Good voltage regulator for high output alt?

[1BAD351 21]

I have a 100 amp alternator and I have been told the factory replacement stuff isn't good enough to handle it. What kind of regulators are you guys running that have high output alternators? I read that electronic is best, but I think I need more than a factory replacement.

[LiLMike 42]

Check out PA Performance. I got their 95 amp alternator and regulator. Only problem I had was that the alt mounts upside down. What I mean by that is the orginal brackets have the adjusting bolt on the bottom and theirs have it on top. Had to fabracate the brackets. They do have a regulator that works with a high amp alt but you have to take disconnect your amp gauge because of overloading the circuit with the old wiring. A voltage gauge works great though. Also they have a 200 amp fuse with heaver wire that needs to be connected from the alt to the solenoid. I hate mine because I used their alt and the brackets look terrible. I'm in the process of installing an Autowire harness in the entire car, so I will get a high amp, internally regulated alt that mounts like the orginal and do away with the voltage regulator altogether. This can only be done with all new wiring. You can make your alt work with their regulator and heavy wire in line fuse. Just remember to disconnect your amp gauge.

[1BAD351 21]

Check out PA Performance. I got their 95 amp alternator and regulator. Only problem I had was that the alt mounts upside down. What I mean by that is the orginal brackets have the adjusting bolt on the bottom and theirs have it on top. Had to fabracate the brackets. They do have a regulator that works with a high amp alt but you have to take disconnect your amp gauge because of overloading the circuit with the old wiring. A voltage gauge works great though. Also they have a 200 amp fuse with heaver wire that needs to be connected from the alt to the solenoid. I hate mine because I used their alt and the brackets look terrible. I'm in the process of installing an Autowire harness in the entire car, so I will get a high amp, internally regulated alt that mounts like the orginal and do away with the voltage regulator altogether. This can only be done with all new wiring. You can make your alt work with their regulator and heavy wire in line fuse. Just remember to disconnect your amp gauge.

 

Ok I'll look into that, it sounds like a good plan. My alternator is brand new so I'd like to keep that, and I already have an aftermarket alt gauge so I don't care if my factory gauge works. How do I disconnect the factory gauge and not cause any issues with anything else? I've heard it has to be connected for the car to charge properly.

[LiLMike 42]

Depends on how your gauge is wired. I know what the book says but I have had some bad experiences with how things have been changed in a 40 year old car. If your gauge is wired in parallel, then just disconnect it and cap off the wires. if it is wired in series, then remove the wires and splice them together. Mine was wired in parallel so I cut the wire under the hood since I'm installing a new wiring harness, I could care less what it looks like at the moment. Didn't I read where you are frying voltage regulators? Perhaps the amp gauge is causing that or the high amp alt you have in there now with the stock regulator. If so, then the PA Performance parts will help. They have great tech support...Give them a call.

[1BAD351 21]

Depends on how your gauge is wired. I know what the book says but I have had some bad experiences with how things have been changed in a 40 year old car. If your gauge is wired in parallel, then just disconnect it and cap off the wires. if it is wired in series, then remove the wires and splice them together. Mine was wired in parallel so I cut the wire under the hood since I'm installing a new wiring harness, I could care less what it looks like at the moment. Didn't I read where you are frying voltage regulators? Perhaps the amp gauge is causing that or the high amp alt you have in there now with the stock regulator. If so, then the PA Performance parts will help. They have great tech support...Give them a call.

 

 

That's why I posted a thread about testing the gauge haha. I am thinking maybe it's shorted or something. But I'll see if fixing my shuttle for the brake pressure sensor fixes it, if not I'll definitly give them a call. I know I want to get away from the factoy voltage reulator.

[Lemon Owner 11]

If your not trying to keep the car concours I really think you should go an internal reg. alt like others have suggested. I did it to mine and it was easy and quite painless. All I had to do is cap off a wire or two and run a wire from the alt to the dash for the alt light. I used a light bezel from an old wiring harness which fitted nicely in the unused seat belt light position. So this is my alternator/excite wire. Cleans up the wiring in the engine bay too!

[danno 128]

Actually, you cold be fine keeping your factory regulator. Just because you have a 100 amp alternator does not mean it is ever going to produce 100 amps. The only time you could come close to that is if your battery was extremely discharged and you had to do a jump start while your lights, stereo amplifiers, and air conditioner are on. If you are looking for a simple fix, stay with the factory regulator, they are really a great design that was used in millions of Fords for 20 years with very little problems.

 

You also had a question about the ampmeter. This is a completely seperate system from the alternator and regulator. It just tells you what they are doing. If you are installing an aftermarket ampmeter or voltmeter, you can leave the original ampmeter hooked up, it will not hurt a thing. Unlike the regulator, the ampmeter was a completely worthless Ford product in Mustangs in 69 and 70. So hook up a seperate ampmeter and don't worry about the factory junk.

[1BAD351 21]

Actually, you cold be fine keeping your factory regulator. Just because you have a 100 amp alternator does not mean it is ever going to produce 100 amps. The only time you could come close to that is if your battery was extremely discharged and you had to do a jump start while your lights, stereo amplifiers, and air conditioner are on. If you are looking for a simple fix, stay with the factory regulator, they are really a great design that was used in millions of Fords for 20 years with very little problems.

 

You also had a question about the ampmeter. This is a completely seperate system from the alternator and regulator. It just tells you what they are doing. If you are installing an aftermarket ampmeter or voltmeter, you can leave the original ampmeter hooked up, it will not hurt a thing. Unlike the regulator, the ampmeter was a completely worthless Ford product in Mustangs in 69 and 70. So hook up a seperate ampmeter and don't worry about the factory junk.

 

I do have them both hooked up but I was just wondering if it was causing issues. Maybe I'll just stick with the factory piece. It's been in the car for 5-10k miles and never given me issues until I messed with the wiring. I was just told it was it wouldn't be reliable.

[1BAD351 21]

Can I use this with my current alternator or do I have to use it with their specific alt? I just want to avoid burning up regulators, so I would run this one if if it can handle more current.

 

http://www.paperformance.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=75

[LiLMike 42]

That is what I bought. It says it will work with a Ford 3G alt. I don't know what you have.

[Crazyhorse 21]

Can I use this with my current alternator or do I have to use it with their specific alt? I just want to avoid burning up regulators, so I would run this one if if it can handle more current.

 

http://www.paperformance.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=75

 

That is a Dummy External Regulator to use when you use a 3G (or 4G, or 5G) internally Regulated alternator. It supposedly makes the connections inside itself, instead of having to modify the harness.

[1BAD351 21]

That is a Dummy External Regulator to use when you use a 3G (or 4G, or 5G) internally Regulated alternator. It supposedly makes the connections inside itself, instead of having to modify the harness.

 

oh. haha oh well looks like I'm going to get another stock one and hope it doesn't blow up. I can't seem to find an aftermarket one that will work in place of the factory one without modification.