A testament to our Ford trucks and Motorcraft parts

[basketcase0302]

You gotta love this one!

Well it started yesterday as simply replacing the alternator belt, yeah right...
It had been squealing like a pig, (it was loose).

One 3/4 turn on the adjuster bolt and snap! Now i've got a broken bolt in the alternator "ear".
With 90% of my tools still in storage and nowhere to work, (nope, still aint' got the barn built yet).
It's much easier to replace the alternator, than to drill and easy-out the bolt.

Yeah, I've got spare alternators in storage but can't get to them!
Ok, now let's go ahead and replace the alternator, (just in case it was the bearings "squealing" in it and not the belt).

I pulled the original 1971 Motorcraft alternator out of the truck, that was still charging!
After some 35+ years it was still ticking!

Just can't beat Ford's and Motorcraft parts reliability with a stick!
Bet I get maybe three years life from the mexico assembled/lifetime warranty junk I was given?
And, the "stamped" location of the ground wire on the alternator was wrong, the wiring ground strap can't go onto the screw identified as such.
You have to use the "other" screw.
Maybe this post should be in vendor feedback?
Watch your ground strap on the autozone alternator's guys.

Jeff

[ToughOldFord]

I know it, it's amazing how many of these trucks are still running around with original parts and engines. They really did know how to make them in the day.

[fordman]

mine still has alot of stock stuff on it. the alt is for sure.

[lightning_msd]

i still got the original alt. from 1966 (my truck was built in fall 1966) hell the whole truck works fine

[THATCH]

i was forced to replace my 390 when i found out i had 2 cracked heads and a wrist pin that wanted to be in the water jacket..... amazingly that motor ran pretty good. and yes my orig. 72 alt still works.

[MaxKlinger]

Alternators have come a long way since the 70s, with huge improvements seen in the bearings and voltage regulators. They're generally a lot more reliable today than they were, at least as far as OEM goes (not including the Mexican made replacements). I put an Alternator in my friend's '72 when we were in high school (2001) and his truck had only 18,000 original miles on it (VFD truck). I still have the original alternator in my Sable after 211,000 miles.

These were solid trucks for their time. I frequently take a nostalgic "they don't make e'm like they used to" attitude, but realistically modern vehicles are a heck of a lot less maintenance intensive, more efficient, and (a huge one for me) MORE CORROSION RESISTANT. In the northeast, 60s, 70s, and 80s vehicles rusted apart before they wore out; now the bodies are on par with the drivetrains. My truck has rusted more in the past year in the garage than my Sable has sitting outside in a couple of years.