Alternator swap

[Dan859]

Hi Everybody,
I'm currently getting a new Painless wiring harness put in my 66 Fairlane (393/351W), which has the original alternator.  The Painless kit is for a 1 wire alternator, mine is the 3 wire.  I'd like to swap mine out for the 1 wire.  What would be a good swap?  I'm figuring on getting one from the local junk yard.  I'd like something that minimizes the hassles of swapping it; it bolts in, and uses the original belt and pulley.  I'd also like something that puts out more than the current (stock) alternator.
 Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. 
Take care,
Dan

[gdaddy01]

I run a 3 g alternator on my 36 coupe with a 302 , easy to hook up , volts went from about 12.5 to 13.5 , running electric fuel pump , fan , ac . I was having a problem with a woodmizer sawmill , battery getting low and the hyd pump not working right , engine not running right . put a 3 g on it also , 140 amp , I think , from summitt , fix the problem .

[turbohunter]

You can go aftermarket or grab one of these from a junkyard or pick a part joint or from your local auto parts store.
I’m sure there are more models but these will get you going.

130G Alternators:
94-96 Mustang 3.8 V-6
94-95 Mustang 5.0
94-96 Thunderbird 3.8 V-6 (non SC)
95-96 Windstar 3.0 V-6 (most are 3.8's)
93-96 E/F series Trucks/Vans 4.9 L6*
96 Sable 3.0 V-6
94-96 Cougar 3.8 V-6

don't get one off a mod motor, completely different mounts.

[Falcon67]

I run modern 3G on the door car and on the old 93 F-350.  I use 3 wire, not the one wire.  I prefer 3 wire because the sense wore can be connected to your load point and that will give proper regulation and start the alternator as soon as the engine idles.  A lot of "one wire" units have to reach a certain RPM before lighting off.  With 3 wire hookup, no such issues. Small and large case 3G units with the "big ear" will drop into a stock location with the appropriate spacer.  If you put a older style pulley on a 3G, you will likely need a thin shim on the shaft to space the pulley off the face of the case.

[Nightmist66]

I'm not sure why the 1 wire alternators are always talked down. I've had two now with zero issue. Both Powermaster. Yes, they do require an RPM threshold to start charging. Is it a big deal? I don't feel so. In my case, the engine needs to be held at around 1500 or so until the water temp. hits 115-120°F or it will not idle. It is very cold blooded. Again, not a big deal to me. If it were a daily driver, then it might get tiresome. Anyway, I am currently using the Powermaster# 47141, 150A. I did notice even with the belt very tight, it still slips once in a while. The pulley it comes with is very smooth. I will add texture to it and see if it helps. I like the look of the single groove setup.

[Stangman]

Hey Jared we’re did you get that lower bracket for the bottom of the alternator

[Nightmist66]

Hey Jared we’re did you get that lower bracket for the bottom of the alternator

I made it. Nothing fancy, just steel flat stock.

[cattleFEeder]

Hey Stangman i have a couple of these kits in use mostly for clearance of the battery , they work good.
https://carcrap.net/product/ford-fe-low-mount-alternator-mounting-kit/
painted version.
https://carcrap.net/product/ford-fe-two-piece-alt-mtg-kit-black-powder-coated/

[Rory428]

I installed a Ford 130 amp 3G alternator in my 59 last year, very happy with it. Since I didn`t want to to have to rev the engine everytime I started it, to make the alternator "kick in", plus I wanted my factory "GEN" light in the dash to function properly, I decided to avoid the single wire design. I didn`t find the task of having 3 wires to hook up a big deal, and I am really happy with the improvement  over the original 30 amp generator. I used a 95 Mustang 5.0 alternator, and other than replacing the alt. pulley, with a old style V belt pulley, it was a straight bolt in. I have factory alternator brackets for both the high and low mount locations, tried both, and went with the upper position. Because of the higher output, I elected to go with factory dual V belts for the alternator, since I do not have power steering or A/C, there is just the crank, alt, and water pump pulleys. Since I no longer needed  a separate voltage regulator, where the old regulator was located provided a perfect spot for the Duraspark ignition module.

[allrightmike]

Would a larger diameter pulley help the belt slippage issue by creating more belt to pulley contact area? I know this would aggravate the charging threshold-

I'm not sure why the 1 wire alternators are always talked down. I've had two now with zero issue. Both Powermaster. Yes, they do require an RPM threshold to start charging. Is it a big deal? I don't feel so. In my case, the engine needs to be held at around 1500 or so until the water temp. hits 115-120°F or it will not idle. It is very cold blooded. Again, not a big deal to me. If it were a daily driver, then it might get tiresome. Anyway, I am currently using the Powermaster# 47141, 150A. I did notice even with the belt very tight, it still slips once in a while. The pulley it comes with is very smooth. I will add texture to it and see if it helps. I like the look of the single groove setup.

RPM issue.

[Falcon67]

LOL - the green/red wire that comes from the ALT light is the same from the 60s through the 90s, so that was a fun discovery.  And the yard alternators here are like $45 and you can take it to Auto Zone, O'Reillys etc and get it tested free.  Although, I've yet to pull a bad one. Bearings and other parts are readily available to rebuild one.  And I race these stockers with shaft RPMS going north of 16,000 RPM.  I've had my time with Powermaster, I'll not pay those prices.  Plenty of diagrams on the web for the 3 wire hookup.  HEavy power to the battery side of the solenoid, yellow to the load side of same or wherever your load center may be (trunk, under dash, etc), blk/wht loops to the regulator and green/red to ignition.  You can take part of the harness if you find one in a car in the junk yard so you ahve all the right connectors.  Although most here pull those kind of parts and store them in 40' containers. Easier to shop and you don't have to remember to bring your metric crescent wrench. 

[Nightmist66]

Plus I wanted my factory "GEN" light in the dash to function properly. Since I no longer needed  a separate voltage regulator, where the old regulator was located provided a perfect spot for the Duraspark ignition module.

FWIW, the 1 wire Powermaster has a provision on both my 100 and 150 amp models to hook up for the factory dash indicator. I also removed the old regulator and mounted my new Pertronix digital hp ignition box in that location. I mounted it inside a little box to disguise it.

Would a larger diameter pulley help the belt slippage issue by creating more belt to pulley contact area? I know this would aggravate the charging threshold.

I feel the texture would be more beneficial than the larger pulley. Or adding an idler near the alternator to wrap more belt around the pulley. I have seen the use of the underdrive pulleys(larger alt.) on a small block and it just wasn't worth the hype. At idle, it could just barely charge.

[Falcon67]

IIRC, and it's been a while since I measure, I have two different 6 rib pulleys - one around 2.12 and one closer to 2.5.  OEM parts.  I thin the 2.5 is on the car and when cold even the 6 rib squeaks a little.  My home brew bracket is holding but it's a little hard to tension right - need about a 1/2" shorter belt.  Agree - I would scuff up the V in the pulley real good and make sure it's tensioned properly.  Still with my racing, the 6 rib has been super reliable as long as pulley alignment if correct.  That being said, the dragster shifts at 7200 and uses a regular V belt to drive the alternator and another one for the vacuum pump - no slips or skips.