Single wire alternators

Actually that page is focused solely on Delco (Chevy) 10 and 12si alternators. These are the alternators people like Powermaster are converting to "one wire" functionality and the MADelectrical people are giving their opinion on why this isn't the best idea.
I like 3G's, even if thay aren't real "1 wires". One wire to the battery and another "exciter" wire. The exciter wire can be hooked to an ALT indicator light which suits the heck out of me anyway. You just make wiring mods to hook a 3G to your vehicle, you're not changing the way Ford intended a 3G to be connected .
The low voltage readings at full load on my Bronco always bugged me so one day I pulled it's perfectly functional 75 amp 2G and stuck a 130 amp 3G on it too. Voltage now stays at 13-14 volts no matter what I do.
I added an alternator warning light to my 67 Mustang and it's 3G works just fine too. Wife's 86 Mustang 3G swap was even easier.
The 3G's I use are OEM 1996 Mustang 3.8 alternators. When the 100 amp 1G on my F100 goes out I'll stick a 3G in it too.

Ok, the largest amp rating in an old style 1G (what you're supposed to have) is 75 amps. These can be tough to find, 65 amps are easy though. There are alternator shops out there that can modify one or sell you one already modified to make 100 amps. Forcing an alternator to put out more than it was originally designed for usually makes it's useful life shorter though.
There exist "big body" 1G's. Physically larger than the regular ones and with slightly different wiring connections. They are usually rated at 100 amps though a few are 75 for some reason. Found on older Lincolns and some trucks with 460 engines, they can be bolted up with little trouble. They use the old style external regulator with the same connections, just two connectors on the alternator itself are for "spade" connectors instead of "rings". One's on my F100 basically because it does the job and so far has absolutely refused to die. It doesn't put out anything like the amps at idle a 3G can though.

That's purty! :winks ...but it's a 2G. It will bolt and wire right up with zero changes, but it STILL is whimpy! :laughlitt ...by today's standards anyway.

You can find 2G alternators wired for 100 amp output on Ebay for a decent price or new ones from Summit for considerably more.

My question is why waste money on an inferior product? The swap is SO easy to do and when someone looks under the hood of a Foxbody and sees a 3G alternator they KNOW you are on top of the performance curve.... :worship

I paid about 200 shipped for a NEW 3G rated at 200amps and the deal included all the wiring. The 2G you are looking at puts out 70 amps at probably 1800RPM or so. Most all the 3G alternators put out 70 amps at IDLE! :eyepoppin

Now, if you drive a fair distance to work, and do not have a 'big' stereo system in your car, then go with 'purty.'

:smoke:

I actually have no interest in whether it's chrome or not, that one just happens to be. I could really care less.

Also, where do I get the conversion harness at? And does it just plug into my existing harness? And lastly, why are they fusing the positive cable(I've never ever seen that done on a car, ever)? I really don't wanna do the 3G, cause obviously there's alignment problems as Trick Pony says it squeals, and that file he posted said it "should" not require any work to put a 3G in.

And lastly, you said Fox body, I hate Fox bodies. If someone wants to compare my 67 Coupe to a sh*tty Fox body car that everyone and their brother has, they're welcome to it, but I would never even put the nicest Foxbody car in the same league with the sh*ttiest of classic Stangs.

And lastly, when I'm lookin around on the net for alternators, how do I discern if it's a 1G, 2G, or 3G?

For a classic, and I apologize as it was not noticed before, you might want to stick with the 2G. If it has the old mechanical regulator it is of low output and it is the 1G. The 2G simply had a had a few internal improvements and an electronic regulator. I'm not sure if the older, 1G, alternators are made any longer as they are interchangable.

The main reason cars migrated to 100amps is the requirements of EFI.

For a NA car 70 to 100amps is fine imho.

The large body alternators mentioned above, came on trucks and were dual belt. That's why it squeals with one.

Again, sorry to go on about this, but I assumed we were talking late model.

Stick with the Ford stuff!





:tongue :tongue

So does the 2G still require the external regulator? And I'm to understand that the 2G will bolt right up to existing brackets and what not without problems?

Also, my car as it sits, as far as electronics goes, will only have an aftermarket CD player, electric fuel pump, and electric fan. I will eventually change it to an all MSD ignition though.

At this point I'm not sure I've made any progress from where I originally stood, I'm still quite confused on what to do. It seems that a 3G is not the way to go, but I haven't completely ruled it out yet until I know that something else will work fine with my car.

And I realize the differences listed between 1G, 2G, and 3G's, but how do I know what to order? They don't say it in product description or anything. So I can't look at alternators on Summit and know whether it's 1G, 2G, or 3G. Same goes for walking into a local parts store.