Generator to Alternator conversion

SF223

Well-known member
Just to throw this up for future seekers of the Ford 223 Generator to Alternator swap.

I completed this project last weekend using a Powermaster 100 amp one wire chrome alternator (part #17294) and brackets from Alternator Parts <http://www.alternatorparts.com/Alternator_brackets_1.htm> (#A200 and A210). Alternator Parts said a larger belt would be necessary, but I found this to not be true. The original works fine and has proper deflection.

First off about the brackets. They're solid but look like crap. I'm just going to use them until I have cleaner ones built. Don't get me wrong, they do the job and do it well, but I believe they are designed more along the lines of farm equipment rather than cars.

The instructions show the bracket going together so that the ears that mount to the existing generator bracket and the ears to the alternator should be flush. If you do this, the belt will misalign. The alternator should be pushed one stop further over flush and micro-adjusted after mounting.

Also, the mounting holes for the ears that bolt to the existing generator bracket are too small for the original generator bolts. There may be enough room on the ears to drill for the larger original bolts, but the smaller supplied ones will work. After a week of driving around, the bracket has not loosen up.

The supplied 2 inch shim will be too short to properly secure the alternator on its bar. Four half inch washers will take up the slack.

After all was secured and the battery wired, I fired it up and got the metal on metal click. Either the end of the bolt which keeps the alternator in place is a hair too big or the pulley blades are too long. Trimming a very small amount of metal off each blade with a Dremel solved the click.

The whole deal ran around $160 and is definitely worth it. Trash those generators and external regulators.
 
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