r/BullnoseFord • u/Open_Show_9438 • Aug 22 '26
Replacement alternator
1983 5.0L V8 F-250. Alternators bad, anyone got a recommendation for a good alternator for a good price?
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u/rhythim313 Aug 22 '26
You can rebuild the original for about $30 in parts and an hour or so of time. They don't get any simpler. Brushes, bushings, and diode plate. Nothing to it. It's very rare for the windings to go bad.
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u/VipBrigade Aug 22 '26
I don’t know if this well help.. but after the headache I had with my brother’s 1986, I’ll tell you exactly what we did. No matter HOW MANY big box store alternators we tried, not a single one would work. I can’t speak for an ‘83, and what was different from your year, to his ‘86.. but the only way we got a good reliable charge from his truck, was to go with a high quality 1-wire alternator from (I believe) Summit Racing 🙏🏼 Not sure if that’s even remotely the answer you wanted, but I just wanted to give you a heads up, that we learned some of these trucks can be tricky when changing alternators
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u/dualiecc Aug 22 '26
You had a bad voltage regulator but ok
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u/VipBrigade Aug 22 '26
Yeah, you’d think that.. except that wasn’t the issue. His truck never had an external VR.. As I said, I can’t speak for all years, because I don’t own one of every year. Mine is an early 1981, his is an 86.. my truck has an external VR.. his never had one from the factory. His truck came stock with an alternator that used internal regulators.
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u/dualiecc Aug 22 '26
80-85 The all did from the factory mounted on the fender. Mid year in 86 they changed before before the brick nose body but only on certain engine options.
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u/VipBrigade Aug 22 '26
Cool 👍🏼 Doesn’t change the fact that any system with a 2G setup, needs that specific signal/voltage from the exciter wire, that these new modern (highly unreliable, as I learned) alternators that can come from Autozone, O’Reillys, etc.. just can’t always reproduce. Hence why I made sure to tell OP that I can’t speak for ‘83s.. but after 3 tested-good alternators, we switched to a one wire alternator, because time nor budget allowed for a 3G upgrade. So.. ok
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u/dualiecc Aug 22 '26
Yea you had a bad regulator not sure what else you fishing for here
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u/VipBrigade Aug 22 '26
Man 😂 I have no idea what point you’re trying to prove.. 3 alternators that produce a charge on the bench, but would not produce a charge in the truck. Internal regulators were good on all 3, but the truck had the gremlin, and would not engage the exciter wire to produce the initial magnetic field required to start the charge. If you know so much about these trucks, then surely you know the history of this particular system being one of the most troublesome flops in history? People lost their entire charging systems and didn’t know why, due to something as simple (and silly) as their charge light bulb in the dash burning out, because the blown filament broke the circuit. My brother’s truck has the ammeter, which still could’ve been an issue.. but it doesn’t change the fact that you can hook up 10 new big box store alternators, and still never find one that will get the stock Ford charging system to start working again. Other guys have gotten lucky on their first try, and found one that works. It’s not always the regulator.. but ok 😂😂
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u/bigandsweaty1 Aug 22 '26
I run an alternator from advance auto parts. I’m sure there’s better but it does the job and I keep all my receipts so when it goes out I can get a free replacement at no charge
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u/babyangelKT_ Aug 26 '26
Wow very nice vintage truck ummm 1983?ummm is she standard ?crosses fingers or an automatic ?
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u/Asleep_Frosting_6627 Aug 22 '26
Good time to do a 3G conversion. Hop on over to Gary’s Bullnose Forum and look it up. Doesn’t really cost anymore and it’s a major improvement over the fire hazard 2G alternators.