ALTEWRNATOR?

1991GreeNLX

New Member
Jul 2, 2004
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Houston TX
which alternator did yall go with how many amp's and how much did it cost i just bought a set of UD - pullies and i have a stock alterantor and i wanna swap out the stock alternator would a 130 amp be to much? :shrug:
 
Ah...we all get in hurry to type something...grammer errors happen...

Anyways I bought a 3g alternator from www.paperformance.com along with their "4g wire upgrade kit"...

The alternator and wire upgrade kit comes with full color instructions and I did the install pretty easily and I'm "wiring" retarded...

I bought the 130amp alternator though you can go bigger by getting 160 or 200amp Alts...

You will need to upgrade the fuse and some of the wires to bigger guages but everything I listed above (alt and wire upgrade kit from them) had everything I needed for the install...

It is one of the best mods you can do if you have things like a sound system, a/c, electric fan, etc...

Good Luck
 
Here's websites with pictures of the 3G (94 Mustang and later 130 amp alt) installation procedure...

See http://www.geocities.com/smithmonte/Auto/3G_130A_Alternator_Upgrade.htm - all the tech data you could ever want to know
OR
http://www.mustangcentral.net/tech/alternator.html - excellent pictures of the installation

See these sites for the right way to do the wiring. Some people will tell you that you can skip the wiring upgrade, but it will catch up with you sooner or later. A fire in the wiring harness is ugly and expensive.

Under no circumstances connect the two 10 gauge black/white wires to the 3G alternator. If the fuse blows in the 4 gauge wire, the two 10 gauge wires may be overloaded to the point of catching fire and burning up the wiring harness.

Figure this:
Ignition system & computer = 12 amps
Fuel pump = 12 amps
Exterior lights = 15 amps
Fan (heater or A/C) = 15 amps (can run between 5-25 amps depending on setting)
Radio & instruments = 10 amps
Wipers = 10 amps

That's grand total of 74 amps from a 65 amp alternator. Talk about overdrawn at the bank!

See WWW.partsexpress.com for the fuse & fuse holder.
Fuse = http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=071-952

Fuseholder = http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=263-630
 
The paperformance alternator/wire upgrade kit comes with everything you need...the instructions are very clear and it comes with everything you need right down to the zipties...so you don't have to shop around for parts and take a chance on getting the wrong crimp/wire/etc...instead it is easier to get all the right parts at once :nice:
 
ratrapp said:
i bought a used 3ga (130 amp) for $40 and the paperformance wiring upgrade kit.i have around $100 tied up in mine.it still charges great even with my march u/d pullies.

Does your lights dim at idle...mine does...I have the 130amp alternator with March underdrives also...I guess my only option to fix that is get an overdrive pulley for it...though it voids the warranty...
 
Another :nice: for pa-performance. I have the black magic electric fan can run the head lights, wipers, defroster, and cd player all while idling for 30 minutes in traffic without lights ever dimming and only running the 130 amp alternator with the power wire.

I know know that I could have done the same thing cheaper with rebuilt parts from the local parts store, but I'm happier with having the warranty and tech support.

I have bought the March pulleys, but have not yet installed them.
 
5spd GT said:
Does your lights dim at idle...mine does...I have the 130amp alternator with March underdrives also...I guess my only option to fix that is get an overdrive pulley for it...though it voids the warranty...
I have an overdrive pulley on mine. I would just switch it back if I had to return it. With the underdrive crank pulley and overdrive alternator pulley they kind of equal each other out.
 
89roadster said:
Another :nice: for pa-performance. I have the black magic electric fan can run the head lights, wipers, defroster, and cd player all while idling for 30 minutes in traffic without lights ever dimming and only running the 130 amp alternator with the power wire.

I know know that I could have done the same thing cheaper with rebuilt parts from the local parts store, but I'm happier with having the warranty and tech support.

I have bought the March pulleys, but have not yet installed them.

That is exactly like mine...but I have the March underdrives and my alternator can't keep up with all that...what could be the cause?
 
89sleeper said:
I have an overdrive pulley on mine. I would just switch it back if I had to return it. With the underdrive crank pulley and overdrive alternator pulley they kind of equal each other out.

What overdrive pulley do you have?
 
with all the issues people have with low idle charging, why run an underdrive pulley on the alt at all? if running U/D's, i might run an OD pulley on the alt (how much parasitic loss, or should i say gain is there from running an U/D?). i doubt much (speaking for the alternator alone).

has anyone run a 4G alt?
 
I used some of the sites for "ideas" and an overall rough outlook on how to do the 3G upgrade. I did all the wiring myself without the kit and spent roughly 15 bucks. I had most of the little stuff (electrical tape, zip ties and some of the connectors). Overall, I think I spent a little less then 140...

If you want to do the wiring yourself, I just did this a month ago and did the hunt for all the parts so if you have questions let me know.


fred
 
5spd GT said:
Ah...we all get in hurry to type something...grammer errors happen...

Anyways I bought a 3g alternator from www.paperformance.com along with their "4g wire upgrade kit"...

The alternator and wire upgrade kit comes with full color instructions and I did the install pretty easily and I'm "wiring" retarded...

I bought the 130amp alternator though you can go bigger by getting 160 or 200amp Alts...

You will need to upgrade the fuse and some of the wires to bigger guages but everything I listed above (alt and wire upgrade kit from them) had everything I needed for the install...

It is one of the best mods you can do if you have things like a sound system, a/c, electric fan, etc...

Good Luck


I second that. 5sp GT is wiring retarded (j/k :D ) PA performance is awesome. Great products. Great service. I bought the 130amp with 4g wiring harness. The testing report that came with my alt. indicated like 90 amps at 900 rpm's...I mean cool!