Alternator Pulley Removal

[Joe Walsh]

My Marauder has the 'German-made' alternator with the clutched pulley.

I want to remove the pulley so that I can disassemble the alternator and get the front plate/casting powdercoated.

I popped off the pulley's cover and inspected the pulley & shaft. If I counted correctly, the clutched pulley has a 33 spline recess.

There must be a tool that fits in this splined recess to allow loosening of the pulley?

Can anyone confirm if such a tool exists, or if our alternators can even be disassembled?

[BillyGman]

I just sent you a PM about this Joe....check it out.

[metroplex]

How does the PCM control the alternator pulley clutch? Is there a wire connected to the field coil? Where did they put it?

[Joe Walsh]

It is a mechanical device not selenoid controlled.
According to the Service Manual;
"All Marauder 4.6L 4V applications are equipped with a one-way clutch (OWC) in the generator pulley. The OWC pulley temporarily disengages the generator rotor from the front end accesory drive (FEAD) system during high acceleration/deceleration rates on the engine, which may increase belt life and decrease belt chirp."

[metroplex]

Thanks Joe, that is what I suspected.

Dennis Reinhart said he could "program the PCM" to disable this clutch feature.
The only way that this would be true, is if there's a wire leading to the field coil (like the A/C compressor clutch).

Hmmm I think I would be able to swap the Marauder alternator over to the Crown Vic.

[Marauderjack]

The clutch is mechanical.....The PCM actually turns the alternator off upon hard acceleration according to Dennis!! :)

He can program it not to be turned off as he does on the S/C cars to ensure constant fuel flow from the electric fuel pump/pumps!! :cool:

With the alternator and A/C turned off at WOT you do get more passing power with no ill effects (maybe minor light dimming at night) on stock or non-S/C cars!! :bows:

Marauderjack :)

[metroplex]

The clutch is mechanical.....The PCM actually turns the alternator off upon hard acceleration according to Dennis!! :)

He can program it not to be turned off as he does on the S/C cars to ensure constant fuel flow from the electric fuel pump/pumps!! :cool:

With the alternator and A/C turned off at WOT you do get more passing power with no ill effects (maybe minor light dimming at night) on stock or non-S/C cars!! :bows:

Marauderjack :)

Did Ford decontent the alternators for the late 2004 models and do away with the clutch?

[FordNut]

Yes, there is a special tool for removing the pulley.

Yes, the clutch was decontented in the '04 models.

Yes, the alternator can be turned off via the PCM. It is not done with an electro-mechanical device like the a/c compressor clutch. It should be possible with most '03 and newer Fords since the regulator is controlled with a PWM signal from the PCM (similar to the control signal for the fuel pump). On a N/A car turning off the alternator has a noticeable effect of power. On a S/C car, since the blower is making so much power, the difference is negligible but there is a risk that the reduced voltage due to the alternator being off will prevent the fuel pump(s) from having adequate capacity to prevent a lean condition.

So basically the PCM tells the regulator not to supply voltage to the electrical system, therefore the electrical load is not transferred through the coils of the alternator and converted into mechanical load at the pulley.

There may be some minor technical errors in the above, but this is basically how it works. Flames graciously accepted from all donors!!!

[metroplex]

My guess was the clutch was decontented because it was either too expensive to add per car, or the clutch can wear out????

A solenoid or relay (electromechanical devices) generally have significantly longer life-spans than a pure mechanical clutch.

[Joe Walsh]

Yes, there is a special tool for removing the pulley.

Yes, the clutch was decontented in the '04 models.

Yes, the alternator can be turned off via the PCM. It is not done with an electro-mechanical device like the a/c compressor clutch. It should be possible with most '03 and newer Fords since the regulator is controlled with a PWM signal from the PCM (similar to the control signal for the fuel pump). On a N/A car turning off the alternator has a noticeable effect of power. On a S/C car, since the blower is making so much power, the difference is negligible but there is a risk that the reduced voltage due to the alternator being off will prevent the fuel pump(s) from having adequate capacity to prevent a lean condition.

So basically the PCM tells the regulator not to supply voltage to the electrical system, therefore the electrical load is not transferred through the coils of the alternator and converted into mechanical load at the pulley.

There may be some minor technical errors in the above, but this is basically how it works. Flames graciously accepted from all donors!!!


I understand that Trilogy includes the pulley removal tool as part of their S/C kit.

Is anyone interested in loaning me this pulley removal tool for a few weeks??

(I want to remove my clutched pulley, disassemble my alternator and have the front cover/casting powdercoated.)

Does anyone know if I will encounter any problems if I disassemble my alternator???.....any other special tools needed to do this???

Thanks, Joe

[DTR04]

Yes, the clutch was decontented in the '04 models.

I know of 3 '04's that have the clutched alternator. If it's not a clutch it still has the "teeth" under the pulley cover.

Edit: It is a clutch. Some people may be misunderstanding the type of clutch this is. It is not an electrical clutch like the A/C. It is a mechanical overunning clutch. IOW, the belt can drive the alternator but, the alternator can't drive the belt, it freewheels.

From the service manual: All Marauder 4.6L 4V applications are equipped with a one-way clutch (OWC) in the generator pulley. The OWC pulley temporarily disengages the generator rotor from the front end accessory drive (FEAD) system during high acceleration/deceleration rates on the engine, which may increase belt life and decrease belt chirp. A new OWC pulley and generator/voltage regulator must be installed as an assembly.

[Logan]

Joe, I have a couple of them. PM me your details, I'll send it to you.