So you want to do the 3G alternator upgrade README

[sly]

you could get a clutch pulley for the alternator.

You will need this tool to install/remove clutch pulleys. http://store.alternatorparts.com/126...nd-r-tool.aspx

[BlackVic_P71]

Black_vic p71 ,Is mustang serpentine like MK7 if so what did you do to keep a/c working without a lot of fuss????

Thanks

I have no AC, may change in the future but off for the last 2 years.

[BlackVic_P71]

I have an issue currently and I'm not sure where it came from.
Since doing the 3G upgrade, I've never had a charging issue...until I noticed the charge wire was turning blackish, then the fuse holder melted a bit.
I have never had an AMP light on the dash and I have a voltage gauge to see if it ever drops and it doesn't.
I had replaced the 3g a year ago and the charge post broke off when I tried to take the nut off, it didn't happen this time but the wire is concerning me.
When I moved the alt to the passenger side I lengthened the green wire and left the original charge cables in place not hooked to the alt, I think when I tried to remove them from the starter solenoid and I got the AMP light.

Can I remove the old black/orange charge cables to get them out of the way?
Where does the green cable start? I'd like to not have it running all the way across the engine bay if possible.

[gadget73]

The small green/red wire in the regulator plug? That comes from the dashboard, usually through a connector down by the brake booster. If you moved the alternator to the opposite side of the motor, putting it back in it's home is about the only real way to shorten it.

Some cars had some additional stuff tied off the old charge cable, usually lighting related. My 86 has it unhooked entirely without problems, other people have lost headlights trying to do that. If you can find where it splits, theres no reason you can't do a little surgery and disconnect just the old charging harness from that point though.

[sly]

As for the new charge cable turning black... check each connection to make sure the nuts are tight. Make sure the crimps are good and even better, soldered.

Also, if the charge cable is skinnier than 4AWG, you may get that issue if everything is good. I had a 6AWG short cable from the alt to the 175A fuse and that bastard would get really hot (like melting wire loom hot). Replaced it with 4AWG and no issues.

[BlackVic_P71]

The small green/red wire in the regulator plug? That comes from the dashboard, usually through a connector down by the brake booster. If you moved the alternator to the opposite side of the motor, putting it back in it's home is about the only real way to shorten it.

Yeah, seems like that wire is ok. It's coming out of a connector on by the airbox, I'll leave it as long as it's not causing any new issues.

As for the new charge cable turning black... check each connection to make sure the nuts are tight. Make sure the crimps are good and even better, soldered.

Also, if the charge cable is skinnier than 4AWG, you may get that issue if everything is good. I had a 6AWG short cable from the alt to the 175A fuse and that bastard would get really hot (like melting wire loom hot). Replaced it with 4AWG and no issues.

It was 4ga and was fine at first, I guess I'll see if the new cable helps once it gets working again.
The AMP light is still on and voltage is sitting just around 10

[His Royal Ghostliness]

It was 4ga and was fine at first, I guess I'll see if the new cable helps once it gets working again.

4-awg amplifier-power grade cable (fine stranded) with copper ends, or a parts store special supposedly 4awg starter cable with steel ends? I've found out that premade cables the parts stores sell are largely pieces of junk, their steel ends are rarely even crimped on well to begin with, and once rust starts setting in resistance goes up and so does heat generation. I've been making my own cables, for a long while now, get a nice cable from an electronics store, copper ends can come from the parts store but they do run one size too large so downsize accordingly, (use 6-awg ends on 4-awg cable, 4-awg ends on 2-awg cable, etc), electric-tape the whole area where the connection between terminal and cable is made then heat-shrink over that (or use glue-lined heat-shrink to begin with). I've stalled a 5-ton Ramsey and the 1/0 cables never got hot, same goes for glowplugs (200 amps draw thru 4-awg cable) and a fully maxed out 3G alt.

[DerekTheGreat]

I used the charge wire off a mid or early 90's Lincoln Continental. Has fusible link and I don't think any modification was necessary. 2 years and no problems. I did keep the original harness by attaching an eyelet to the end of them, crimping and adding solder along with dielectric grease and heat shrink tubing to keep corrosion at a minimum.

[BlackVic_P71]

It was left over 4ga amp power wire that I just had around, I've built a few stereos and have a bunch of wire laying around(looks like it's copper clad aluminum wire that worked fine for audio power).
When I had it first hooked up on the drivers side I had bought a wire kit for the swap and that was copper wire(no issues with that wire), then I moved the alt and changed to the other wire.

The ends were not expensive and not copper as far as I can tell, the new cable I made is 1/0 copper and copper ends crimped on so the future probably won't be an issue.

Aside from that old wire being an issue, I need to figure out why the AMP light is on and I am not charging.

[gadget73]

Should be fine, provided you have a good clean tight connection at the end. Some crimp ends suck, or they get some moisture in there and corrosion develops. All downhill from there. Mine has been running the same 4awg for years now.

Are you sure the alternator isn't dinked? If it got that hot it may have melted the connection internally where the charge stud is. Not much to it really if its all connected and there is a connection from battery to charge stud. Verify the fuses, check for battery voltage to alternator case at the charge stud.

[His Royal Ghostliness]

1/0 with copper ends is what I use on my 5-ton Ramsey, I have stalled that which means those cables saw over 300A at least for a short while - all is well. 1/0 with copper ends is also what my charge cable is off the alt, that has run at full power for a long while and cable just laughed at the current. Like Gadget said, condition of the connection between the cable and its ends is where most issues come from.

[gadget73]

The factory cable off a 130 amp is 6awg, and those did fine. I figure anything at least that large should be sufficient.

[sly]

added clutch pulley info to the first post.