Gary Lewis

So, that's the one for the '92 E w/an IDI? And yes, an ammeter that could be left in place would be cool. It would probably be digital and use a very small shunt.

Jim - I forgot. Does Fluke make an inductive ammeter that works with a remote display? Brandon/Bruno2 has their DVM that works that way, but an ammeter that worked that way would be quite helpful.

Jim - Interesting about the IDI's alternator mounts. I assumed they mount with the pivot. As for graphs, I do remember those Ryan had. But take a look at those here: Electrical/Alternators. And I agree with you - I can't imagine the "little" 3G living long at 220A. Not after seeing some of the big alternators that were designed for that kind of current. Having said that, 1/2 of 220 is a lot more than 1/2 of 130, and that would sure be nice when winching. Whisler - Jim is right, unless your battery has run down a lot from starting or leaving an accessory on, your alternator may have not been called on for very many amps. And, yours may have a "soft-start" regulator, technically an LRC, in it which loads the alternator up slowly over several seconds, thereby reducing the belt squeal.

Depends on your definition of "interchangeable". There are two fasteners that hold most of them on, so in that respect one will fit in place of another. But they are different lengths and have a different departure angle one them to allow them to clear various accessories that differ by engine. But they are listed here: http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/air-cleaner-snorkels.html

I'll beat Jim to it - Progress is good! Does it seem to run well? Start well? And, by the way, that plenum looks ..... bland.

Welcome, Lucas! Yes, these trucks can get through the snow. In a way that's how I got into them - I drove Dad's truck in a major snowstorm and it went anywhere I wanted to go, with ease. So, where is "these parts"? We have a member's map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map) and I can add you to it if you'll give me a town. Interesting that you say and Edelbrock gave the 351W "some new kick". I'm an Edelbrock fan but haven't done a 4180C to an Eddy swap. What Eddy did you put on?

Glad you got that figured out. That is bizarre. I hope LMC will fix that. It is a pain when the layers you are peeling aren't on the truck but are those of a supplier.

Jim - Jonathan was just talking this morning about the '92 vans with the 7.3 IDI having a 3G w/a 2-sheave pulley. So apparently they existed but are in short supply. I hope DB says they can do one as I think Jonathan wants one, and it would make things easier for others as well. Yep, LRC is the right term. I'd forgotten. But, I'll ask Hagan about it on Monday. To me that would be the way to go and I added that to the revised page, although depending on what he says that may need to change. But it seems like it would help w/the belt squeal. Steve - Yes, the power transfer depends on tension, belt-wrap, etc. So maybe I should edit the page to say that 90 or 100A is the max you can get with the proper belt-wrap, tension, etc. But, let's see what Hagan says about it. As for more power at idle, not all of the alternators people will be dealing with will be stock Motorcrafts. DB's 200A unit says "Under full load conditions, amperage output at 1200 engine rpm will peak at 200 Amps, amperage output at 600 engine rpm (idle) will peak at 100 Amps". So that's why I'm asking that question - do all of their alternators put out 50% of their rated output at idle? Or is it just the HO ones? And on the 90/95A unit, I've wondered that as well. I could simplify things by just taking the discussion of them out. As for the 220A units, the longevity thereof is probably a good question for Hagan. All - I've got a DRAFT of the revised page that I really, REALLY need you to read and comment on: Tabs: No one said boo, so I chose the layout I like - tabs. I've put a couple of discussions regarding the 7 or 7.5v choke in red. I think they can be eliminated as the 3G's have a stator connection. So if someone is running a 7v choke s/he can continue to do so. And if they are running a 12v choke they must already have a relay to power it. So, that is not an issue we need to discuss. I emphasized that they MUST move the alternator's output to the battery/relay. But does it come across strongly? I added a bit about buying new alternators since I think that's a viable approach given the cost for a stock 130A. But I'd like to flesh that out a bit with info from DB. I took out the original list of potential donors and added the spreadsheet that I derived from the Interchange page. But, I also noted while perusing the DB catalog that while the Interchange page info ends in '97 or so there are later uses of the same alternators. So, more work needs to be done on that list. I took the liberty of explaining what I think is the easiest way to implement the voltmeter. I know Steve disagrees, but it seemed like a good place to explain that. Surely it helps them to see a way of implementing it rather than just saying they need to add a relay. No? And, can you read it? Please have a read and let me know.

Not a bad price. And having the film ensures that your can use the tach - assuming your truck doesn't have "dummy lights".

Yes, he DID. I was impressed!

Yes, David is correct. The pickup in the dizzy can go bad. But, the insulation to the pickup inside the dizzy is a known problem. Both he and I witnessed Paul/Rogue_Wulff troubleshoot Eli/SmokenChoken's problem wherein the engine would die if you put the vacuum to the distributor. Paul pulled the cap and pointed to the insulation falling off the pickup's leads. I had one in the attic, and we changed it out. Problem solved. So, you might want to check that those wires in the dizzy aren't coming apart. If not, maybe replace the pickup for insurance?

