ChrisJSheridan

Hey I know this is a very popular question from s4 to s6. But I haven't been able to find a clear answer on S5 to S6 alternator.

S6 alternator, they are a direct fit to S5 right?
Pulley has to be moved and drilled out to 17mm?
Now the real question at hand -
Does the alternator have to be rewired or does it plug right in and off you go?

Also -
Mazda mentioned that they have discontinued the S5 and S6 alternators. Autozone has reman S6 alts. Is there any other sources that I can check that will be reliable?

Thanks in advance

Chris

clokker

iTrader: (2)

The FD unit is a direct fit, plug-n-play swap into a S5.

The alternator chassis the FC uses was common to many other Mazda (and probably other) models.
Output varies but the alt bodies are the same. I've been using one off a 626 (IIRC) that just dropped right in.

Husky

FD and RX8 alternators are plug and play to an FC. You just need to buy an FD V-belt pulley from someone like Mazdatrix.

driftxsequence

iTrader: (8)

I have heard somewhere a certain Dodge dakota uses a double v belt for its alternator and its the FD shaft size?? not sure what year though.

lduley

iTrader: (1)

Shat, my dakota has that, and i got a high amperage one

87-94 dakotas BTW i believe. After 94 (possibly earlier) they changed to a serp belt, but my 90 has the double pulley.

ChrisJSheridan

So what is the double pulley for? My current alternator has a single pulley

driftxsequence

iTrader: (8)

Double pulley is when you pull your air pump off, it keeps 2 belts in contact with the waterpump. the waterpump can slip with only 1 belt.

ChrisJSheridan

So I must not have an air pump then. I wondered why there was a double pulley there with nothing in it. And a quad pulley just below it

ChrisJSheridan

I Just wanted to verify -
There lone screw on the bottom is for grounding right? My current alternator doesn't have a ground wire. Is it necessary to add a ground off the alternator? I would think the brackets should have grounded it like the old one

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Not sure what screw you're referring to but no, typically there is no special ground for the alt.

ChrisJSheridan

Sorry, the gold bolt near the top of the picture

ChrisJSheridan

So here is what I ran into. After getting the alternator and pulley, finally got them put together. I discovered that the shaft on the pulley I received was 2 mm shorter than the pulley shaft from the alternator. I had to take the grooved belt pulley and have 2mm cut off to make a spacer for the double v to make contact to the alternator bearing.

I'm not sure if the underdrive pulley's are supposed to float off the bearing like it had before I added the spacer or not, but I couldn't tighten down pulley without it seizing on the face of the alternator. Just incase anyone else runs into this same thing, I had a machine shop make a 2 mm spacer from the back of the grooved belt pulley.

Works great now, no seen issues first hour of driving. putting a second belt on tomorrow when it gets in

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

I encountered similar things with the FD alt when putting on the Dual pulley.

Since I have tons of parts I found that the Bushing in the Front casing can pop out and be used as that 2mm spacer for a dual pulley install.
I used one out of a spare crappy FD alt and installed the Pulley.

I also found out that pulleys differ..which means that some can be installed just fine and others DO need that spacer.
Some pulleys have a lip on them while others have NO lip,so you need that spacer.

Clokker: just to Double check,as I "was an S4 Guy"..

So you are saying that the FD Alt can get swapped into an S5 with no wiring differences?
I know the plugs are "plug and play".
I got the FD alt on the S4 Part out,so I would like to use it on the S5.
Thanks man.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Plug it in and start charging.

DeaconBlue

iTrader: (31)

Here are some photos of the FD alternator installed in my S5 FC with the billet dual V-belt pulley. So yes; change the pulley, bolt it in and plug in the factory S5 harness. The last photo shows the Banzai Racing mounting bracket. Yes is fits with the Ultra Racing upper strut tower brace after some clearance work with a ball pein hammer.