64.5 Generator to Alternator Conversion

Does anyone have any details, pictures or part names to do a one wire conversation?  I have a 64.5 with a 260 and generator.  I am also not 100% sold on doing the conversation. Any feedback appreciated!  
1964.5 Mustang Coupe
260 Auto
"Work in Progress"

question....  DO you need the additional power the alternator can provide...????

is your battery running down when you turn on everything..  

generators did work....  alternators are generators that just put out more current at a lower speed..

if you are going to convert.. please   take pictures and tag the parts carefully.. and store them.. as some future owner may want to put the car back to original specs...


One wire alternators only NEED one wire...  so other than mounting it with the proper alternator brackets..

i seem to recall for earlier fords.. conversion generators that actually have alternators hidden inside the case.. so there is more power output and it still looks correct...

i hate to see a car that has survived with a generator get modified after working fine for 45 years..

i seem to recall generator to alternator conversion articles on one of the many many pages of the TECH section..  

did you see this article..

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/thehistoryof/mustang_1964/index.html  

Wanye, Thanks for the feedback. This is a true 64.5 with all the difference from a 65 still on the car.  The current generator is the only non original "64.5" part not on the car.  It is from a t-bird and has been rebuilt recently.  With just the lights and blower fan on it struggles to keep up, lights dim etc.  Do not know how it will handle a radio and poss A/C at some point.  I am going to leave Generator on for now and reevaluate.  

Thanks!  

Nick1964.5:
Wanye, Thanks for the feedback. This is a true 64.5 with all the difference from a 65 still on the car.  The current generator is the only non original "64.5" part not on the car.  It is from a t-bird and has been rebuilt recently.  With just the lights and blower fan on it struggles to keep up, lights dim etc.  Do not know how it will handle a radio and poss A/C at some point.  I am going to leave Generator on for now and reevaluate.  

Thanks!

do me a favor...

if you have a digital volt meter...    set it to 20 volts scale..  if not borrow or buy one.. they are cheep.. $7 to $25 bucks..

make sure the battery is close to fully charged..  

headlights on for one minute. then off.. while engine is off..

12.65 volts.. is a full charge
12.45 volts is a 3/4 charge
12.25 volts is a 1/2 charge..

you need to start with a battery after the surface charge is removed with the headlights above 12.5 volts.. use a battery charger to bring it up...

after getting the battery charge up.. as instructed above

start the engine..   turn on the headlights..

volt meter set to 20 volts DC..

1.  test between the Negative battery post and the positive post..    alternator cars will have 14.1 to 14.6.. what's your reading..   close to 14. volts..  you might need to have somebody bring the RPMs up...

2.  test between the Negative terminal and the engine block..      this reading should be 0.04 volts .. above 0.00..

3.  test between  the negative terminal and the body...    this should be 0.02 volts...    again above 0.00

4.  test between  the engine block and the body...  again. 0.02 volts .. above 0.00..

0.00 is a NON test..

this test.. less the battery charging takes about 2 minutes..    got two minutes.??? to solve a MAJOR issue..

i can advise you if you post the results from the test by number..  1. 2, 3 ,4  where your issues are..

there is a serious problem with the early mustangs..

the LACK of ground wires...     but you have to understand.. that on a car.. a ground connection is HALF the circuit..

in 64 to 66 mustangs..   the battery negative cable is only attached to the block.. with a ground strap at the back of the engine to the firewall...  there is also a small ground wire from the generator to the mounting bolt on the regulator..

please..  verify and then install additional ground connections..

battery negative to the engine block in later fords.. there is a ring terminal mid cable that attaches to the body.. this is the proper way to do it..   you can just run a double ring terminal cable from the engine to the body...

battery negative to the body... near the battery

engine block to the body..  this is usually a braided strap..  braided ground straps with 3/8 ring on one and a a 1/4" ring on the other 15" long are available at most parts stores in the HELP section for 5 bucks..

why go through all this..

electrons flow from NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE..   lack of a great and proper sized ground connection will result in reduced voltage at the various circuits.. dim headlights..  low battery charging..

spend the 2 minutes..  let me know what happens..

please post that you got this..   if you had posted the full issues this is what i would have posted..  

By design generators do not produce much current at idle speeds (one of the reasons the industry went to alternators in the first place) so I would be really surprised if the voltage is 14 at idle with the lites on (it will probably be more like 12 or so) bring the RPM up and the voltage should increase, (again I'd be surprised to see 14 V out of a generator with the lights on due field coil saturation) if its not comng high enough you may need to adjust the voltage regulator contacts or it could be the T-bird gen is too small (not enough wattage) for your mustang.