Oh yes! I forgot where you are. Should have looked you up two weeks ago when we were there visiting our son and family. They live in the new Alton area of Palm Beach Gardens.

Aha! Then I suggest mentioning that extra mod on the 3G page, but focusing on the more-common/cheaper/easier/quicker method of installing an aftermarket voltmeter (or '87-04). Then put the full writeup of the modded ammeter & its wiring on your personal build page. That's what I meant: a terminal on the wire; to connect to the terminal on the relay; that goes to one of the contacts; going to the other contact; leading back to a relay terminal; mated to another wire terminal. All of those connections will be in your "true battery voltage" circuit. To me, that seems like a lot more work & risk than just finding the 8.9 Ohm resistor, and bypassing it. I might even cut the R/Or wire, and splice it into the Bk/LG on the B+ side of that resistor. Steve - I'll see how I can incorporate the voltmeter options into the 3G page. But, I don't think it is wise to remove the 8-9 ohm resistance. (It looks to be a piece of resistance wire as I can't detect any bulges in the run.) I believe it is there to drop the voltage to the flasher/ICVR and thence to the gauges. So unless the user is replacing the ICVR w/a real regulator, removing the resistance will change the average voltage to the gauges and, therefore, change the current, causing the gauges to read incorrectly. All - I called DB Electric and talked with a really nice lady named Christina. Told her what I'm looking for and she said I need to talk to Hagan, who is in his 70's and really knows this stuff. Since I'm almost 72 we should get along famously but, since he's out today, I'm to call him early Monday. And, I'd like to brainstorm the questions to ask him. Here's my current thinking: Is there a name for the style of mount we need? Or a range of part #'s? How much power can the various pulley types transfer? (We should help the reader understand that a single v-belt is limited to something like 90A w/o slipping, and many people who've converted to a 3G have experienced significant belt squeal.) If people want to order an alternator with a specific pulley how would we determine the needed part number? And do they have pulleys for two v-belts of the same size. (I'm thinking of Jonathan's recent post.) Is there a way we can create a table with their part #'s and the various pulley styles and sizes? What about regulators? Which of their alternators have slow-start or LDR regulators in them? (Slow, or delayed-start regulators bring the alternator in slowly to prevent the belt slippage that Bill spoke of.) Is there a disadvantage, other than cost, for the high-output units? Do they put out a higher percentage of their rating at idle than the standard 130 amp units? So, what questions do y'all have?

It is a good price, but that part number doesn't show in the MPC for any 1980-89 Ford light truck. So it would be a pig in a poke.

Not a bad price, but you still have to have the matching switch. However, since these things do fail....

I assume it was relisted because it didn't sell. Do you remember what they were originally asking?

Well, someone that didn't read your post bought it for $40.

Thanks guys. Jonathan - Your link is interesting for several reasons. And one of those is the "Clock: 3:00". I was Googling the part numbers we have last night and came across some listings from DB Electrical, more of which later, and found one that says "Clock: 11". So, see the pics down below, with the 11:00 o'clock pic on the left and the 3:00 o'clock pic on the right. Looks to me like the "clocking" references the position of the plug, and the position of the alternator for that determination is with the pivot ear down and the clamp ear up. Now for the DB Electric alternators I found: F4PU-10346-BA: This is the one that fits Mustangs, T-Birds, and Cougars. Notice that it is only $82.83 with a 1-year warranty and has a 6-GROOVE PULLEY 64mm OD. F1DZ-10346-A: Note that this one isn't the other part # we'd found as it ends with "-A" instead of "-B". But it does fit those applications, and then some. And, maybe more importantly, it is a 200A unit, and the description says "Under full load conditions, amperage output at 1200 engine rpm will peak at 200 Amps, amperage output at 600 engine rpm (idle) will peak at 100 Amps." But, it does cost $235. F1DZ 10346-B: Then I went directly to DB's site and searched for this alternator, the one that fits the Taurii, Continentals, E & F-Series, etc. And it turns out they have a 130A, 160A, 200A, and 220A for the same application! So, I'm going to call DB in a bit and see if they can help us/me understand what we should be telling the folks to look for. However, given that the 130A unit is available for ~$83 new w/a warranty, I'm not sure that buying new isn't a good option. Yes, you can hit the salvage and get one for maybe half the price, but in what condition? And what's your time worth?

Once you get the sheetmetal cut out I'll bet you see how to remove that part w/o heat or breaking it.

Dunno what it fit. It was "there" so it got PC'd.

Ahhh! Yes, I know the piece. And I, too, would like to know the right way of getting them out. Unfortunately my way breaks them.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand the question. Are you asking about how to disconnect the wiring retainers? Or the connector? Or???

Turn it upside down. Worked perfectly on Big Blue, and looks like it would on Dad's truck.

Did you ask if they had harder stainless? The guy I spoke to said they did, but it may not be for the applications you are speaking of. I wouldn't think a G5 is needed for the tailgate unless you are trying to contain stuff that's rolling around in the bed. But I'm not sure I think that's a good idea for door hinges or latches.

Yippee!!!! That has to be a wonderful feeling. By the way, did the package arrive?