All Small Six Will a 289ci Alternator Fit a 250ci?

[Crustang to Mustang]

A friend of mine sent me a spare alternator he pulled off of his 289ci when he heard that the alternator on my 250ci was bad. He said he wasn't sure if it would work but he was cleaning up his garage and said that I could have it and whether it fits or not. This may be a stupid question, but will the alternator work?

 

[John Ha]

Yes, I swapped the alternator from my V8 to the 250 when I changed over. Works fine, lasts a long time. If yours is used, it might be fruitful to take it to your local chain auto parts store to have it tested before you put it on the car though.

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, Ford used the same alternator housing for a long time. Probably from the change to generators in 1964, into the 1980s. The small cars and trucks got a lowly 35 amp setup, and the full size cars got a 65 amp setup. If I need to replace the alternator, I get one with higher amps. The bigger upgrade is to get the later electronic voltage regulator, if you still have an older mechanical voltage regulator. We used to replace the alternator and regulator as a pair, but with the electronic regulator that is not usually needed. It is a direct plug in part, and a good quality electronic regulator may last forever. Good luck

 

[Crustang to Mustang]

Yes, I swapped the alternator from my V8 to the 250 when I changed over. Works fine, lasts a long time. If yours is used, it might be fruitful to take it to your local chain auto parts store to have it tested before you put it on the car though.

It worked when my friend pulled it off of his 289ci. He just wanted to upgrade to a one wire setup.

 

[John Ha]

After I'd thought about this I realized that I had to clock the alternator to get the terminals on the back side in a better position. Not hard to do at all - remove the 4 long bolts that hold the ends together and rotate the front and rear housings (no need to physically separate the case and it will save you some trouble if you keep them pressed together when you've got the bolts removed) until you have everything where it works best. Then reinstall the bolts.