Why upgrade the alternator?

STREETRACEMY50 · Jan 21, 2008

UPGRADE!!
I dont know why most here say keep it stock, the stock 2g has always been TOO SMALL for even stock cars, this is why they have the problems with the stock plug/wires melting, as stated earlier if you are running your heater full blast,lights,wipers,radio,interior lights and god forbid the cigarette lighter or even fog lights in a GT (BTW that harness melts too causing the fogs to flicker) you are drawing WAY more current than the stock altinator can supply and pulling more AMPS than the wiring was designed for causing stress on the electrical system and discharging your battery.
If you upgrade to a 3g you can run all this and the 3g wont even be breaking a sweat, youll have plenty of room to add on fans/msd box or whatever you want later on also.

methemike1 · Jan 21, 2008

Does the 3g bolt right in? Do you need to change any connections? What is a part number of one at an auto parts store?

foxmustangman · Jan 21, 2008

trbkrb said:
2G - external fan and plug in connector on side of case for power leads:

3G - internal fan and stud on rear to bolt on power lead:

5.0Droptop said:
See picture: The plug on bottom with the 2 black wires and one white wire is the one that melts down.
Ford put the blk 2 wires in the plug, these charge the battery and supply the elec system with power. The problem is the 2 wires tie into one wire about 10" below the plug it is barely heavy enough to carry the stock amp load, if you add anything extra to the elec system and it melts down the plug, it becomes a fire hazard/short hazard......

See, i bought a Powermaster, and it has the external fan, but it has the stud on the back for its own powersource. It doesn't use the old connectors. So it looks like a 2G, but is a 3G?

sal · Jan 21, 2008

Here's my stock engine w/ a 3G alternator. The alternator brakcet just had to be nothced a bit as to not interfere with the housing.

DmnStr8 · Jan 21, 2008

I found the educational experience to be well worth it, at the time that I did mine. Plus not having your headlights dim, on cold rainy nights, everytime you touch the brakes is a bonus.

I have no stereo and a stock fan and I still would do it again.

jrichker · Jan 22, 2008

methemike1 said:
Does the 3g bolt right in? Do you need to change any connections? What is a part number of one at an auto parts store?

See the 3G Alternator Install - Roland69 in the "Useful Technical Thread Index at the top of the 5.0 Tech forum. Everything you need to know is in there.

foxmustangman · Jan 23, 2008

foxmustangman said:
trbkrb said:

2G - external fan and plug in connector on side of case for power leads:

3G - internal fan and stud on rear to bolt on power lead:

Click to expand...

5.0Droptop said:

See picture: The plug on bottom with the 2 black wires and one white wire is the one that melts down.
Ford put the blk 2 wires in the plug, these charge the battery and supply the elec system with power. The problem is the 2 wires tie into one wire about 10" below the plug it is barely heavy enough to carry the stock amp load, if you add anything extra to the elec system and it melts down the plug, it becomes a fire hazard/short hazard......

Click to expand...

See, i bought a Powermaster, and it has the external fan, but it has the stud on the back for its own powersource. It doesn't use the old connectors. So it looks like a 2G, but is a 3G?

Not to nagg or anything, but could anyone help me out with my question?

5.0Droptop · Jan 23, 2008

foxmustangman said:
Not to nagg or anything, but could anyone help me out with my question?

3 g has internal fan. If yours has external fan with a charging lug its still a 2g but its not a stock oem 2g

it has been improved.

foxmustangman · Jan 23, 2008

so its pretty good then?

5.0Droptop · Jan 24, 2008

foxmustangman said:
so its pretty good then?

Its an upgrade from the OEM unit. But its still not as good as a 3g imo.

woodyy24 · Jan 24, 2008

when yours goes...upgrade it.

foxmustangman · Jan 24, 2008

5.0Droptop · Jan 24, 2008

Err I mean

Yeah thats it,,

Mike85000 · Jan 24, 2008

I didn't have problems with my 2, but one day it died. Made 'er about 20miles home off the battery. How did i know, i smelled burning electrical and the charge lamp came on.

I'm not a fan of replacing things with stock parts when i could get a good used 3g at the junkyard for cheap.

I upgraded the wiring with some 4 ga to keep things happy under the hood.

After the install, i noticed the stock voltmeter on the dash read 1.5-2 lines higher (yeah woopty do). Now at idle, the heater fan doesn't slow down. If i recall correctly, it's putting 13.9V to the battery at an idle.

One thing i haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the difference between the 90A 3G and the 130A 3G.

I found some pics on the net somewhere, i think they visual difference between the 2 is the amount of holes on the case. If i remember, the 130A model has less, but bigger cooling holes. I think mine came from a 94 Tbird?

Also watch the mounting ear thickness. I tapped mine and installed a helicoil to retain the factory bolt.

I'd say when your's dies, go to a 3g. Or if you're bored and want a worthwhile improvement to your cars electrical system, do it now. Just don't cheap out and use the stock charging harness!!!!!!!

methemike1 · Jan 24, 2008

One question I have I'm running a carb engine with just a cd player should I put the 3g alt on it? Do I need it since I don't think I'll have that much of an amp draw?

Kevins89notch5.0 · Jan 25, 2008

How's this? Pics were taken all of an hour apart, and were taken at night time, in the garage, with the garage door closed.

BigHairyMonkey · Jan 25, 2008

i have a 2g, a full stereo upgrade, deck, speakers, 1 decent size 12'' sub w/ a 600watt amp and SHO taurus fan which pulls stupid amounts of amps; and so far so good (knocks on wood). When it breaks i will be stepping up to a 6g.

Why upgrade the alternator?

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