trailblazer SS. Is it possible that my 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV share that same alternator because both of their alternators look similar
So how does this work with the regulating voltage system? Volts still gonna fluctuate like the stock one did
so did you use a different pulley than what was supplied by ICT? not super clear on what you swapped when you said you changed the pulley. definitely appreciate the video tony sent me to you!
No, I used the same pulley that was in the kit. I just had to swap the pulley that was on the tensioner to be the idler pully and the one that came as an idler to the tensioner. The kit from ICT now comes with instructions, we Tony sent it to me there were no instructions included.
You have any belt issues ? Have a issue right now
Mechman gets their idle amp output higher by using a smaller diameter pully on the alternator than stock. Problem is, why don't they make a kit that has larger pulleys for your idler and tensioner to make up the difference so the stock multiV belt can be used? Seems fair to say this can be done so that when a belt is needed no one has to know "its shorter than OEM" and guess which one is needed if one were to come off completely while on a trip. Sure is nice to know the alternator has wide bearings and robust insides so it will never become an issue, in most cases.
i keep my stalk alt and my stock belt in my truck and the serrp tool to change if neeeded when im on the road on long trips thats wy it took me so long to get into the high op alt game
Did you disconnect the negative battery cable before you started?
I did, thanks for the comment!
Have you had any issues with that size belt?
None at all, no problems at all what so ever with the whole set up.
Hi I have an 2021 silverado 1500 6.2 do you know the proper size belt I need for a mechman 400 or how I can find the right size I bin trying but cant find it all the belts ive used isnt working
@austinhenry8814 use a string with no tension on the idler pulley. Measure that string length and then get a belt slightly shorter than that measurement. I'm sure there's probably an equation somewhere on how much shorter it has to be, but maybe the parts store van help you find the sweet spot. You'll just need to know the over all loose length
@@unome55 ok thanks ill try that
Might just add an idler kit like you does it work on a 2021 silverado
@austinhenry8814 I'm not sure. Some engines have threads where I showed and some don't. Check there first and if tou feel threads, then definitely add it. So much easier than the stretch belt system
@unome55 yep, you're right, and unfortunately, the one I have doesn't have the threads 😕
So you added the tension right? Sorry I’m just curious. Can you just get a shorter belt and do away with the tensioner?
Right I added the tensioner and idler pulleys. Truth is you could figure out the correct size belt you need for the different size pulley on the alternator. But the ease of changing the belt out with a tensioner instead of a stretch tool is well worth it. I believe there's also some function with the tensioner and the way it reacts when an engine is revved that may also protect such an expensive alternator by allowing a bit of slip. Can't say this is 100% but if it is then I'd prefer that instead of whip lashing my expensive alternator. Hope that answers your questions, if anything else let me know. Thanks!
I just got done tonight installing mine. But the only difference on mine was where you plug into the alternator wire. The little clip where the factory harness plugs into. Mine came with one with one wire coming out and said connect to a 12v switch source. Everything started up fine but here the tensioner a bit a idle and I have a battery light saying system charging system Not sure why
@@troyntu you got a different alt but that one cable is basically a reference input. If you hook up a wire that has 12v with the key on that should fix your problem, I can be 100% on that as I'm not looking at your truck and what exactly is going one but that's what I'm making out from what you are describing. Try running a wire from the accessory turn on on the passenger side fuse panel to that wire and see if you get an output. Put a fuse on it as well and do this at your own discretion. You can also reach me on my insta @sd_yeti_6.2, should make it easier to respond on there
Hows that alternator working out? I installed that same alternator 2 yrs ago and everything seemed fine at first except every cold start the belt would chirp. Another issue was the voltage would fluctuate crazy cause i don't think it worked with the trucks computer well. I just replaced it with the gm 220 amp alternator for now but i still want to go bigger. Are you having any issues?
None at all, everything is working flawless, I haven't had any voltage spikes or belt chirping. Suck that you had an issue, what all did you do to install the alternator?
It was just plug and play. I tried everything i could to keep that alternator but just didn't work. I had 3 different shops work on it, even the chevy house. Even went with the smallest belt but no luck. Did big 3. All 0 gauge
@@sergioaleman8911 what year is your truck? None of mine was plug and play, it was actually a test set up to see if it would work.
2019 silverado 1500
I didn't do all that with tensioner. Just switched alternator and put new stretch belts
I have a 2020 1500 duramax and I’m trying to find a stronger alternator,,,, anyone can help ??
When you making a video on your system install
Work has had me out of the country for a good while. As soon as I can get enough time home to where I can take care of all my honey-do's and have free time, I'll be jumping on that.
@@unome55 ok 👍🏼 be looking forward to see it
Thank you
What size fuse you use
400 Amp fuse
Hey sir is there a way you can give me a call
Give you a call?
I have a 2021 silverado and im being told I can’t upgrade the alternator. But I watched your video and it shows otherwise. Have you had any problems out of it
@@michaelthompson2460 I haven't had any at all. The voltage fluctuation is unnoticeable. I was told I couldn't do it either and its mainly because of the smart charging system and the fact that the drive belt is a stretch belt. I was told if anything, the biggest alternator I would be able to use was the 250A since it has the same size pulley. Go ahead and email Tony@mechman.com and let him know you saw my video and you wanna do the upgrade as well. Anything else just let me know and I'll try to help out
Thank you I appreciate it. Cause I have 4 8s under my back seat on a Rockford fidgeted 2500.1 bdcp and I’m wanting to maximize my performance with that
@@michaelthompson2460 yeah at 2500 watts you'll definitely start to pull more amps. In all honesty, now that I have the install figured out it's not a hard one to complete. It's pricey and at that price jumping into an experiment was sketchy but its been working flawlessly.
Does this also fit the 4.3 engine ?
I am not sure about how that engine set up is.