I have an 88 5.0 Fox and I’m upgrading the alternator to the 130A 3G version. The new alternator is threaded for the upper bolt. What size bolt do I need for this?
Good question. Could be metric or standard so unless you have a tap and die kit I would take the alternator down to Home Depot, Lowes, or a good hardware store and you should be able to find one that fits. Both of mine did not come threaded so I want to say I just made them 7/16-14.
Preface: When the following procedure is complete, the ORANGE/BLACK factory alternator wire WILL NOT BE USED. Whether you cut that connector off or just leave it hanging is up to you (I prefer to just leave it tied up out of the way). Using...
If you have additional load on the system like an aftermarket ignition box, stereo, electric fan, etc. I would say yes. I would just go ahead and put a 4 gas in that way if you ever swap to a 3G then its already there. I just grabbed this off of one of the many sites that provided wire size and maximum amps:
Chassis wiring:
10 ga - 55A
8 ga - 73A
4 ga - 135A
Some are even more conservative than this but you can see the 10 ga is a joke.
The two 10G's actually splice together in the harness into a single 10G wire.
Look up the rated ampacity for 10G wire in a hot environment. Once you see what it is (less than 75A for sure), you'll upgrade. Even 4G is just barely acceptable for a 130A alt, which is why i cringe when folks are installing a 200A alt, with 4G wire and installing a 200A fuse. With 4G you should really fuse for 100-120A.