I have a 1992 F-150 w/5.8. Today while driving to work the amp gage dropped to a low level, and the battery slowly started draining. After work I went to pick up a new battery (the one in the truck was 9 years old). I figured I needed a new one anyway, and it got me home.

I expected to take the alternator in for testing this weekend, and replace if neccesary. While inspecting the alternator after getting home, I noticed one of the two connectors was burned up, and two of the wires were burned completely in two.

Is there a common cause for this failure? Where should I be looking first? I don't want to throw parts at this problem when I can pinpoint the issue. Is the connector available through any parts supply sources? Is there an upgrade or improvement I can make to the system using newer parts?

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback.

JD

 

You can look on FTE under HIGH AMP ALT or look under 3G alternator swap .... there a huge number of posts on the subject... Go to the section on electrical and look there. I got some great info from "Franklin 2" on there to get mine done ... well worth the effort too !!! Dave

 

Defiantly recommend the 3G 130 amp swap. I just did it on my 89 f150. It was really simple, and well worth it.

Also the old 2G alternator were bad for catching on fire. My plugs for my 2G were actually melted.

 

Yep, that is very common those alternators with the big plug on the side are a FIRE HAZARD.. Search for 3G swap, and fix it right the first time!!!!

 

SCREBEL ...everything is working well with your 3G swap... good advice for his problem. Just started on mounting my 2 electric fans (the reason for the 3G swap) gonna get fancy with aluminum diamond plate mounts "SHINY STUFF" ... DAVE

 

Lol. Whatever suits your fancy. . And yes, the 3G swap is working perfectly. Should have done it years ago.

 

Thanks to everyone for their responses. It sounds like this 3G upgrade is the way to go. After reading through everything here and on the links provided, it appears that I need a new alternator from a mid-90's Ford, and some wiring. I am definately NOT an electrical guy, and am a little shy about cutting into my harness without explicit instructions and photos. So, a few specific questions before I start buying parts and cutting up wires:

- Exactly which Ford application (make/model/year) is a bolt-in for my truck? I realize I'll have to grind on my bracket; no problem. I don't mind just buying a new alternator if I know what to ask for.

- What kind of wiring components will I need, and where do I get them? I read about some people cutting the wiring out of donor vehicles, and others buying some sort of "adapter" harness from retail sources.

- Is there a wiring diagram available which shows where to hook the new wiring to the old, where to cut, what to delete, etc? One of my connectors is burned up now, and the wires are hanging. I'm going to need something pretty explicit to guide me.

- What is the best method/product for making the harness splices? I'm assuming that the crimp-on splices aren't the best way to go. I want it to look professional and factory when I'm finished.

Sorry for the many questions, but wiring modifications are outside of my comfort zone. All the mechanical swaps/modifications are a breeze for me, but I don't want to burn my truck down through ignorance.

I appreciate the help.

JD

 

JD, wiring is way outside my wheelhouse too, so I understand your thoughts. Everything I used, except for my fuse, came from the JY. NAPA is where I got mine, Under $20 for (fuse holder and 2-175 amp fuses) all. I used 2ga. wire and solder style terminals. If you have a industrial/ semi truck supply house near. You can have them make/crimp the cables. Everything else can be crimped with a standard crimping tool. Or if you have the time you can go online with RJM Injection Tech — Welcome they have everything there... wires and all.
Descriptions and diagrams are on Fuel Injection Technical Library » Home bookmark it!!!

The alt is available at your local JY for under $50 if you can pull it yourself get the alt wires back as far as you can mine was a 95 Mustang ... get the cleanest one you can find because you may need to "clock" it both sites will show you how to do that. You need to do some more research here on FTE like we said there a ton of sites dedicated to this project. I will gather what I can and PM it to you, it really is that easy to do !!! Dave

 

I purchased my 3G and wiring kit from fireguy50 aka Ryan Matson, mine came with instructions. Well worth it. Here is his site: RJM Injection Tech

Here is some more 3G swap info: 3G alternator FACTS (its wins again!) - FSB Forums

 

I got my 3G alt off of a 1999 ford Taurus with the 3.0 v6. Wiring is pretty simple. You will have three wires on the regulator plug (That's the smaller one). Loop the yellow wire to the output post, white wire goes to the small plug (stator), and the third wire green/red stripe you leave alone.

 

rebel said it just rite him and i have done the same swap within the last month. i have a 96 with the 351 and i got mine from a contour and it was a direct bolt in, it all depends what style bracket you have. and i got the heavy wire with the fuse and holder all from the contour. i have $20 into mine

 

Dave,

Many thanks for the great info that you PM'd to me. I'm headed to the salvage tomorrow morning to try and find what I need.

Cheers!

JD

 

On one of the links RJM Injection Tech — Welcome you will find a 160 amp alt (same as 130 amp) click on it then click below that image on "clocking" you choices are 12:00, 4:00, and 8:00 ... i used the 4:00 for my 351w ... you might need to "re-clock" your alt ... all labor, no parts. Take time to check your brushes, there is a section on that too. Easier to do when it is out if they are questionable ... Autozone or O'rilleys stock " new" regulators with brushes for ...$7.99 +tax they both can bench test your alt while you are there ...FREE. If it tests bad most (90%) JY's will give you another one no charge. OH yes my wires came from a 95 Windstar but the alt was off a 95 Mustang ... The pulleys will always line up, but the "clocking" not so much !!!

When re-clocking ... remove the pulley first then the 3 small case bolts ... not all the way yet !!! If you got a nice clean alt it should be easy ... if you need to spray around it with PB Blaster (my favorite).. TAP lightly with a plastic/hard rubber hammer if needed. When it splits rotate the front case half ONLY (no wires there) find the ideal clocking for your truck, re-assemble and tighten evenly... add pulley TIGHTEN yer done... go put it on now. Hope that helped, keep us posted .... Dave

 

Just a quick update: I finished my 3G alternator swap a couple of weeks ago. I hit the junkyards and found a clean alternator from a 1993 Taurus 3.0. I also pulled the related wiring as far back as I could get. Turns out, this yielded waaaaay more wiring than I needed, but I'd rather have too much than not enough.

I built up a new harness referencing the diagrams and descriptions that were shared here. It turns out that it was much easier than I had anticipated once I had everything laid out and re-read the instructions. Several fewer wires than the factory set-up!

I had the alternator tested at O'Reilly, and clocked the case to make it match my bracket. Turns out, my bracket had to be ground in two places; the typical web removal per the instructions, and also the underside of the top bolt lug required grinding as well, to allow the top alternator mounting hole to drop fully into alignment with the bracket. A couple of minutes with the die grinder fixed it up.

The pulley on the "new" alternator was almost exactly the same size as my original, so I elected to leave the one on that came with the 3G. However, each time I start the engine, the belt gives a brief squeal. My tensioner marks are right in the middle of the range, so I don't know if this is going to be typical, or if I need to go with a belt a little shorter to pre-load the tensioner a little more. I don't want to put too much side-load on the accessory bearings. Any advice on the squeal?

Now, everything is much quieter, the charging is in the 14+ volt range, and no more worries about fire! Thanks to all for their help and guidance in making this project a success!

JD

 

It's just a chirp, right?

My V-belt does this too.
I've thought of bead or sand blasting the pulley of mine to give the belt a little more traction.