"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in
:
I'm rewinding an automobile style alternator rotor. I want to use
some "Tefzel" insulated wire I have on hand, instead of magnet wire,
I have to special order. I wound a test coil and it fits and looks
like it will work.


My concern is that I have no idea how much current it takes to
excite the field and if the potting compound will survive the heat.
The Tefzel coil has the same DCR (5 ohms) as the original magnet
wire, but it is two gauges thinner (went from 22 AWG to 24 AWG).
So I would assume that it will dissipate more power to achieve the
same ampere turns in the field.

Anytime you rewind a motor or alternator, you want to use the same gauge
wire. Your alternator was designed with 22 AWG, for the number of
turns, the dc resistance, the current through it, the power dissipation,
and the space available. If it would work just as well with 24 AWG,
they would have used 24 AWG originally. If you're going to all the
trouble of winding these coils, placing them, and wiring them up, you
might as well use the right size wire to start with!