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    3G swap: 95A or 130A?

    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?

    #2
    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.
    03 Marauder DPB, HS, 6disk, Organizer Mods> LED's in & Out, M&Z rear control arms, Oil deflector, U-Haul Trans Pan, Blue Fuzzy Dice
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      #3
      Either will work fine. You'll have less dimming with the 130A at idle when you have lights and AC and wipers on.

      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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        #4
        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.
        1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
        1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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          #5
          Is the 130A more prone to belt-squealing?

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            #6
            nope. They're about the same there too.

            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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              #7
              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.


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                #8
                Originally posted by matth825 View Post
                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.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                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.

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                  #9
                  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.
                  1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
                  1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

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                    #10
                    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"
                    -Phil

                    sigpic

                    +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

                    +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

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                      #11
                      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.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
                        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.


                        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by matth825 View Post
                          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.


                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                          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.

                          '78 LTD | '87 Grand Marquis | '89 Crown Vic (RIP) | '91 Grand Marquis (RIP) | '94 Town Car (RIP) | '97 Town Car (RIP)

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