0xfded
New member
I just did this mod on my 98 V6 last week, to replace a failing stock alternator. I don't have anything to add to the procedure, but I did keep some part numbers in case anyone was interested in doing this mod, but wanted to take some guesswork out.
The alt: Ultima Select (95 Cadillac Fleetwood)
You can find these refurbed for a bit cheaper, but I read enough warnings about poor rebuilds that I went for a new one with the lifetime warranty. This alt was a bolt-in replacement, with the washer spacer.
The plug: Doorman Part #85854
Picked this up with the alt. I replaced the old plug with it. If stripping and splicing worries you, you can get an adaptor, but I wanted to keep the wiring in my engine bay clean and minimal. It's also a fair bit cheaper, and seemed like a robust part.
If you want to wire in that plug, the wires are:
Stock WHITE -> Plug RED
Stock RED -> Plug GREY
Stock YELLOW -> Plug BROWN
It was easy to do this in place without removing the wire harness, but YMMV.
I only hit two snags:
Short Belt: My existing alternator belt was too short. But the belt that I use for my power steering was a perfect fit, so I just used one of those. So just get another of whichever belt you use for your power steering.
Large Terminal: The battery positive terminal bolt on the new alt was larger than the stock alt's, and the lug that was on the cable wouldn't fit. So I had to enlarge the lug hole with a file, and I'll be replacing it entirely as part of a Big 3 upgrade.
I've only been running it for a week or so now, but I'm keeping a close eye on it. So far, I'm getting a solid 13.8v on the battery whenever I check, so everything's working out so far. I'm not running it anywhere near capacity at this point, but I am planning on adding a more robust stereo and inverter, and in any event, my particular build goals center around robustness and reliability, and the CS-144 has a good reputation for those things.
Easy mod, recommend it!
The alt: Ultima Select (95 Cadillac Fleetwood)
You can find these refurbed for a bit cheaper, but I read enough warnings about poor rebuilds that I went for a new one with the lifetime warranty. This alt was a bolt-in replacement, with the washer spacer.
The plug: Doorman Part #85854
Picked this up with the alt. I replaced the old plug with it. If stripping and splicing worries you, you can get an adaptor, but I wanted to keep the wiring in my engine bay clean and minimal. It's also a fair bit cheaper, and seemed like a robust part.
If you want to wire in that plug, the wires are:
Stock WHITE -> Plug RED
Stock RED -> Plug GREY
Stock YELLOW -> Plug BROWN
It was easy to do this in place without removing the wire harness, but YMMV.
I only hit two snags:
Short Belt: My existing alternator belt was too short. But the belt that I use for my power steering was a perfect fit, so I just used one of those. So just get another of whichever belt you use for your power steering.
Large Terminal: The battery positive terminal bolt on the new alt was larger than the stock alt's, and the lug that was on the cable wouldn't fit. So I had to enlarge the lug hole with a file, and I'll be replacing it entirely as part of a Big 3 upgrade.
I've only been running it for a week or so now, but I'm keeping a close eye on it. So far, I'm getting a solid 13.8v on the battery whenever I check, so everything's working out so far. I'm not running it anywhere near capacity at this point, but I am planning on adding a more robust stereo and inverter, and in any event, my particular build goals center around robustness and reliability, and the CS-144 has a good reputation for those things.
Easy mod, recommend it!
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