Really, this much work for an alternator??

farmb0y · Jan 27, 2012

:cursing:

My alternator went out on me today. Looks like the regulator went bad, things are smoked on it.

I can't beleive that some idiot would design and a company would actually produce a product so poorly thought out! First off, who puts an alternator (a very vital and important electrical component mind you) down right next to the wheel well; where rain, snow, salt, liquid de-icer, etc, can get to it!!?!?
To continue off that, you can barely get to it to get it disassembled from the mounts since it's below the battery, IC pipe, wiring harnesses. Next to find out that there's no room for it to come out. So I called the local Ford dealer to price a new one and see if there was a trick to getting it out. A new one is $628!!! and that's with me giving them my core!! Then the service guy got into what it takes to get it out, basically disassembling most everything on the left side of the engine. I ended up pulling the battery, battery box, intake box, cut loose all the wiring harnesses from the keepers, and can only move the IC pipe out of the way since they designed that so poorly as well.

I'm just pissed cuz it takes so much work for a silly alternator. Makes me want my '99 7.3L back!!! 3 bolts, pull the wires and belt off it and it comes right off!

Rant over.

91turbogsx · Jan 27, 2012

Buying a 6.4 you should know that working on it requires removing alot of parts to replace the part you want too.

You've been spoiled by the 7.3. LOL I can name countless vehicles that are more difficult to change alternators.

kyle43335 · Jan 27, 2012

farmb0y said:
:cursing:

My alternator went out on me today. Looks like the regulator went bad, things are smoked on it.

I can't beleive that some idiot would design and a company would actually produce a product so poorly thought out! First off, who puts an alternator (a very vital and important electrical component mind you) down right next to the wheel well; where rain, snow, salt, liquid de-icer, etc, can get to it!!?!?
To continue off that, you can barely get to it to get it disassembled from the mounts since it's below the battery, IC pipe, wiring harnesses. Next to find out that there's no room for it to come out. So I called the local Ford dealer to price a new one and see if there was a trick to getting it out. A new one is $628!!! and that's with me giving them my core!! Then the service guy got into what it takes to get it out, basically disassembling most everything on the left side of the engine. I ended up pulling the battery, battery box, intake box, cut loose all the wiring harnesses from the keepers, and can only move the IC pipe out of the way since they designed that so poorly as well.

I'm just pissed cuz it takes so much work for a silly alternator. Makes me want my '99 7.3L back!!! 3 bolts, pull the wires and belt off it and it comes right off!

Rant over.

you should havee just removed the passenger inner wheel liner,and you could have been done in about 1 hour.

oke:

6.0dirtworker · Jan 27, 2012

:whs:

Worstenemy453 · Jan 29, 2012

Yikes, you can get a 270 amp Mechman from me cheaper than that lol.

6.4s are definitely cramped, thats for sure.

Dzchey21 · Jan 29, 2012

I.didn't think getting to it was any big deal inner fender out and its right there no problem

907DAVE · Jan 29, 2012

Wait till you have to change the thermostat(s)......

TyCorr · Jan 29, 2012

kyle43335 said:
you should havee just removed the passenger inner wheel liner,and you could have been done in about 1 hour.oke:

Dzchey21 said:
I.didn't think getting to it was any big deal inner fender out and its right there no problem

This^

I neved hesitate to pull the fender liner to get at something. Makes getting the started out of a 7.3 easy too.

Zmann · Jan 29, 2012

lol a 6.0 pretty much like a 7.3 can be done in 5 minutes why did they mess with the alternator location?

TyCorr · Jan 29, 2012

Zmann said:
lol a 6.0 pretty much like a 7.3 can be done in 5 minutes why did they mess with the alternator location?

Im guessing the belt driven fuel pump took the real estate previously occupied by alternator. Do any 6 4s havs dual alternators?

Dzchey21 · Jan 29, 2012

907DAVE said:
Wait till you have to change the thermostat(s)......

Actually doing that today no.egr shouldn't be an issue

Dzchey21 · Jan 29, 2012

TyCorr said:
Im guessing the belt driven fuel pump took the real estate previously occupied by alternator. Do any 6 4s havs dual alternators?

Some but not a ton.of.them

mortal798 · Jan 29, 2012

TyCorr said:
Im guessing the belt driven fuel pump took the real estate previously occupied by alternator. Do any 6 4s havs dual alternators?

My 6.4L has dual alternators. It is a $375 option on the order. They don't look that bad... I have had the primary one out, and the secondary one looks like it would be easy with the splash shield out.

kyle43335 · Jan 29, 2012

TyCorr said:
Im guessing the belt driven fuel pump took the real estate previously occupied by alternator. Do any 6 4s havs dual alternators?

yep i have one here now.

Dzchey21 · Jan 29, 2012

907DAVE said:
Wait till you have to change the thermostat(s)......

No big deal.got it done in about an hour

907DAVE · Jan 29, 2012

Yeah, without a EGR cooler....but for those who still have them its a different story.

farmb0y · Feb 2, 2012

Good or bad of the deal, I've since ended up buying an EGR/cooler delete kit as well as a new intake. Got into the intake and scared the crap out of me how it looked. I was draining oil from the bottom boot of the CAC. I've since flushed it out, cleaned up what I could and will not be plumbing the CCV into the intake.

I did pull the fender liner eventually because I wanted to pull the baffle out of the intake plenum in the fender. That way is definitely a lot easier to get at the alternator. The dealer told me I needed to pull the fan, fan shroud, and to do that would have to move/pull the radiator. They figured a 1-2 hr job to do all that. :badidea: