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So you want to do the 3G alternator upgrade README

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    #16
    Nice!

    I'd like to add, I pulled a cable off a... 99? F150 at the junkyard, the alt plug was correct, it has a built in maxifuse, and the fuse holder (end of the wire) landed right at the a/c support bracket. Got a 32" wire at the parts store, a bronze-colored battery clamp, wala. $ saved

    Pete
    Originally posted by gadget73
    For other types of inquiry, more information is required. Please press 4 to speak to a representative who can help you with your question. This call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.


    2003 Grand Marquis Ultimate, the "Stealth Bomber": http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...-Grand-Marquis
    1991 S-10, 'Bulldog', 2.5l 5 speed: http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...375#post698375
    1985 Town Car, 'Faded Glory', gone but not forgotten. 84/87/91/97 MGMs too.

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      #17
      Thanks for the input!!

      Originally posted by Piece-it pete View Post
      Nice!

      I'd like to add, I pulled a cable off a... 99? F150 at the junkyard, the alt plug was correct, it has a built in maxifuse, and the fuse holder (end of the wire) landed right at the a/c support bracket. Got a 32" wire at the parts store, a bronze-colored battery clamp, wala. $ saved

      Pete
      "To Find yourself, you must first lose yourself"

      -1973 Volkswagen Bus Westy
      -1986 Honda Magna 700cc
      -1989 Lincoln Town car Signature Series
      -2011 Subaru Outback

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        #18
        Has anyone done this on a 5.8 car or confirmed that the alternator bracket is close enough that the listed applications can still fit?

        85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
        160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
        waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc

        06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)

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          #19
          use a Large case on a 5.8 and the rest still applies. Small case 3G won't fit.

          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
          Originally posted by gadget73
          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
          Originally posted by dmccaig
          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

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            #20
            Next time I am at the u-pull it yard I will be shopping for a 3G alt.

            Tim
            2000 Ford Crown Victoria
            84 Lincoln Town car signature, R.I.P
            85 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 2 door performance project
            89 Lincoln town car: RIP
            89 Crown Victoria LX 2002 USACi sound quality world champion RIP
            1990 Mercury Grand Marquis LS
            1994 Mercury Grand Marquis (sold)
            2004 Mercury Marauder. owned for a week then got screwed by the dealer

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              #21
              I'm in the process of doing said swap, still debating on whether or not to save my factory harness and tuck it out of the way though. Thing I'd like to add is a 91-94 V6 Lincoln Continental alternator will not work with box stuff, the non threaded ear part is too long. However, their charge wire harness is a great option for making your install look factory, plus it has a fusible link built into it so you don't need to worry about mounting a mega fuse. There's enough wire to go from the starter solenoid, behind the battery, up along the core support, down the driver's side of the radiator, T up with the factory charge harness and then to the alternator with zero modification. Only con is it takes awhile to harvest this harness from the donor car. Bring razor blades, patience & PB rust buster.
              1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
              1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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                #22
                You want an alternator off a 3.0 Taurus. The 3.8 FWD engine had the large frame alternator, which will swap onto cars that came with the externally regulated 100 amp unit. The 3.8 RWD cars have the proper small frame alternator too. The Taurus and family harness is a good donor. I've used that charge cable before, though the ones I stole used a standard 175 megafuse rather than a fuse link.


                If you're thinking on keeping the factory nonsense, I'd unplug it and take that part out rather than leaving it in the engine bay. Makes things a bit neater. Also, honestly you're not likely to ever want to change back to that stock POS.
                86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                Originally posted by phayzer5
                I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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                  #23
                  I ended up making Ashley pull an alternator from a 94? V6 T-bird. It fits just fine, although I might end up having to run a longer belt. I'll check out 97+ F150's for their harness too though. After looking at crap in the garage it seems to be that GM trucks from 1988-1998 have these cool plastic wiring harness holders on their harnesses for the license plate lights. These will fit over the new charge harness and take the place of the zip ties on the core support and else where. Look factory too.

                  As for the factory 2G harness, is it possible to just unplug it somewhere? Looks like it goes to all the relays behind the washer fluid bottle. The harness itself has that tape and gunk all over it so I'm thinking I'll just cut it, despite my disdain for hacking up factory stuff. Like you said, I'll never go back to the stock 2G turd so what's the point of having the harness just hanging there? At the starter solenoid, which wires are from the old charge cable? Also, if I decide to use the factory charge wires along with the new one, what gauge are the factory charge wires? I'm thinking I'll use some sort of butt connector or ring terminal to join the two together and then mount to the B+ stud on the 3G. Oh, this site seems to have all of your wiring needs covered: http://terminalsupplyco.com/Terminals.aspx
                  1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                  1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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                    #24
                    yes... but from here to the battery is one long ass run.
                    Attached Files

                    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                    rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                    Originally posted by gadget73
                    ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                    Originally posted by dmccaig
                    Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Thanks for the pic, sly!
                      Looks like I can rip one from the yard, hook into mine after I unplug it and splice in the yellow & green wire.
                      1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                      1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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                        #26
                        I would not double up the wiring. Makes it nearly impossible to fuse with any sort of accuracy when you've got two wires going to the same place. Much more reliable to run one wire with one fuse, that way you know what you have. If the stockers are fused at 100 amp, running a second cable along side fused at 100 amp doesn't quite make it a 200 amp equivalent. You can run one fuse and split that out to multiple wires, which is what the original system does, but theres not really any need for that.
                        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                        Originally posted by phayzer5
                        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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                          #27
                          DO NOT USE THAT HARNESS FOR 3G! It will burn to the ground if not just fail at the fuse links. It's not rated for the current. Run a new charge cable. That harness is for the 2 charge wires and one sense wire. I just spliced the stator wire intot eh stock 2G harness for the other connector. I have no clue where that one goes. I was confused about which harness you were talking about.

                          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                          Originally posted by gadget73
                          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                          Originally posted by dmccaig
                          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                          Comment


                            #28
                            My idea is to use one eyelet connector for the two original lines in conjunction with the new wire harvested from that Continental with its in line fusible link. Is that a bad idea?
                            1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                            1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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                              #29
                              yeah... just use one 4 gauge wire. With multiple sources like that, the weakest link (fuse/fuselink) will fail first and cascade the others.

                              This is pretty much what you need:
                              http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...se-Suppression

                              or harvest the charge cable off a later ford that has the megafuse in line near the power distribution box/battery.

                              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                              Originally posted by gadget73
                              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                              Originally posted by dmccaig
                              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Originally posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
                                My idea is to use one eyelet connector for the two original lines in conjunction with the new wire harvested from that Continental with its in line fusible link. Is that a bad idea?
                                I thought I came across 3G kit somewhere that instructed to do exactly that with the stock 2G charge cables. Of course I don't recall where so I might be imagining things. Those instructions (real or imagined) are why I mentioned possibly doing it that way when we talked about the 3G alternator upgrade. I didn't put much thought into it but I figured, since the stock wire from a 3G car looked to be 4 gauge, that there was no point in trying to use those stock charge cables.

                                What these guys are saying makes much more sense than the instructions that said to use the stock charge cables like that.

                                My charge cable from the Alt to the megafuse is from a 3G Taurtus. Then a short length of 4 gauge wire I bought on Ebay from the megafuse to the solenoid. I haven't had any trouble with this setup and it's much better than the unnecessary POS 0 gauge BS that I started out with that burned itself to pieces over time (bad connections).
                                Vic

                                ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                                ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                                ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                                ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

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