85HPP 3G alternator install

[LumpyCheeseman]

what pray tell is that thing behind the battery?

[85crownHPP]

That be the aero fuse/relay box that I hard wired the headlights/foglights/entire car into.

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=3031

[87gtVIC]

since i am not allowed to post in your fuse box thread i will ask here.

That fuse box you installed is taking place of just fusible links and such.....like things JUST under the hood. OR is it also taking place of the fuse box under the steering column? I really like what you did...and if i am feeling brave enough once and have all of the correct resources i wouldnt mind venturing into a project like that.

[LumpyCheeseman]

whats the one on the drivers side?

[87gtVIC]

vacuum box i believe????

[85crownHPP]

yes the drivers side one is the 90-91 vacuum box and ecm/fuel pump relay box.

Dave, the box I installed only replaces the fuse links at the starter solenoid - one of which powers the interior fusebox which is still there. No way Im going to re-wire that one!
The MAXI fuses each replace a fuse link, two of them power the headlight relays and two mini fuses power the fog light relays. I can add more mini fuses later for powering other things too, like more LEDs!!

[87gtVIC]

This is all very very intriguing.

[gadget73]

Interesting factoid, all of the in-car power comes through one fuse link. If you short the thermal blower lockout wiring out, it can burn the fuse link for that which causes you to lose ignition power among other things. I found this out when it happened to me in CHicago. I've still got speaker wire rigging the fuse link back together.

[1990LTD]

forgive my n00bage and thread resurrecting, but...

I also learned that you need the warning lamp circuit for the thing to charge... I knew you do for our original alternators, but I didn't know a 'hot wired' 3G needed it to charge. When i started it up it didn't charge until I made a quick-jump for the warning lamp circuit...

Is that just the green wire (I) you're talking about? I just know the only wire you need from the 2G is the green one. I don't know WTF a warning lamp is, though.

[1987cp]

Yup, that's the one. Stock wiring goes from the ignition switch, I think through the fuse panel, through the "ALT" warning lamp in the dash, and then out to the plug at the alternator. It will also work to just wire your new alternator harness in to any ignition-hot source, such as whatever you have in place to energize your ignition system, though obviously that will defeat your stock in-dash warning light.

One thing I don't know is where the yellow wire from the regulator goes to in a factory-stock harness. The old install on my car just had it going to the charging post, and that worked fine.

[1990LTD]

nah I shall keep the warning light. It sounds a touch complicated in the wiring but all I've gotta do on the alternator end is connect new green to old green? I ebayed a 2g to 3g conversion plug type of thing because I am not confident enough in my own wiring skills to do it all myself. plug n play is good.



I am still unclear on how to connect the green on the new harness to the existing green in the car. Connecting wires is greek to me

[1987cp]

I'd probably just use a butt connector from the hardware store or home improvement center. Can probably pick up a cheap stripper-crimper tool for under 10 bucks in the same aisle. The connectors are color-coded by wire size; the red ones will probably work for this application. If you want to be fancy, get some heat-shrink tubing and put that over the wire first, then remove the insulation from your butt connector and solder it after crimping, and then apply the heat-shrink tubing. Actually, heat-shrink is a good idea anyway, even if you don't solder the connection, as it helps keep moisture out of the joint. Don't know about in Kanadia, but around here I can usually get heat shrink at a hardware store or parts store, and Harbor Freight has at least 3 or 4 different options.

If you want to be redneck about it, you can always strip the wires with a knife and use a wire nut, but that's not real highly recommended. :p

[1990LTD]

All of this is greek to me - I am trying to figure out how to connect wires w/o solder..I've got the crimping tool and some connectors I got from work (Uhaul outlet). I gather that you put the wires in opposite ends, but, how do they stay there?

[1990LTD]

I have a pile of these

http://www.drillspot.com/pimages/211/21189_300.jpg

That's what I'm talking about..how the crap do they stay in there?

[Bowman85merc]

you need one of these

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92410

or a big pair of pliers and sqeeze real hard with the wire stripped back about a 1/4".

when dad did his mark vii he didn't what to cut up the origanal wiring so he just used a spade connector on the green wire from the alterntor and plugged it into the geen wire on the regulator plug and taped it real good. so if he ever wanted to go back everthings there.