Hey all, I have a 64 f100 and am having problems keeping batteries up in it. How hard would it be to swap to an alternator? It's an inline 6, three speed, all factory. The wiring is screwed up and I will have to redo all the wiring on the truck at some point. Also it is not a daily driver but I do try to start it every couple of days. It has gone through two batteries.(one was in it when I bought it, the other I swapped over from the wife's daily driver) The last one has developed a large bubble on the side, I noticed it while trying to jump it off. My father in-law said the generator might be too much for the batteries. I don't know. I'm on a budget and can't throw a lot of money at it trying to figure out what's going on. Thanks
Sounds like a small battery tender would be good for it. Just leave it when when the truck is not being used.
i think you may have other electrical issues not sure what is meant by the generator being too much for the battery....does that mean it is charging too much , or not enough?
Can you find a good old fashioned generator shop that can tell you what the problem really is? Trying to solve the problem by putting an alternator on the truck is not the cheap or the easy way to solve the problem. Sure like to know what your father in law meant about the generator being too much for the batteries, is there something else we should know? Charlie Stephens
When you put a volt meter on it, what does it read? Harbor Freight has them for really cheap, I wouldn't trust my life life with it, but it will work just fine for your purposes. The generator may be overcharging and ruining the battery. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I would just simply get the generator rebuilt, also replace the regulator. If you have a local auto-electric shop, those are the best place to go. Follow the directions for polarization and you should be good to go.
Before you throw a bunch of money at it, hoping it will cure your problem, get a Motors manual or some thing with instructions on how to trouble shoot your charging system. If it is working OK you may need a new battery and not used stuff of unknown vintage. Don't assume anything trouble shoot it first.
If generator is too much for it means its overcharging the regulator is bad does it boil out the water?.... If it gos dead just sitting you have a "drain ".....again could be the regulator....in any and I mean any vintage vehicle it's always a great idea to unhook the battery when not actually running the vehicle, there are cheap and reliable switches to shut off everything.......( I just caught an electrical fire starting in my first car, a39 ford Tudor just months after getting it on the road in 1978 after 3 years work so yes I love battery kill switches.....good luck ,let us know what you find! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
one battery was in it, do you know the age? then you put another old battery in it from your wife's car,do you know how old that one is? start with a good [new] battery and check the charging system with a volt meter and get back to us.
Ok so I changed the battery out with my daily driver. Which I know is good still nothing. I think it's the wiring. I've attached some pics. And that doesn't even begin to show under the dash So my next question is who makes a harness or makes a good aftermarket harness? Has anyone else been through this? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
To top it all off I put the battery out of the truck in my daily driver and it fired right up. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
If you want to run it (without accessories lights etc. get a couple of jumper" wires with alligator clips and run one from the positive battery post to the pos. or + post on the coil then make sure trucks in neutral and jump from the pos. bat. Post to one of the small studs on the "solenoid (that's the device with the + bat. Cable on one large stud and the cable to the starter on the other large stud). You hit the right one the starter should engage and you should make some vroom vroom sounds!....don't forget to take jumper off of the solenoid when she starts!.........vroom vroom! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Yeah. I bought the truck from my wife's uncles car lot. I really wanted a 51 or 52, but saw this and fell in love. I was driving it one morning on the way to work and the guy who traded it in stopped me. He said he regretted getting rid of it and it had never given him any problems. But since I have looked at all the wiring I'm feeling kinda sick. Under the dash has as many wires as my 98 Nissan and I don't know why. Ok so that's an exaggeration but it us kinda silly in a 50 year old truck. In the spring I'll probably take the cab of to replace the floors, front can mounts and lower a pillars. At that point I guess I'll have to rewire the truck Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
To answer the original question, it is Not hard to put an alternator in place of the generator. I did it in an afternoon. I used a GM internally regulated alt. (think late 70's) and I did have to modify the brackets a bit, yet it used the OEM fan belt and sat in the OEM position when I was through. The wiring was easy-peasy, just connect two wires together at the regulator, and that was about it. Just FWIW, my own 1964 Ford E100 truck has a factory alternator, possibly part of the Heavy Duty option?? I don't know. Cosmo
Thanks Cosmo. I'm really not sure what I'm gonna do with it. My oldest boy(13) wants me to drop it. My youngest boy(7) could care less. My youngest daughter(4) doesn't care as long as she can drive it. Lol, at least a couple are showing an interest. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
That engine looks like it might be a 262, very rare and desirable for a truck. You may need to check that out. Get a 64 Ford truck shop manual and that will help you with the wiring. I think it needs some attention sooner rather than later. With a manual you will know what to remove and what to repair. Personally I would try to repair the factory harness with the aid of manual but whatever you do make sure you use top quality stuff. You have a short somewhere and with the present wiring I can see why, it needs attention. A properly functioning a generator can do very well . In lots of ways they are superior to alternators, that is if you do not have too many accessories. Lots of neato stuff can be done to those old engines and trucks. Since you are in the South lowering it will make it loose it's truckness. A rough road will be hard on it, keep that in mind.
You could just fix up what you showed in the pictures, which may indicate a short condition, and have the charging system tested. All of those solenoid pig tails, cables, etc are available at a good parts store. But I can see a total rewire in your future. F100 factory harnesses are available as well as aftermarket kits.
Does anyone know where to find the numbers on the engine so I can figure out what it is Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Based on you pictures its a late model 223, it is possible that its a 262 that has a little more HP. Very few differences externally, and nothing that really matters as far as going down the road. Check this thread for more info on identifying what you have.
What are the later year choices... trucks came with the 240 and 300, cars had the 250. Truck engine in a truck, I'd think it was the 240 or 300. Look those up.
It appears that the intake and exhaust is on the drivers side, so it has to be a 223 or 262. As far as I know those are the only Ford straight sixes with that configuration.
64 really has more in common with a F-1 than it does a 1965 model F-100. A 65 has more in common with a 96 F-150 than it does a 64! 64 was the last of the straight axle, Y blocks and 223/262s. Simply put 64 was the last year for the "old trucks." Mounting a 240/300 is not a drop in like it is for a 65-66. To me if the64 engine is good why upgrade and if he does upgrade and has to go through all the work and expense of an engine change, a 300 would be way down on the list of power plants IMHO. For instance, it would be mush easier to put a Y block in than a 3oo.
It just looked newer to any 223 I've seen from the script on the valve cover and color. So it is probably a 223!
I thought so too until I looked real close. The 223 in my 64 had the older style round top valve covers. Since the 262 was a late engine in the 215 series (62-64), I thought it might be more apt to have the newer looking valve covers. The Ford Blue kind of threw me off. 223s had a black block ,red valve cover and air cleaner. Seems like 262s were green.
In my opinion, your asking for trouble if you plan to go any distance or on any busy road with that wiring. A dead battery will be the least of your problems if some unseen twisted together connection gives it up between exit ramps. Plus there is is a fire danger or at least a bad short wrecking the rest of the harness. I know I sound like a parrot about the shop manual but it has the wiring diagram in it. I suggest you make basic proper repairs to your wiring system because right now from what I see, it's not road worthy.
I found this with a 10-second google search. http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/tOCMP/wiring/1964F100/index.htm
Thanks guys, right now the truck doesn't go anywhere cause I can't trust it. It's just a truck I want to fix up. The more I look at the wiring the more it makes me want to let it sit. I've got another project going right now so no space to work on it. I have a daily driver so it's not something that has to be done right now. Which is why I said I'd probably so it in the spring when I fix the floors and cab mounts. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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