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I have a 1971 f100. It's been sitting for way too long. Life always seems to get in our way. Anyhow, about 17 years ago I decided that my 80's crown vic state police car had some nice donor parts. Namely alternator, power steering pump, serpintine belt and fan with fan clutch. All of the components mounted right up including all of the mounting brackets. My question is would this early 80's alternator be considered the 3g?
I have a 1971 f100. It's been sitting for way too long. Life always seems to get in our way. Anyhow, about 17 years ago I decided that my 80's crown vic state police car had some nice donor parts. Namely alternator, power steering pump, serpintine belt and fan with fan clutch. All of the components mounted right up including all of the mounting brackets. My question is would this early 80's alternator be considered the 3g?
Most likely that alternator is a 2G. The 3G didn't come out until about 1993/'94.
2Gs were prone to wire fires which is the main reason Ford came out with the much better 3G.
Does the 2G also have the internal regulator? Or would it be better to use the parts off my 94 bronco 5.0 before I scrap it out
The 2G has an internal voltage regulator and an external cooling fan (cooling fan mounted right behind the pulley).
The 3G is internally regulated and has two cooling fans inside the alternator --one fan at the forward end of the case and one at the rear.
The main problem with the 2G alternators is with its wiring connections at the alternator. They get corroded and loose. This causes high amperage draw and excessive heat, which has caused many alternator fires under the hood.
You will be far and ahead to stay away from the 2G and install a 3G alternator.
In 1998, I had a white '90 5.0L Mustang GT. I removed the 2G alternator from it to install a 3G. About 3 years ago, I installed a 3G on my '69 F100. It's not a complicated swap to do and it has a lot of pluses. Depending on where you get the 3G from, it can also be done very cheaply.
The 3G came in several different mounting configurations as well as two different amperage ratings. There was a small case, 4-hole 95 amp 3G alternator and a larger case, 2-hole 130 amp 3G alternator.
The "4-hole" and "2-hole" is in reference to the sets of holes you'll find in between the pairs of ribs that radiate outward, every 120°, on the face of the alternator. Here's an example of the 2-hole case 130 amp 3G alternator I'm talking about on my '69 F100.
You can see the 2 holes (in between each pair of ribs) on the front of the case.
Different case configurations you can find on the 3G large case 130 amp versions.
I got mine form a ford Taurus. A lot of the taurus station wagons had 160 Amp alternators ( if they had the heated windshields). Also I found that a lot of Ford Expeditions have one or two 175 Amp (Mega) fuses mounted in a holder on the pass. side firewall.
You guys are awesome. I checked my bronco but it has a side mount alternator in it, so that will not work. So some more hunting. The schematics you attached are great. I had found them and already printed them out. Its about time I started my build thread. It's going to be a journey. I figure a few years depending on funds.
I got mine form a ford Taurus. A lot of the taurus station wagons had 160 Amp alternators ( if they had the heated windshields). Also I found that a lot of Ford Expeditions have one or two 175 Amp (Mega) fuses mounted in a holder on the pass. side firewall.
You have to consider those alternators were all driven by serpentine belts. The higher in amperage the alternator is rated for, the more resistance it will have to turning when it's charging/outputting.
If you have a single V-belt, it MAY have a problem with slippage over the alternator pulley. When I initially put my 130 amp alternator on my truck, I had a problem with the V-belt slipping. This will cause the alternator to get REALLY HOT within just a couple of minutes --hot enough to burn your hand if you touch the case. I ended up installing a 2 groove alternator pulley and dual belts.
A 160 or 200 amp alternator would be even more prone to belt slippage, if being driven by a single V-belt.
Hey Ultra, you would not have a part number for your alternator and pulley would you? I would be running the same setup, I think, on my rebuild. Don't know if I will touch my 69 or not.
