Electric Fan and factory Alternator?

PuppyDawg said:

1. Why the electric fan "upgrade"? what does it do?

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adds hp. well, more accurately it reduces parasitic hp losses. basically it takes hp to turn the fan with the crank (stock setup).

PuppyDawg said:

2. Will i be able to use the stock alternator to compensate for the electric fan and the other devices (factory and a future sound system project) in my 88gt?

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it might work for the fan, but once you add a sound system etc you'll need the bigger alternator. save the $ and hassle in the long run and get the 3g upgrade.

PuppyDawg said:

3. If i have to upgrade my alternator then what alternator should i use? where can i purchase one too?

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you need the 3g upgrade. it's the 130 amp alt that came on the sn95 stangs. you'll also need a couple other little things for the swap. do a search.

PuppyDawg said:

4. Does having the a factory alternator and the electric fan could be the cause of my surging while cold start on my 88gt?

thanks for the info guys.....

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i doubt it, but for kicks you might want to check your voltage at idle. if it's low it could cause a surge.

-steve

The factory alternator is barely enough for the stock car. Add the extra electrical drain of an electric fan and it is just asking for trouble. Blown alternator, run down battery are just a couple of the problems. If you want to run an electric fan for the improved cooling it provides, expecially at a stop, then you need to upgrade the alterator. And that does not mean just bolting in a higher power one, asthe Ford wiring harness is not up to the extra amps produced by the high power alternators. Do a search on alternator and you will find a lot of info on the 3G upgrade.

Here is one article:
http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2001/03/paperformance/index2.shtml

I had a couple of others, but the links I have are now bad.

The 3G alternator came in the 94-95 GT Mustangs, 95-04 V6 Mustangs, and several other Ford vehicles over the past several years. You can get new ones from PAPerformance or the auto parts place, or search on www.car-part.com for one to a 95 Mustang. I got one from a 2002 V6 Mustang for $25 that I put in my car.

If you want to add stereo amps or any other electric accessories, then an upgraded alternator AND upgraded wiring are a definite necessity.

Good luck!

Thomas

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 installation

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.