3g swap with less then 30 amps worth it?

austin86 · Feb 3, 2021

So I have a 88 EXP, I know not a mustang, but the little ugly FWD bother to a fox.
The car has almost no electronics. It has head/tail lights, blinkers, wippers, rad fan, ignition, tach, fuel pump and shift light. No heat/AC, no dome lights, no high beams no fog lights, no radio no oil/temp/gas or other unnecessary gauges, and no power anything. Even the door and seat belt ringer/buzzer and rear window defroster has been removed.
With everything on the car would be around 30 amps if my math is right. Since I need a new alt and wiring ends I was thinking of doing the 3g swap. Would it even be worth thinking of doing the 3g swap in a car with such a low electronic load?

7991LXnSHO · Feb 3, 2021

- That increased output takes more power to spin.
+ the 3g alternators are supposed to have better reliability.
So is it worth it at your power load? I say no if your amp calculations are correct.

austin86 · Feb 3, 2021

7991LXnSHO said:
- That increased output takes more power to spin.
+ the 3g alternators are supposed to have better reliability.
So is it worth it at your power load? I say no if your amp calculations are correct.

Could a 3g be under driven more to make up for the extra power loss?

Mustang5L5 · Feb 5, 2021

Are you sure on those calculations? I’ve done direct measurements on my car and found that the headlights and parking lights were 20-25amps, the hvac blower was 20 amps, the wipers added 5 amps.

do a 6G, 110amp alt and call it a day

austin86 · Feb 5, 2021

Mustang5L5 said:
Are you sure on those calculations? I’ve done direct measurements on my car and found that the headlights and parking lights were 20-25amps, the hvac blower was 20 amps, the wipers added 5 amps.

do a 6G, 110amp alt and call it a day

Yes. No high beams, no parking lights, no hvac or fan, just about everything not necessary has been removed.
Just ignition. Rad fan, low beams, tail/brake lights, blinkers and wipers.
A early escort pony models had a 45amp alt stock so 30 amps is not out of question.

Mustang5L5 · Feb 5, 2021

I’d still recommend the 6G over the 3G. It’s an improved design with beefier bearings and improved cooling. They come on 01-04 V6 Mustangs.

IIRC, your output load is only dictated by the load placed on the alt. The amount of power needed to spin 1amp on a 100a alternator would be much less than full 100a in that same alternator.

austin86 · Feb 5, 2021

Mustang5L5 said:
I’d still recommend the 6G over the 3G. It’s an improved design with beefier bearings and improved cooling. They come on 01-04 V6 Mustangs.

IIRC, your output load is only dictated by the load placed on the alt. The amount of power needed to spin 1amp on a 100a alternator would be much less than full 100a in that same alternator.

Is there any major difference in wiring by going with a 6g over a 3g? I done 3g swaps but never a 6g. I know I'll have to make a different mounting hardware for a 6g. The 80s escort use a different casing on their alt's then anyway other ford I know off.

Mustang5L5 · Feb 5, 2021

I don’t know if the quirks of installing it on an EXP, but It’s the same as the 3 G other than the connection harness. They are readily available.

Fuel Injection Technical Library » Alternator Files

austin86 · Feb 5, 2021

Mustang5L5 said:
I don’t know if the quirks of installing it on an EXP, but It’s the same as the 3 G other than the connection harness. They are readily available.

Fuel Injection Technical Library » Alternator Files

Thanks for the info. The 3g swap is basically the same on a escort. But escorts have different locations for the bolt holes then most other ford's.
I was thinking of a 3g since some escorts had them with the same bolt hole layout.

Mustang5L5 · Feb 5, 2021

6G is a smaller, compact version of the 3G essentially with some reliability improvements.

austin86 · Feb 5, 2021

Mustang5L5 said:
6G is a smaller, compact version of the 3G essentially with some reliability improvements.

Yes but the escorts had different casings making a 4g or 6g swap not as straight forward. Very late 1990 model year escorts had a 3g using the same layout.

So a 6g swap would require a little more then just wiring.

Mustang5L5 · Feb 5, 2021

Ah, overlooked that detail. Was thinking too much about the swap on the mustang and dudnt realize the casing needed to be different

austin86 · Feb 5, 2021

Mustang5L5 said:
Ah, overlooked that detail. Was thinking too much about the swap on the mustang and dudnt realize the casing needed to be different

Yeah, but it shouldn't be all to hard to fab a new bracket. Not that I wanted too TBH.

3g swap with less then 30 amps worth it?

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