I know over in the audio forum, they refer to this as the big three. Mainly because of the high wattage amps that they are grounding to the cab. That is why I was curious. I have to come up with something when I put the new AIS in. I was using the space where the snorkel is for my battery isolater, Now I have to come up with something a little different and will have to make some custom cable lengths.

 

I don't know HOW many times, big trucks or pickups or cars or lawn mowers, I have chased electrical ghosts and demons and it ultimately being a bad ground. Bad grounding can burn up starters and inverters faster than anything, so you would think redundancy would be in order........just NOT from the factory, lol.

 

Wow that grounding deal is a very ingenious idea. I'd like to do the same thing, however i dont think i have the ring terminals and such needed. Anywhere on the net i can shop at for that stuff?

 

I did a quick search with Google and came up empty.
You might try a local car audio place, they have some pretty high end conductor stuff. I get my supplies through Interstate Battery. You might try calling them and see if they have a local outlet you could purchase from.
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/estore/default.asp

 

I built some 0000 cables a while back and just got the ring terminals at A/Z, over by the batteries. they wer copper swage-ons(sp)... they also had the 00... but then again I haven't been there in a year or so.

 

Early 99 7.3 replaced wire harness oem alternator takes 3 prong connector new harness only has 2 prong do I return harness checked original harness it has 3 pin connector to alternator

 

Dude... When the thread is almost old enough to buy cigarettes, it's ok to start a new one.

I have no idea on the answer to your question, but I'll take a guess.

Are you replacing the whole engine harness or just the alternator pigtail?

Based on other threads, it sounds like the third (center) wire on the pigtail is used for dual altenator trucks. The connector itself is the same, so just cap off the end of the third wire.

If you're doing the whole harness, it sounds like the one you have is for dual alternator. I'd say return it and buy one for single altenator. I would assume that they are wired differently, but I have no idea if trying to use the a dual alternator harness would affect anything.

 

The old harness which is original has the 3 wires at the connector and 3 pins on alternator. The new harness only has 2 wires at connector and 3 pins on alternator. Usable or return harness. If I'm at the wrong thread can someone tell which one to go to for information.

 

This only has one alternator also

 

@albertc

You're in the right thread. You searched for an answer, read a thread that was relevant and on topic with your search, couldn't quite discern a course of action for your specific nuance, and thus posted on the thread, as some of the folks who have already crossed the bridge you are currently on may have some tips or feedback in their experience that never made it into the thread.

No worries.

I'm more concerned about other aspects of your wiring harness than the alternator connector. But to help you solve the best way to deal with the alternator connector, it would help us help you better if you posted photos of:

- The alternator connector shell of your original harness.

- The alternator connector shell of your new to you harness.

- The alternator connector of the alternator itself.

- A full body shot of the entire alternator, so we can identify if it is a 3G, a 6G, or an aftermarket alternator of any myriad of types.

These photos will help us help you identify if you can fix the issue with an adapter translation harness from D shell to Oval shell, or whether you might pickup a pigtail from the Motorcraft catalog and butt splice it into your new harness in place of the new harnesses native alternator connector, or go full tech and remove the TPAs from the new harness connector, depin it, and remove shell from the old harness, and insert the pins from the new harness into the old shell, if pin compatible. Of course we can't tell if the pins are compatible without seeing photos.

 

Sorry, I wasn't intending to say that you posted in the wrong location. Just that it would have been ok to start a new thread rather than resurrecting one that is 20 years old.