Dang, you are quick. I was on Amazon looking to link this for you and you already replied. Thanks
How to swap a high amp Dodge Durango alternator into your Jeep Wrangler TJ
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
OP
I do love Amazon. Ordered just now and will be delivered today. Even on a Sunday.
OP
Whaaaa!? Seriously? You ordered it today and it will be delivered the same day?
Wow! I've had them deliver next day, but never the same day!
The whole purpose of the durango alternator is because they are $30 in the salvage yard...if you are going to put a chicom rebuild on, you are better off with the jeep unit for the cost.
I've managed to mess this swap up somehow and I'm hoping you guys might be able to tell me how to keep a battery charged.
I purchased a 2002 TJ sport a few weeks ago which needed an alternator among many other things. I purchased and installed a Durango alternator as described in this thread.. all is well..
Except the pigtail is different. (I gave the part number from earlier this forum over to the salvage yard and I assume they gave me what the computer told them to without worrying about unimportant things like year models) So I bought the newer version of the pigtail connector and replaced the original one. Green wire to green wire, white to white. With everything in place... It doesn't charge at all.
We tried switching the green and white wires and it continually charges when these are inverted. This would be fine if I wanted to ruin the battery. I don't, however, now I know that the alternator works.
Any ideas?
I purchased a 2002 TJ sport a few weeks ago which needed an alternator among many other things. I purchased and installed a Durango alternator as described in this thread.. all is well..
Except the pigtail is different. (I gave the part number from earlier this forum over to the salvage yard and I assume they gave me what the computer told them to without worrying about unimportant things like year models) So I bought the newer version of the pigtail connector and replaced the original one. Green wire to green wire, white to white. With everything in place... It doesn't charge at all.
We tried switching the green and white wires and it continually charges when these are inverted. This would be fine if I wanted to ruin the battery. I don't, however, now I know that the alternator works.
Any ideas?
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EzPeezy
TJ Enthusiast
I put one of the 2006 Durango 4.7 alternators in my 2002 TJ today. Test drive went well. The alternator bolted in perfectly - The extra bracket is just a hair away from the coil rail, and may make it harder to work on the coil in the future, but that's a small price to pay for more amperage and it's easy enough to move the alternator.
I just did this swap with a 2006 4.7 Durango alternator.
One thing to note:
The pulley on this particular Durango alternator is a larger diameter than the factory TJ pulley. In order to get the full output, you should swap the TJ pulley onto the Durango alternator to get the same alternator RPMs.
The pulley is larger on the Durango alternators because the crank pulley is larger (7-1/4") versus the TJ (6.5"), and the Durango redlines at 6000 RPM, whereas the TJ engine redlines at 5200 RPM.
My new Remy alternator came with a performance test sheet, which was nice.
Note that the bottom scale is alternator RPM, not engine RPM.
This means I can get up to about 110 amps at low idle, and about 185 amps at freeway speeds. If I use the hand throttle to high idle at 1200 engine RPM, I can get about 170 amps.
One thing to note:
The pulley on this particular Durango alternator is a larger diameter than the factory TJ pulley. In order to get the full output, you should swap the TJ pulley onto the Durango alternator to get the same alternator RPMs.
The pulley is larger on the Durango alternators because the crank pulley is larger (7-1/4") versus the TJ (6.5"), and the Durango redlines at 6000 RPM, whereas the TJ engine redlines at 5200 RPM.
My new Remy alternator came with a performance test sheet, which was nice.
Note that the bottom scale is alternator RPM, not engine RPM.
This means I can get up to about 110 amps at low idle, and about 185 amps at freeway speeds. If I use the hand throttle to high idle at 1200 engine RPM, I can get about 170 amps.
I went with a new (not remanufactured) one because the extra $100 is worth the reduced risk of being stranded
Now now. You're assuming I did not buy it from a yard that ships, aren't you? lol
No good pull-it yards where I live, so the next best thing is order from one that ships. About the same price and no issues with core or returns.
There's a 160a unit on amazon that isn't too expensive remanufactured and bolts right in. In hindsight I could have gone that way and be done.
I found a new Remy on Amazon for $150. Remy is an OEM manufacturer of alternators, so I (hope I) can trust it. I'm definitely glad they sent a test sheet. That's the first non-HO alternator I've bought that comes with one.
I used a Remy when I did this swap a couple years ago. Haven't had any issues with it.
BadaBing0405
New Member
if anyone is interested in a 99 or newer alternator for the upgrade let me know. I still have the one I received in error. For the 97 units like mine, I needed the part number mentioned above