3g alt upgrade on a budget.

[Makdaddymac]

how do i go about this, what is the cheapest way to do the mod, what alt's are interchangeable that i could pull off a mustang/car. (i thought i had one but is MIA)....
i dont see spending 200.00 for a kit when i know some of you have done it for pocket change

the install seams easy just know there is other ways to do things. im looking for the diy way to save some money

 

[Darkwriter77]

I scored the one that I put in my '84 off an early 90-something ('94?) Mercury Sable wagon with a 3.8L V6. Cost me $40 from the junkyard. Try to get the D-plug and main charging cable off there if you can, while you're at it, as it'll save you a bit of work in the wiring-up process.

Most of the '94-up Ford 3.8L V6 vehicles will have a 3G alternator - Taurus, Sable, Thunderbird, Cougar, Windstar, and Continental, to name a few - but bear in mind that there's a 95-amp and a 130-amp 3G alternator. There are later-model 6G alternators which are 130-amp, but they have a smaller case so you don't have to grind your tensioner bracket to make it fit like you do with the large case 3G's. The '94 and '95 Mustang GT will have one, as well.

Not sure if the '91-'93 T-Bird/Cougar had a 3G alt on their 5.0 motors, though.

 

[Makdaddymac]

D-plug!!!???
the charging cable is nothing more than the 4g wire correct?

 

[HISSIN50]

Correct. Your regulator plugs right in (no mods), you splice the stator (or loop it from the reg to the alt's stator port), and then add your charge cable.

 

[Darkwriter77]

D-plug = the D-shaped plug with three wires that pokes into the side of your alternator. You can use the stock one off your 2G, but the D-plug on cars that came stock with a 3G alternator have the nice little plug on the end of the black/white wire that you need to run from the D-plug to the single-terminal plug.

Hard to explain without pictures. Do a quick search for "3G swap" and find one of JRichker's posts with all the wiring diagrams and photos in it, and you'll see what I'm babbling about.

 

[Vinnietbird]

I got my alternator from a 3.0 Taurus.The 3.8 had a larger case,which,fit a Lincoln Mark VII perfectly.Cost me $10.00,so,I bought 4 of them,sold two,and kept one as a backup.

 

[Makdaddymac]

ok, so is the chrage cbale not s no mod swap cause of a different size wire. and am i adding a stator plug by splicing into the d plug(same thing as regulator plug right)? im correct. the mechanical install and fitment is a no brainer but im a NOOOOOBBB when it comes to electrical...

 

[5.0Torx]

Autozone took my stock 2g as the core charge for a 94 mustang GT alt. THat reduced the price alot and i didnt have to go to a junkyard and get a potentially faulty alternator. I also bought the 2g wire there. I wired it up using the diagram from bcbronco.com

 

[strtrcr50]

I'm about to try to make a run on this on a budget myself. I found 10 ft of 4 ga wire for $2 at a yard sale, the junkyards near me sell 3g alternators for $25, so from there, I think all I'm going to need is a fuse and fuse holder. My 2g went out last year, and due to time restraints, I had to replace it with a Pep Boys 2g lifetime warranty alternator. I just changed the lifetime warranty alternator in the rain yesterday, and I'm thinking the factory one lasted 20 years, the replacement lasted one. Time to go back to a factory alternator.

 

[Makdaddymac]

okay so if i goto a yard and search for 94 up do they have to be v6 models? what if i find some 94+ 5.0's mustang/explorer. and do the 6g alternators intall the same/as easy as the 3g alt with the d plug and etc...?

 

[HISSIN50]

94-95 Mustang alts are all the same.

If you go with a later 6G, the case is smaller (no grinding), the wiring is a smidge simpler, but the output is not quite as great.

 

[mob]

94-95 gt's have a 3g alt also, thats what I looked up at my work when I got mine, I think it was like 130 bucks new.

