alternator clearance issue?

[rjewkes]

I recently added a 2g i guess it is from an 86-88 f250 Diesel and possably newer models fit this 100 amp alt, well recently i noticed the belt was squealing, upon investigation the way i had it in there it was cockeyed with the water pump pulley. after fixing that issue with a taller/longer stand off and washers on the adjustable mount, i now have te issue of the back of the shaft touches the motor directly.

is this something to worry about, sorry it's taken from the side it was the best picture i could get.
also forgot to mention all the wiring is on the top of the alt and not on the back, my biggest fear is that the shaft has electricity run through it and could short across the motor while running.

[fordman]

i dotn think it will short anything out if it did break the housing or rub a hole in it. but i do know what you mean i would worry abotu something liek that myself. can you cheat it out with one more washer?

[rjewkes]

not without cuasing the belt to rub the pulley, i'm wondering if a longer belt and upper support arm could work? that would let me swing it over until it clears the motor and nothing else would be in the way, i'd just have to catolog the belt size and or number or even the vehicle it was designed for with that length.

[fordman]

will the pulley sit on the alt shaft in or out a little?

[rjewkes]

out maybe.

[fordman]

maybe you could get a hold of the lower moutn for the alternator. the factory a/c bracket woudl be all you need. or you could make something.

[rjewkes]

yup luckily the cougar is the daily drivr so now i can take my time on fixing the bump better than when i have had to toss stuff together to get it running.

[ForingaMex]

Hi rjewkes,
Upgrading to a bigger/newer alt. is a good upgrade. Do you have a 2G alternator or is it a 3G? From the picture I can't tell if it's a 2G or 3G. From what I hear the 2G is junk, not worth bothering with. I just upgraded to a 3G on my 72 390 and I'm really happy with it.
I don't think it would short out but I would not want the back of the altenator touching the engine head. You did not mention what engine you have but on my 390 it was a tight fit. This is how I dealt with the pulleys being out of alignment. I shaved about 1/8 of an inch off of the back side of the alternator pulley to get the belt as close to the alt. as posible and than I added a washer as a spacer between the alt. and the engine on the long bolt to bring the alt. away from the engine just enough so it won't touch. Just my
Jake

[rjewkes]

not sure what g it looks identical almost to the stock but is wider at the mounts by 1/2" and probably 1-2" taller if you sat it on the back, all the wires are up top once its mounted.

as for washers there are three on it now and it brings it within 1/100th of an ich of the head. it lines up perfectly with the pully now. so i'm thinking a longer adjustable mount and a slightly longer belt and it will sit just perfect. BTW it is a 390.

I gess being off of a late 80's deisel F250, and probably the international they had before the strokes came out it could be 2G as for not being worth anything, once compared to the 3G 1 wire, probably so, but when your looking to replace the stock 55-60 amp with a semi stock 90-100 amp in a hurry and without having to figure out how to keep the ammeter/voltage gauge working and also everything that runs through the stock volt reg, including the horns you end up going with a 2G where the only change in wirig is you have to put a weatherproof female end on the Field wire.

the differece between ths one and the stock is the back of the casing is as long as the back of the lower mounting hole. wich is why when porperly seated it matches to the pulley on the water pump and crankshaft. My biggest problem with the belt rubbing was it was in there cockeyed becuase i needed to space the upper mount out from the water pump body by three 1/8" spacers becuase the other difference is the mounting tab that ataches to it is thicker too.
it looks very close to this one. except my wires attach on top of the back half of the casing otherwise everything else is similair enough. thonly part making contact now is that stub/bearing housing in the center of the alt.

[knightfire83]

So long as the wiring on the alt isn't touching anything you should be ok. Your picture shows the alt close to the engine, but that is just the rear bearing cap and that is already grounded thru the alternator housing.

I upgraded to a 4g alt off a Taurus. My old alternator was mounted on top like yours, but I needed the extra room there for a later custom install of air conditioning. So I mounted the alternator below rather than on top the engine. I moved the upper mounting bracket to the bottom water pump mount bolt. That bracket will then mount to the alt behind rather than in front of the alt.

Got some extra clearance that way on the back of the alt too.... The bigger the belt the more clearance away from the block.

[knightfire83]

Or you could get the mount brackets off a dent side. This is the assembly off a '75 f100 360.

[rjewkes]

thats about the position i was thinking i could achieve the way i was thinking, but this sounds like the stock belt length would work in this spot.