3G swap: 95A or 130A?

[pollock]

I am about to do the 3G alternator swap. My old 2G harness looks like a ticking time bomb. I am trying to decide between the 95A and 130A.

I suspect the 95A is good enough for me. I don't have a stereo amp, and I don't plan to ever have one. Electrically, my car is pretty much stock. I have a pretty basic CD player and headlight relays, and that's about it.

Thoughts?

[jaywish]

95A is a good amount of power. It will certainly improve the flickering lights and slow fan at idle. That said it would not hurt you to use 130A if you scored one of those. With todays' LED aftermarket lighting, if you were looking at aux lights, odds are the only things that could chew up power is a big power audio system or maybe some big compressor for a train horn or a lowrider setup. After all @ 12v 100 watts is only 8.33 amps. So even with a 4 channel 100W amp it would chew approx 33amps at wide open. That would be noticeable at idle.

[sly]

Either will work fine. You'll have less dimming with the 130A at idle when you have lights and AC and wipers on.

[DerekTheGreat]

It's the same amount of work, the cost difference is probably negligible, yet the benefit lies with the 130A. Might as well do the 130.

[pollock]

Is the 130A more prone to belt-squealing?

[sly]

nope. They're about the same there too.

[matth825]

I started out with the 130A and actually went down to the 95A on my 85. The 130A is a really tight fit. I didn’t like how my belt adjustment ended up and I refused to grind my power steering bracket to make it better. The 95A does dim a little more at idle...not nearly as bad as my original 1g did though. If you go with the 130A model get a soft start regulator. It’ll help prevent belt squeal.

If you can find the alternator bracket from a 100 amp 1G car (police package or heated windshield models had it) you can swap that on and run a wide ear 130A model. This would be the best way to go as you get full range of belt adjustment with no bracket grinding. Downside is that bracket is very difficult to find. You could try PM’ing wagonman. He might have one.


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[pollock]

I started out with the 130A and actually went down to the 95A on my 85. The 130A is a really tight fit. I didn’t like how my belt adjustment ended up and I refused to grind my power steering bracket to make it better. The 95A does dim a little more at idle...not nearly as bad as my original 1g did though. If you go with the 130A model get a soft start regulator. It’ll help prevent belt squeal.

If you can find the alternator bracket from a 100 amp 1G car (police package or heated windshield models had it) you can swap that on and run a wide ear 130A model. This would be the best way to go as you get full range of belt adjustment with no bracket grinding. Downside is that bracket is very difficult to find. You could try PM’ing wagonman. He might have one.


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Thanks. I read your posts in the belt-squeal thread too. I haven't 100% decided which way to go. I have headlight relays so I don't really have much dimming, even with the stock 65A 2G.

I am not crazy about grinding the bracket but I guess I'm willing to do it. I REALLY don't want belt squeal. That would drive me effing nuts.

[DerekTheGreat]

Which alternator did you get and which belt did you use? I believe the one from a '94 V6 Mustang is the most direct fit. I used one from a Windstar (forget the year) and it fit just fine, even has some boss or nub specific to a Windstar but I didn't have much trouble getting it on along with the belt I bought. Did not need to grind my bracket, and no soft start regulator needed- no belt squeal ever. My car's thread would have the specifics.

[Brown_Muscle]

If you compare it to modern vehicles, 130A is laughable. 95A is sup-par, I'd go with the 130A. Most people don't have problems with the install, a handful have as far as fitment, it's worth the "risk"

[pollock]

Interesting.

The 94 V6 Mustang one is clocked right. The 96 Windstar one has the white F4ZU regulator. That one might be the best bet.

[matth825]

Which alternator did you get and which belt did you use? I believe the one from a '94 V6 Mustang is the most direct fit. I used one from a Windstar (forget the year) and it fit just fine, even has some boss or nub specific to a Windstar but I didn't have much trouble getting it on along with the belt I bought. Did not need to grind my bracket, and no soft start regulator needed- no belt squeal ever. My car's thread would have the specifics.

My 130A came from a 94 or 95 mustang with a 3.8 V6. I swapped on a motorcraft GP-712 pulley (smaller diameter) and used a 6pk1285 belt. I wanted the smaller pulley for a better ratio so the alternator rpm was higher at idle. With this configuration the alternator adjustment was completely maxed out with proper belt tension. This didn’t sit well with me so I went to the 95A unit.

Since then I have acquired the large case alternator bracket along with the large case 130A unit. I’ll be switching to that setup when I do some audio upgrades.


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[slack]

My 130A came from a 94 or 95 mustang with a 3.8 V6. I swapped on a motorcraft GP-712 pulley (smaller diameter) and used a 6pk1285 belt. I wanted the smaller pulley for a better ratio so the alternator rpm was higher at idle. With this configuration the alternator adjustment was completely maxed out with proper belt tension. This didn’t sit well with me so I went to the 95A unit.

Since then I have acquired the large case alternator bracket along with the large case 130A unit. I’ll be switching to that setup when I do some audio upgrades.


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That's the one I put in my car too (130A from the mustang). At first it sat just right at max adjustment but I guess the belt stretched a little after using it for a bit and I did end up grinding the bracket to get a little more adjustment room. It still gives a little chirp at start up but nothing after that.