Of course not.
On behalf of the entire internet I'd like to say we have full faith and confidence in your eventual success.

 

Thank you.

Details: 1995-1998 Ford Contour 2.0l alternator.
Large frame 3G, 130 amps output-NEW with Warranty, $68 to the door.
Under the stock TMIC.

 

What did you have to change besides the dual pulley? Direct bolt in? Nice find

 

Jack, what did you have to do with the saddle mount?

 

my fd alternator is looking crappy, I like the way this looks and performs-

 

I will have to put some spacers in the extra saddle space.






Original S4 alternator saddle is 4.2-ish inches





Ford Contour Alternator Saddle is 5.5-is inches. All of the extra width is at the back. The front lines up. Ish.

 

SBC Chevy 283-400 Chrome Steel Double Groove Alternator Pulley

$18 on Amazon

 

Where did find you find the alternator for the price??? Everywhere I have looked is 180.00 or more.

 

On the 'Bay, various vendors.

cnc-reman is my vendor, alternator is reman rebuilt by Motorcraft. Came in a Ford Motocraft box. $64.95 is now the price shipped-no core charge. Says 10 available.

 

You should plan ahead to obtain the correct plug to wire in this alternator.

The wiring connector for this alternator is an odd plug that apparently was only used on the Contour. It is different than my other 3G alternators from the Taurus.

This situation took me by surprise. I couldn't find one locally except at the dealer. I didn't have the patience to wait for one ordered online.

The connector plug on the alternator is part of the voltage regulator.

Back in June, I swapped a 3G small frame 95-amp alternator onto the TII that was from an Escort. This was a very difficult adaptation (compared to the Contour) only to find that this alternator was not up to the task. I don't know if 95 amps is not enough or if this particular alternator is just weak. It did however use the plug common to other 3G alts. At that time, I rewired the harness on the car using the common plug. I didn't want to redo all my recent wiring.

Since the small frame 3G was apparently a recent rebuild with nearly new brushes and a Motorcraft voltage regulator, I merely swapped the voltage regulators out so the new alternator now uses the existing plug. The voltage regulators have interchangeable specs. Now I have the correct connector.

If you get the correct plug you will not have this issue.

 

Wow! Thanks for all the great information! The pulley is the correct size too? I am ordering this tomorrow to solve my crap voltage issues.

 

Yes.

Couple more things:

The tension adjuster is a strait swap over from the air pump. Just had to grind a little off the corner to clear the front of the alternator.

I used the stock belt length.

You're gonna need a longer bolt to mount.

 

any pics of the voltage regulators and the swap?

 

So jackchild59. I could use some insight. I purchased the exact same alternator from your eBay vendor, I also purchased the exact same pulley from a vendor on ebay. Same part number and all. This pulley isn't working. I'm wondering if it was either mislabeled in the post or by the vendor I purchased it from. Pics as follows:







This pulley has a spot on the back that doesn't allow it to fit in position




Any insight?

 

I am also interested

 

I believe the pulley I received may have had a manufacturing defect. it is quite possible as the pulley was 18.00. The pad on the back of the pulley is maybe a millimeter bigger than the mounting recess on the front of the alternator. With no answer insight, I decided to Dremel the inside of the alternator recess as there is at least 3 mm of thickness.

I shall report back when completed.

 

Sorry for the delayed response:

The pulley i bought fit into the groove in the alternator, like it was made to fit. Your front case appears to be significantly different with a much smaller opening around the shaft. I have measured the inner groove on my 3G small frame (which the pulley also fit). That inside measurement is about 40mm. Sorry to not be exact, but the battery died on my micrometer as I was measuring.

 

Huh... I wonder if the wrong case was put on. I went to the local junkyard and got the correct connector off a 95 Contour 2.0. Plugs into the back of of my alternator perfectly. Dang it. I really don't want to send this back as it took 2 weeks to ship.

 

Is there a step on the shaft and in the pulley that home out so the nut can be tightened? It's not apparent in the pic. This would be an important thing to scope out as far as your adjustment is concerned.

djSL, it may be better to machine the boss on the back of the pulley to go into the recess. Find someone with a lathe or, is there a vocational school nearby? They might do it free for the experience. Maybe even a High School that has the equipment for their shop classes.

 

Unfortunately, the nearest machine shop wants to charge 3 times what the pulley cost. No nearby schools either. Like I said, I have a few mm of space that I can dremel out in the alternator case and the pulley should drop in. Worse comes to worse, I'll go to the junkyard and grab the Contour alternator and swap cases.

So I guess word of the wise with this swap is to verify the inside diameter of the alternator recess with the vendor you before you purchase.

 

Front cover of my 3G small frame, the large frame is the same size inset . Large frame 3G is on the car, see the way the pulley sits right up against the front?

 

So. the pulley just seats on the bearing inner race?

 

No, see the innermost race, right next to the shaft? That race spins with the shaft. There is a washer/spacer first, then the pulley.

The pulley *could* just be tightened against the race.

 

Yeah. That looks nothing like the front of mine. Odd. Same exact alternator from the same vendor. Maybe I should just grind that recess off entirely.

 

Since I didn't want to wait forever to deal with shipping this back and waiting for the new one, I took the Dremel out and cut off the protruding ring. Went to an alternator shop and the shop owner gave me a proper sized spacer to throw on.





With the spacer on and

So if you don't want to do this, check and make sure your getting the right alternator frame. Lol