Using 48 Volt Battery String To Get 12 Volt For Starting

[mobile_bob]

Wayne

not to take away from your experience with ford as an engineer, but...

in my opinion a properly engineered mount and drive system ought not have a failure rate anywhere near what you envision.

a proper mount and drive ought not need to be banjo string tight, or under excessive stress and/or vibration.

lets keep in mind also that our stationary systems likely will never see the sorts of stresses that are prevalent in an automotive application.

no bumps, no sudden changes in direction, no shock loading (or much less if done correctly) all lead to a much more reliable system.

my complete unit is right at 1200lbs, has been through extreme testing with over 50 hours of max output dyno type runs,
it floats on a three point mount which is basically just sitting on 3 jack stands,  the frame and all mounting is of welded steel construction with
"none" of the welding anything more than simple tack welds. none of the welding has been completed.

none of the alternators have broken loose, the temp rise on the drive belts is typically under 20 degree's F. there is no dusting which would indicate slippage.

if i cannot break any of the tack welds on a 3 point supported system that weighs 1200lbs during 50 plus hours of extreme testing, it is very unlikely that the system will fail without warning and/or prematurely after the final welding is completed.

no lets contrast with  your simple trickle charger, hmmmm

unless you buy a fairly expensive charger "and" assure that you run long enough for the charger to replace not only what you use to start the
engine, but also the power required for any other current or future 12volt loads, "and" cover the self discharge needs of the starting battery,,, you likely will have problems sooner than later.

having said that, i suppose if the alternator mount in your case is made from stamped sheet metal, having been hung on the engine in some place that is far from the crankshaft, perhaps it too would be problematic?  somehow i doubt it is that bad?

in my experience i just don't see that many failures of oem alternator mounts or drives in the real world, however i do see lots of failures of diy
shortcut type designs where the well meaninged guy thinks he can improve on what is already there.

btw, i have very little faith in a typical trickle charger, probably because most will be made in china, and most will be made of the cheapest components possible, and in some cases might even be a hazard to use on a continuous connected application.  while there is nothing wrong with using a trickle charger on a listeroid to provide charging for an added on electric start in my opinion, i sure would not remove a decent mount and a first world alternator and replace it with a trickle charger. 

then again redundancy and overall reliability is more important to me i guess.

bob g