compatiable replacement alternator for 95 Winstar 3.8L?

If I must replace the alternator I'd like to try one from a salvage yard to save money as I won't be hanging on to this car much longer. Are there other model years of Windstar or other Ford/Mercury models of cars using the 3.8L engine that have the same alternator to widen my selection of availabe units?

I have a 95 Windstar 3.8L with a gray voltage regulator.

Before I get a new Alternator. Are there ways to measure output of the ALT itself and then check the wiring? I'd hate to buy an ALT to find the wires are bad between it and the Batt.


Thanks

Dasher

Hi Dasher;

First, I have searched out a few items on car-part.com which is a website linking salvage yards. You can search based on zip code. My experience is that their website is pretty savvy as to which parts are interchangeable between model years.

Secondly, if you are wondering about the condition of your existing alternator -first, a basic check is that you should be seeing about 14 volts across your battery with the engine running, maybe a bit higher. Also, any autozone or similar shop can put your alternator in their test unit and check it out. It will test all aspects of the electrical operation and let you know if it is good or bad.

Thanks. Iv'e found a yard close using www.car-part.com . Now I/m trying to loosen the tensioner as decribed in Haynes by rotating the tensioner bolt with a wrench to relieve the tension and pop the belt off the ALT. I am rotating clockwise as i believe should move the whole tensioner pulley to a place where I can pul the belt of the ALT. I can't get it to budge. Am I getting it wrong here? If I turn counter clockwise the bolt loosens but there is no change in the pully and tension. I don't want to remove the tensioner pully do I/ Just move it aside with some torque to relieve the tension right? Removing the ALT is already a bigger challenge than I imagined.

Help! :banghead:

Hi
there has been a lot of talk on this forum about how best to "beat" the tensioner. On my '96 I have become a proponent of doing it manually. If you get a firm stance, place your left hand on the power steering pulley to stop slippage, and grab the belt just aft of the alternator, you can overcome the pulley tension and slip the belt off of the alternator. You then put it back the same way. It seems overwhelming at first, but once you see it is possible, it is no big deal.

It is very hard to get a wrench in place on the tensioner, but if you can get one on the pulley bolt, you do rotate clockwise to relieve tension.

Good luck

Hi
there has been a lot of talk on this forum about how best to "beat" the tensioner. On my '96 I have become a proponent of doing it manually. If you get a firm stance, place your left hand on the power steering pulley to stop slippage, and grab the belt just aft of the alternator, you can overcome the pulley tension and slip the belt off of the alternator. You then put it back the same way. It seems overwhelming at first, but once you see it is possible, it is no big deal.

It is very hard to get a wrench in place on the tensioner, but if you can get one on the pulley bolt, you do rotate clockwise to relieve tension.

Good luck

This is how I removed/installed the belt for my recent alternator job as well. I'm not a "big" guy but I was able to pull hard enough to get some slack. I didn't have anything that was going to help me turn that tensioner. Sure is in a tight spot.

Hi
there has been a lot of talk on this forum about how best to "beat" the tensioner. On my '96 I have become a proponent of doing it manually. If you get a firm stance, place your left hand on the power steering pulley to stop slippage, and grab the belt just aft of the alternator, you can overcome the pulley tension and slip the belt off of the alternator. You then put it back the same way. It seems overwhelming at first, but once you see it is possible, it is no big deal.

It is very hard to get a wrench in place on the tensioner, but if you can get one on the pulley bolt, you do rotate clockwise to relieve tension.

Good luckHi busboy4, I can't take credit for this method, I got this on some other website. This is how I get my belt off. First take 2 combination wrenches, you know one side is a box end wrench and the other side is a open end wrench. Now let's say your bolt on the tensioner is 15mm. place your 15 mm box end wrench on the bolt with the tines facing upward. Now take another combination wrench any size apprx. same lenght as the first wrench now take the box end and slip loop over the tine on top of the first wrench. Practice this first for a couple of minutes then try it, you'll be amazed. That's one less tool we need to purchase!

Gents, Thanks for your suggestions. It seems all about leverage. I will try them both.

Rotorman:

I'm not sure I follow....I'm guessing that after slipping the box end over the open end wrench that I then pull or push clockwise to move the tensioner? How does this give me more leverage?

Dasher

In the mean time does any one know what size the main ALT mounting bolt is? I've tried a 5/8 but it seems to be stripping it and a little loose. 9/16 is too small. Is there a 19/32? the metric doesn't seem to fit either. Probably never been touched in the 12-13 yrs of the car's life.

Gents, Thanks for your suggestions. It seems all about leverage. I will try them both.

Rotorman:

I'm not sure I follow....I'm guessing that after slipping the box end over the open end wrench that I then pull or push clockwise to move the tensioner? How does this give me more leverage?

DasherHello Dasher, Once you slip the second wrench over the first wrench it becomes a flexible torquewrench. Then you pull towards you which is clockwise. You can do this easlily compared to pulling on a serpentine belt with gloves on.

I just went out and checked, and the alternator bolts on my '96 are 15mm.
That is the same size as the tensioner bolt.