Swap over to Alternator

POWER-GEN seems to be the most popular swap. It goes straight to the OEM GEN MTG BRKT. They will tell you in the in the INSTR what size wire to run to the starter solenoid and any special circuit you will need for the INST LAMP/GAUGE.

The MOTORCRAFT 2G ALT was a fire hazard. It was replaced by the 3G.

The neatest conversion I have seen is one guy took a 1G ALT (has external fan), painted it black and put a restoration GEN DECAL on it and when you looked down it appeared as the stock GEN.

And don't forget the BAT and wiring. It has to have a good amperage BAT.
 
I changed to a 105 amp. alternator in my 312 Y block. Works great and the cost was $239 at CASCO. Excellent installation instructions and I added an under dash voltmeter to keep tabs on the charging process. The Ford script generator that came on the car when I bought it 2 years ago would not keep the new battery charged enough to start the car after sitting for a day or two. (I don't do any sustained highway driving, otherwise guessing the generator would have been adequate.) Also, I don't have any parasitic draws to discharge the battery while sitting....I least that I can detect!!:)
 
I wish I had known about CASCO's item.

Ya know, there is another reason to go alternator. I have been told that when I change over to electronic ignition use Petronix. I have been told that if you run a car with Petronix, and your voltage drops below 11 volts it hurts the electronic unit. Of course a strong battery will always help even if idling allows the voltage to drift a bit. Just sayin'...
 
KULTULZ said:
The MOTORCRAFT 2G ALT was a fire hazard. It was replaced by the 3G.
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Yes the 2G did have a bad reputation. It was caused by the chintzy connector and two wire output hook up. The wire/connector "crimp" would heat up, it's connection resistance would increase causing more heat and then ignition. The aftermarket has a much improved connector and the problem is corrected.

I have been running a 2G for many years (with an after market connector) with no problems. The nice part of the 2G is it will bolt in place where the old 1G was. The 3G is a much larger unit and causes issues in tighter confines.
 
I have a 1958 skyliner that I upgraded to an alternator. I purchased a unit from power gen and it looks just like the old generator and bolts to the same brackets as the gen. It is a one wire that I hooked to the starter solenoid. I just taped the wires that used to run from the generator and left the regulator in place just for looks. It works fine except I needed to put a unit in the idiot light wiring so it will come on if my voltage goes below 11.5 volts. I did it for the same reason you are thinking. As my top and motors get older, a little more amps won't hurt.
 
Isn't leaving the old regulator in the system a no-no? Kinda seems like a regulator on a regulator...just seems like trouble down the road to me.
 
KULTULZ said:
Where did you find the connector upgrade?
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I "googled" it a few years ago. The replacement has two gauge heavier wires and the crimped area is sealed with heat shrink. The new wires need to be soldered or crimped to power feed for the system. The Ford fires were due to too light a wire feeding the battery directly. They split the power feeds for some reason? The fires were in the harness not the alternator.
 
... hmmph ...

THANX! I did not know that.

I remember people avoiding them like the plague. Now I wonder if FORD released an upgrade harness.

I prefer the 1G myself for the 'nostalgic appearance'.
 
Ok, a new wrinkle. It is on the car, and charges. The white wire in the instructions states "If desired, the white wire (the indicator wire) can be wired to the dash indicating light". However when I connect that wire from my existing (former gen) pigtail it works perfectly the first time. Until I turn the car off. Then the indicator light stay illuminated. The only way to get it off is to disconnect the battery. When I reconnect the battery it works perfectly 1 time, and then does the same thing. I have not yet removed the old voltage regulator.

Any ideas?

BTW, I need not rev the engine to get the alt to excite, and charge. I know this via my digital volt meter.
 
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55blacktie said:
If you start adding things like electric wipers, aftermarket sound system, ac, the 30-amp generator might not cut it.

I don't object to modifications/add-ons, if they make your driving experience more enjoyable. Isn't that what it's all about?
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On our '41 with 302 and 30A GM alternator we added halogen headlights, sound system with amp, driving lights,elect. wipers, heater and never had problem with alternator keeping up
 
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Gene F said:
Ok, a new wrinkle. It is on the car, and charges. The white wire in the instructions states "If desired, the white wire (the indicator wire) can be wired to the dash indicating light". However when I connect that wire from my existing (former gen) pigtail it works perfectly the first time. Until I turn the car off. Then the indicator light stay illuminated. The only way to get it off is to disconnect the battery. When I reconnect the battery it works perfectly 1 time, and then does the same thing. I have not yet removed the old voltage regulator.
Click to expand...

But you have taken the VR out of the circuit, correct?

You need to call their TECH-LINE and ask what to do.

I don't want to tell you something and it burns.
 
No it is still hooked up.

I wonder if I ran a wire back to the indicator bulb directly. HMmmmmmm.
 
Gene F said:
No it is still hooked up.

I wonder if I ran a wire back to the indicator bulb directly. HMmmmmmm.
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Now wait a minute, you still have the GEN MECHANICAL VR still wired in to the charging system?

The ALT you bought is a one-wire internal regulator isn't it?
 
The old wire that take the output from the gen is taped off. From the new alternator, I have a heavy wire that runs up to positive side of the battery.

Basically the wires were removed from the gen, and are currently taped off (3 of em). And a new wire was added up to the battery. The pigtail on the alt has a red wire that foes to the discharge post, and that white wire in the pigtail is for the indicator light. It is not an exciter wire, as some think. Battery before start 12.43V, after start 14.3V - those evtra volts are coming from somewhere not outter space.
 
No. I bought it from concourse parts. The instruction are a disaster. Sorry I bought the thing now. The guy that answers the telephone there is not my favorite type of parts person - if ya know what I mean.

Seems like a indicator light hooked up to the thing runs like this. Feed from a switched source (usually key switch since it is in the area of the light) Indicator light socket, then the bulb, the wire runs out to ground which in the case must be the white wire. Seems like the light works when the alt stops. Like throws a belt.

I am thinking I may rig up a toggle switch, a fuse, and a test light, and play around with the thing. The solenoid is like 1 foot away from the alternator. My test light can become my indicator bulb assembly. My guess is that there is not much to this. Maybe hooking up to my existing wiring is the problem. Just let the thing do what it's supposed to do from like 1974ish, and let the 1957 stuff do what it is supposed to do.

First thing I am gonna do though is start the car, and put my test light on that white wire. I wanna find out if that wife is 12V feed. I kinda need to know that. If it is 0 volts I'm gonna turn it off and then put my OHM meter on it and see if it is a ground switch. That will tell me if it is the switch for the 12 for the indicator light.

I'm starting to get discouraged now...
 
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