I am in need of a new alternator for my 80 F350 DRW 400. What do you all recommend for a good quality unit? Rock Auto, Summit, local store (Auto Zone, O'Reilly, Napa)? 60 - 100 amp range.

 

You need to hit up the salvage yard and find a 3G alternator from a 3.8l Taurus. I did this swap on my Bullnose and it works great.

Here's an article I found with a quick search.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/inst...r-older-fords/

Here's a thread on our site:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-pictures.html

If you just want to do a direct replacement I suggest your local auto parts store. You can save a bit of money with RockAuto or Amazon but the warranty they offer is a hassle. I've never had an issue returning a part to the auto parts store since I keep my receipts.

 

Do the 3G swap and skip the feeble 1G alternator.

 

What alternator do you have (amp rating?) I see Autozone sells a brand new alternator, 60 amp for $82.00. They sell a brand new 70amp for $152. That's a lot of money for 10 more amps. But I have had good success buying brand new alternators. Rebuilt ones are hit and miss.

 

"Rebuilt" sometimes means different things, at least to the Krylon Professional.

It also looks to me like the SOP when a defective part is returned by a shop esp, it goes back in the box and back on the shelf at retail. What you might think about doing is rebuilding your existing alternator to spec using new bearings, stator, slip rings, diode pack etc. It ain't rocket science. This is very cost effective and you know it's done right.

 

I have had good luck by taking the alternator to an old fashioned alternator/generator/starter repair shop. Most areas have one catering to farm equipment, etc. When it is returned, you know it will fit, since it came from your truck.

 

Id have to agree with the 3G upgrade. I spent a grand total of $180 doing mine, and that included a circuit breaker, alternator wiring kit, the wire from alt to solenoid and the alternator itself (brand new). If that's the route you decide to go, know ahead of time if your choke is 7V or 12V. It is really easier to do than it seems. For me, being on the road and knowing if the alt goes bad, pretty much any parts store will have a replacement in stock without being stranded waiting for shipment of an old style.

 

Do yourself a solid and replace any 1980 vintage cables too, if they haven't been already. That way you'll get all the electrons you paid for when replacing or upgrading the alternator. Old cables cripple the ability for any alternator to supply its rated current output.

 

ya, not going to do the whole 3G thing at this time. What are the advantages to that? I have too much going on right now to take on an all day hunt and search project.
I don't know what alternator is in the truck at this time. I just replaced carb w/ a Holley 500cmf from my old Scout and found that I have a pretty hardcore rear main seal leak. I am currently using truck on a backyard fencing project. Any 3G mod will have to wait its turn in line lol. Fencing project, Miata turbo install, standard spring yard work, shop set up work to finish up, the list goes on and on.

 

Unless you are running high draw devices there is no advantage to the 3G swap, and it has a few disadvantages. As for a reman Remy/Delco Motorcraft will be your best bets, unless you have a local guy that does them.

 

The only advantage I have heard of(but I didn't get all my test instruments out and do a study on this) is that the 3g style alternators have more output at lower rpms. I would think a 95 amp version would be sufficient for most vehicles.

I still don't like the single v belt thing on the 130 amp version. If you can't use the full output of the 130 amp alternator with a single v-belt, what is the use of swapping it in place?

 

Again: unless you are running high draw devices there is no advantage.

 

There's a number of guides online about swapping in a 3g alternator. I did it on my 85 f150 300 dual v belt. Found a 130amp in the junkyard and spent maybe 50-100$ all in with a new 150amp mega fuse and wiring. There are lower amp rating depending on the model of 3g in the junkyard depending on your needs. Only real modification was grabbing an impact gun, switching the serpentine and v belt pulleys over with an extra washer under the v belt pulley to fit the 3g case.

For advantages you have more current at low rpm, I've heard of the older alternators having a higher chance of catching on fire, you don't have the older barely adequate from the factory wiring, and parts are easy to come ​​​​by because it's a common alternator. For example my voltmeter was bobbing from end to end literally hours after hurricane Dorian, while I was visiting a friend in Nova Scotia Canada (18hours from home and very far from any place stocking old Ford parts). No parts stored had an alternator less than a week away. Called a guy 10 minutes away that specialized in starters and alternators. He rebuilt the alternator replacing every moving part, brushes, diodes, sandblasted the case and had it back together same day for under 100$. Nobody would have had parts or a replacement for a 1g or 2g alternator.

The only drawback of the 3g is the price of a replacement new alternator. That will cost you substantially more. If you have a few minutes read up what alternators to look for in the junkyard and get it done.

Also avoid the 130amp alternator unless you have dual vbelts and they are very tight. Mine will squeel on startup for a few seconds or low battery unless the belts are ridiculously tight. I installed a dash switch to kill the alternator on startup.

 

The higher amp out put at idle is only an advantage if you are running high draw devices and really the difference is minimal. The issue most people have with the 1G system is old wiring not the actual system it;s self. Furthermore, many/most of the wiring guides listed on online for 3g swaps are not done correctly. And if you have an elec assist choke you can not use the 3G stator wire to feed it. So the swap is not quite straight forward as one would think. 3G is harder on vbelts unless you have the soft start regulator installed. The 1G was available up 100Amps (large case) which is more than adequate for most applications.

 

Now that was the 2G Ford alternator that did that, not the 1G. And in the case of having a 2G, yes I would recommend an upgrade to some sort of later alternator. I put a GM alternator on my truck that had the 2G.

1G is the alternator with the separate regulator, used for many many years since the 60's.

2G is Ford's first well known alternator with a built in regulator. Has a slip on connector for the output and they use two wires instead of one. This slip on connector (instead of a stud and nut) is where the fire problem is.

3G is Ford's next attempt at a higher output alternator with a internal regulator. It's a good one, but I have heard of brush holder melting problems once in awhile.