Finished with 3G swap! (pictures included)

[L1011tristar17]

After hours of running back and forth to the parts store and burning my fingers with the soldering gun, I have finally finished the alternator conversion!


The new alternator isn't pretty looking, but it will do the job. I got it from a junkyard for $45 with a 60-day warranty. It's off of a 1996 Taurus.


This is what I started with. I had already replaced one of the alternator connectors but it was a pretty botch repair. When you have only crimp connectors and no flashlight in a sketchy part of Charlotte, this is what you end up with! I concealed the poor crimp connections with layers of electrical tape.


This part just fell off when I began to remove the lower bolt. The bracket originally broke when the last auto shop worked on it and it was poorly welded.


Alternator finally removed!


Wiring setup for the new alternator. I harvested the pigtail connectors from a Sable wagon and they fit perfectly. I crimped on a ring connector to the orange wire and put it on the charge stud.


Halfway through soldering the LG/R wire. For being my first soldering job ever, it came out alright in the end. I finished soldering and covered it with a layer of electrical tape.


Until I buy a proper fuseholder, this will have to do. I used a 175a fuse I found on the same Sable wagon I got the charge cable from.


"The belt is going to be really hard to put back on" -Understatement of the Year. I used a 505k6 belt (same size as a 2000's Escort)


The final result!

[fmansfield444]

I'll be doing this in the spring.

Looks pretty good, I can't make it out that well, but is your megafuse on the starter solenoid? I saw on someones car here that they mounted theirs on their air box and it looked pretty clean.

I grabbed a whole megafuse bracket assembly off of either an explorer or an F150 that I'll be using. I've seen holders at stores as well.

Any noticeable improvements?

[L1011tristar17]

Yeah, the megafuse is on the solenoid for now, but I'm going to get a nicer fuse holder for it tomorrow. The charge cable I used was pretty short so I was limited on where I could put the fuse. Oddly enough all the parts stores I went to didn't have any fuseholders for the megafuses.

I never had any problems with the 2G charging the car, although the 3G does a pretty good job charging with brights on, A/C full blast, and the radio all the way up. It's definitely a worthwhile swap.

[gadget73]

Did you replace the bracket? The lower bracket is aluminum, which is difficult to weld if you don't know how. Its cast aluminum too, which makes it near impossible to actually stick back together. Better off replacing the bracket if its busted.

[L1011tristar17]

That's what I'll do once I find a good one in the junkyard tomorrow, but for now I might just leave it be. Other than the little piece that fell off, the rest of the bracket holds the alternator in place pretty well.

[86VickyLX]

I never had any problems with the 2G charging the car, although the 3G does a pretty good job charging with brights on, A/C full blast, and the radio all the way up. It's definitely a worthwhile swap.

Bet your draw goes away now...

[BigT]

Looks good! And you'll feel better know your car now won't catch fire from those little charging wires.

[L1011tristar17]

Bet your draw goes away now...

Funny story about that. I discovered what the source of the draw was a few days ago. The engine compartment light that I always thought was burnt out was in fact on whenever the hood was closed and it would turn off the split second I propped it open. It was definitely a "d'oh!" moment for me.

[GM_Guy]

You will from this point on remember the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid.
When you find yourself sidetracked trying to find a difficult fault, go back to square one and check the basics, no matter how sure you are they are okay, for they may not be. =-)

Alex.