RowdyJeep
New member
Hey just wanted to share some info i learned the other day. The weak old 70amp jeep alternator finally called it in and needed to be replaced. So i was thinking it was time to get that 136amp alternator everyone does (out of the Cherokees) but i still had my 136amp out of my 2002 dodge Dakota (bought new from Napa) and i really wanted to use it and save the money. So i dug up some wiring diagrams from the Dakota and the jeep and found that they mount the same and are both external regulated but the Dakota alternator has 7 groove pulley which is not a bid deal just route the belt on the grooves closest to the engine and done.
So for the wiring that is where things get tricky the new style is a 2 pin connector and the old style is that two bolt block with the ground wire running through it. So ground is simple just pick a spot on the new alternator casing i used the back of the upper mount. Next is the B+(output) wire connector which need to be drilled out to 5/16 to slip over the stud. The wire harness was the tough part i needed to know which field wires were which as the plastic block covers which wire is going to which pin.
After doing some digging on some old wire diagrams i was finally able to find that wire K20 is a solid dark green wire on the dakota and the jeep YJ, the other wire will have a stripe. The dakota harness was white with a blue stripe and the jeep was dark red with a green stripe. So after a trip to the junk yard as dodge wanted over 50 bucks for the harness i was all set.
When cutting the two field wires on the jeep i recommend leaving enough to use on the connector if you ever needed to go back to the old style. I could have used a new ground wire but instead i tapped off the open field wires on the connector and just used the ground wire off the original connector.
After splicing the harness making the connections and performing an AVR test i found everything is operating with proper spec and the my jeep barely flinches when i'm using lights or a winch (still really need to test the winch out). My gauge is just tilting past the 14v mark.
I wish i had taken some pics while i was performing the job, if anyone needs it i can get in there again and take another pick.
Not sure if this thread was needed but i couldn't find anything when i had these questions. I also have the part numbers too
So for the wiring that is where things get tricky the new style is a 2 pin connector and the old style is that two bolt block with the ground wire running through it. So ground is simple just pick a spot on the new alternator casing i used the back of the upper mount. Next is the B+(output) wire connector which need to be drilled out to 5/16 to slip over the stud. The wire harness was the tough part i needed to know which field wires were which as the plastic block covers which wire is going to which pin.
After doing some digging on some old wire diagrams i was finally able to find that wire K20 is a solid dark green wire on the dakota and the jeep YJ, the other wire will have a stripe. The dakota harness was white with a blue stripe and the jeep was dark red with a green stripe. So after a trip to the junk yard as dodge wanted over 50 bucks for the harness i was all set.
When cutting the two field wires on the jeep i recommend leaving enough to use on the connector if you ever needed to go back to the old style. I could have used a new ground wire but instead i tapped off the open field wires on the connector and just used the ground wire off the original connector.
After splicing the harness making the connections and performing an AVR test i found everything is operating with proper spec and the my jeep barely flinches when i'm using lights or a winch (still really need to test the winch out). My gauge is just tilting past the 14v mark.
I wish i had taken some pics while i was performing the job, if anyone needs it i can get in there again and take another pick.
Not sure if this thread was needed but i couldn't find anything when i had these questions. I also have the part numbers too