Went to fire up ol' reliable, my 1993 2.3L reg.cab Ranger the other day, and she made a horrible screeching sound, along with the sound of the belt slipping...then came a little smoke from under the hood. Long story short, the alternator bearings appear to be gone, as it won't turn at all....

My Haynes manual gives the impression that this swap should be fairly straightforward: Remove air cleaner assembly, remove alternator....assembly is reverse of disassembly. However, I'm *positive* they're neglecting to tell me something, because it simply can't be that easy. So, anyone who's swapped an alternator on a 93ish 4-cyl that can remember any 'gotchas' that came up, please share

Also, what can I expect to pay for a reman alternator? I've seen lots of arguments about the quality of getting one from Autozone vs NAPA vs taking it to a remanufacturer vs buying new. Opinions?

 

Hey there wrr! The exchange should be straight forward. It uses it's own bracket, wiring harness. You may as well change the belt, since that probably got stretched a BIT!
Being a 93', you might not be able to pick one up at any of the local auto parts stores. If you can, it'll be about $80.00 for a cheap reman. No-one that I know of offer's a waranty on electronics components. Once you buy it, it's yours. I would lean towards an OEM up-grade to a larger amp, since there will be a slight difference in cost. I know the dealership will probably soak you, but call around just in case you can get a better deal.
If all else fails, and you get deparate, you can always grab one from a salvage yard for now, until you can afford something better. Just a thought....
I hope everything is going good otherwise. Summers winding down and it's time to start thinking of the great weather ahead of us! Talk with you later....

 

Thanks for the tips! I ended up getting a remanufactured alternator from the local NAPA store for 150, with a 3 year warranty. The cheaper one for 70 was only a 60 amp model.

The hardest part of the whole thing was getting the air system out of the way so I could remove the old alternator. After that it was a breeze, although getting to the bottom 2 bolts holding the alternator in place is made a little difficult (at least for a socket) by the frame rail.

 

Hey there wrr! NAPA parts are a bit expensive, but you always get good quality parts. And you get the right part the first time you go. The price for the high amp alt. seems about right. Is it a 90? Either way, I'm glad you are back up and running again.
Talk with you later buddy....

 

Just did my alternator last nite on my '93 2.3l. Took off the air pipe and loosend the belt. Had to use a wrench on the bottom bolts, but it only took about an hour in all. I got mine from Advance Auto Parts...paid $110 for a 120amp 1yr warranty. It's a Ford reman. under some weird name, but it says Motorcraft on the housing.

 

Hey sstarkey! Have you got a part number for me? Please! 110 bucks for an alternator these days is a great price. Thanks.
Talk with you guys later....

 

Premium P775026G from www.partsamerica.com. My zip is 29456, so it may be diffrent somewhere else. It is also listed at 95 amps, but the test sheet in the box says 120. The website is the store for Advance Auto Parts. There are quite a few up in your area.

Here's the site...
Just put in 93 ford ranger 2.3

 

Thank you sir! Yes, we have one about every few miles around here. They seem to be located near McD's all the time.... I wonder.....
We have an Advance Auto, Auto Zone, NAPA, Chili Auto Parts, Bergen Auto Parts, K-Mart, Wal-Mart all with in 3 miles! I'm always getting close to wholesale for my parts, because I tell them, I'll go to their competitor, just a block down and get it for that. They give me the discount, and I give them my business! HEE HEE!
Talk with you guys later....