For the wiring and fuse part (this can get expensive believe it or not) I got a 4ga battery cable from advance or autozone, it think it was like 6 or 7 feet long, and I cut the battery terminal end off of it and crimped a ring terminal on the end of it. Napa can cut you wire to length but its expensive when you talking about 10 feet. BUT go to napa for the fuse and fuse holder. It is not enclosed but you will not be paying 30 bucks for one of those fancy stereo fuse holders. Audio excellence wanted 50 bucks for a fuse holder and 130amp fuse.

Here is the part number for the fuse holder from napa

782 1143
Its like 10 bucks

And here is the part number for a 125 amp fuse, also about 10 bucks.
782 1137

Installation is real easy, it took me about an afternoon to do it using write ups on stangnet. The only thing I would watch out for is when you put the ring terminal on the cable, and put the cable on the stud on the alternator, make sure you have clearance between the terminal on the cable and the alternator case, it was real close on mine and I didnt notice it was touching. I was lucky to only blow the fuse.

 

[jrichker]

94-95 gt's have a 3g alt also, thats what I looked up at my work when I got mine, I think it was like 130 bucks new.

For the wiring and fuse part (this can get expensive believe it or not) I got a 4ga battery cable from advance or autozone, it think it was like 6 or 7 feet long, and I cut the battery terminal end off of it and crimped a ring terminal on the end of it. Napa can cut you wire to length but its expensive when you talking about 10 feet. BUT go to napa for the fuse and fuse holder. It is not enclosed but you will not be paying 30 bucks for one of those fancy stereo fuse holders. Audio excellence wanted 50 bucks for a fuse holder and 130amp fuse.

Here is the part number for the fuse holder from napa

782 1143
Its like 10 bucks

And here is the part number for a 125 amp fuse, also about 10 bucks.

782 1137

The NAPA fuse holder is probably better than any of the fancy audio fuse holders. I had two of the gold plated auto fuse holders soften up and start to melt from the under hood temperatures.

 

[mbsprinks281]

Go to Auto Zone. Buy a 94-96 mustang alternator. Take it home and install it. Take the old one back to Auto Zone in the new box and get your core charge back....most people at the parts stores by my house have no business working at a parts store....

 

[mob]

Go to Auto Zone. Buy a 94-96 mustang alternator. Take it home and install it. Take the old one back to Auto Zone in the new box and get your core charge back....most people at the parts stores by my house have no business working at a parts store....

I dont think getting his core charge back is the issue. I work at a parts store and I could care less if i get the same kind of alternator back. Someone could bring me a alternator they found stuffed in there garage for 10 years and I wont charge them a core charge. They shouldnt care what alternator, battery, or starter, or caliper, or brake shoe it is as long as they have something they can rebuild or recycle. And you can always bring the core back later but your not really tricking anyone, they are not dumb because they dont know its not the same alternator, its that it is pretty hard to tell what an alternator looks like going off the part number alone.

 

[mbsprinks281]

sorry to offend you dude. the parts store by me, most of the people are morons.....thats all....

 

[Makdaddymac]

i know the alts are the same, but i was wondering what cars to look for at a junk yard. is it pretty much and 94 up ford vehicle, or do i need to be 3.8 and 5.0 specific? njust want to make sure i know what to hunt for alts are 20.00 at a pull yard, i figure i could pull four used alternators for the price of one new

 

[mob]

sorry to offend you dude. the parts store by me, most of the people are morons.....thats all....

No its cool, sorry if I came off a little defensive, some of the people I work with are morons so I believe it.

 

[Makdaddymac]

i was wondering what cars to look for at a junk yard. is it pretty much and 94 up ford vehicle, or do i need to be 3.8 and 5.0 specific or can it be any vehicle.

someone local is selling a 96-98 4.6 alternator will they work?

 

[DocG]

I went to a U-pull junk yard and just searched the Ford section. I don't remember all the vehicles....but most of the Cougar and T-birds I saw along with many Stangs had the 3g. If you know what one looks like along with the connectors, its easy to spot one under the hood of a junked car. I found probably 5 or 6 and just grabbed the one that looked the nicest. Paid like 30 bux and it worked perfect.

I spent more money on the wires and fuse than the alt. Plus mine is a rear battery relocate which required a little more wire to do it right.

Good luck man.