2.8L 130 amp alternator swap for 20 bucks...

I have done 130 amp swaps into Fox mustangs, and looking at the 2.8l motor in my 1984 Bronco II, it looked pretty simple. All you need to do is go to the boneyard, and grab an alternator and alternator harness from a 1994/1995 Mustang V6. The alternator is a direct bolt in, and the harness is the perfect legnth, as well as having fusible links built into the heavy gauge power cable. The correct 130 amp alternators were also in 93-96 3.8L Thunderbird/Cougars, but you still need the Mustang harness as the Tbird/Cougar ones don't have the fusible links in them. If anyone is interested, I could post a more detailed how-to.

Hi; I'm interested, I've got the '84 Ranger and just got an '84 BII, both with 2.8 engines, been wondering how to go about an alternator upgrade.

thanks !!

I really hate to bring up an old thread, but if what you say about the mustang alternator is true, could you post more information about the swap? Isn't the alternator in a 94/95 V6 Mustang the 4.0 motor? I always heard that a 4.0 alternator wouldn't fit on the Bronco II or Ranger 2.8 or 2.9.

Thanks for your help!

yeah! pics and write up please. been looking for an upgrade that would bolt in. thanks.

X BAZZZLION. Now, I've got something else to add to the list of crap that I wanna do, but can't seem to find the time/parts for. Thanks.

I don't have the truck anymore, so alas no pictures. This swap should work for any of the 2.8L ranger/b2's. Its a pretty simple swap. The 94-95 V6 mustangs had 3.8L motors. You can get these alternators off of early 90's 6 cylinder full size truck and vans,too. There are various amperage Ford 3G alternators, but all the 94-95 V6 Mustangs had 130 amp ones. There also were many mounting differences too, but just grab one that has the mounting "ears" 180 degrees apart like the stock Rgr/B2 alternators. I was able to swap the stock Rgr/B2 v-pulley to the new alternator as well. You might have to scrounge up a nut and bolt for the top mounting ear for the 3g alternator, as some had threaded holes and some didn't. the bottom ear bolts straight up to the stock Rgr/B2 engine bracket. At the junkyard, find your victim Mustang. Grab the alternator, and the wiring harness that attatches to it. Strip the plastic wiring loom from the harness.Follow the wires from the alternator to the car, and just unbolt the big eye terminal from the starter solenoid. The big black/orange and the yellow/white wire both go to this terminal. Follow the green/red wire as far into the engine bay as you can , and cut off as much as possible. So now you will have the alternator, with the harness that has the plugs on one end, and the other end has the eye terminal with the black/orange and yellow/white attatched to it, and a good length of the green/red wire. Back at home, unhook the harness from your stock alternator. Remove the wiring loom, all the way back to the firewall. There is a wire that goes to the choke heater on the carb, snip that off from the alternator harness where it splits off. Follow the smaller wires to the voltage regulator. Unplug it, and toss it into the trash. Cut the green/red wire off right at the regulator plug. There is also a wire that runs to a small capacator from the regulator, you can trash that,too. If you look at the charging system wiring diagram that is in the tech section, you should be easily able to follow along here. You can throw away the harness that goes between the regulator and alternator. Now follow the big orange/black wire that was on the alternator back to the harness coming from the firewall. there is lots of loom and electrical tape to remove here to get to where you have to go. You want to go all the way where it branches off from the other black/orange wiring. Cut the two ampmeter wires, one is yellow/green and the other is red/orange i believe.Also cut the last wire here that goes to the voltage regulator plug, i cant remember it's color. Basically you are removing all the stock alternator wiring here, like cutting dead limbs off a tree. Cut what is left of the black/orange wire off at the splice, but leave the other big black/orange wires alone. Again, look at the wiring diagram and once you get into the job you will see what I mean. the only thing you will have left from the stock wiring is the green/red wire cut off from the voltage regulator plug, and the 2 ampmeter wires dangling loose. Now mount up the new alternator and plug the new harness in. The main cable eyelet just bolts onto the battery side terminal of the starter solenioid. The green/red wire you just splice into the green/red wire you cut from the voltage regulator earlier. You might have to use a scrap piece or wire to extend them. Please solder and shrink wrap these, as you don't want a bad connection to leave you stranded someday.Ford charging system colors were the same for many years, making this kind of swap that much easier. The pigtail for the carb choke heater can be spliced into the green/red wire also. Loom everything back up, you can just leave the cut off ampmeter leads, just loom them back up with the rest of the harness. That's all there is too it..if you loom everything back up nice it will look like Ford put it there to begin with. Obviously this will make your ampmeter no longer functional, but they are pretty useless as indicator of how your electrical system is functioning anyway, and they can be a fire hazard, which is why they don't put them in cars anymore. I mounted a small voltmeter in the front of the center console to keep an eye on things.

Here's a write-up for a full sized Bronco, with easier to see wiring diagrams. The wiring is the same,though.http://chrisb.users.superford.org/Bronco/Projects/3G_Alternator/3G_Alternator.html

The nice thing about the Mustang harness it is that it is the perfect length, has connectors on both ends, is the correct gauge, and has fusible links built in so no aftermarket fuses are required. Plus my local pull-a-part only charged me 5 bucks for it.

Thank you sir!! Your information is MUCH appreciated!!

You mention this was for the 2.8, I'm assuming this will work for a 2.9 as well?

Thanks man!

Many of the gm cars from the early eighties with 2.8 sixes or 2.5 fours cam with 130 amp alternaters. they're internally regulated so you have to change the connections a little bit but it's very easy. all you need to add is a spacer and it bolts right in there.