mean green altnator

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euclid

euclid

SILVER Star
Joined
May 15, 2002
Threads
327
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6,065
Location
Jackson, MS
Looking for any experiences with Mean Grean alts. It turns out the mean grean is cheaper than OEM, but my OEM one lasted 13 years. The local rebuild on it only lasted 2.5 years, so I am going with eather MG or OEM this time around.

Anybody have experience with MG?
 
Greg I emailed ya back. But my MG on my 60 had a bearing go bad, it locked up solid and took a belt out and started a fire. But I sent it back to MG and they repaired it and its been working great for almost a year now. I am out $20 for a belt and a few buck for shiping to them, can't say I am happy but not really unhappy either. I had planed on buying another MG for one of the 40's but havn't........

If you don't need the amps of the MG then I would go OEM.
 
I really do need the amps, for my 2 stereo amps and later for a winch. Problem is, I don't want the extra amps if it means the thing is only going to last for a couple of years. I want extra amps and longevity. What to do, what to do?
 
euclid said:
I really do need the amps, for my 2 stereo amps and later for a winch. Problem is, I don't want the extra amps if it means the thing is only going to last for a couple of years. I want extra amps and longevity. What to do, what to do?
Click to expand...

All the MG alternator is is a GM CS144 with a double pulley. you can do that for way cheaper, it is overpriced for what you get. A stock CS144 puts out about 100+ amps in smallest form.
 
Brett,
Can you give me some more info on this swap? Is there anything besides the pully that needs to be swaped to use a GM CS144? Is everything else the same as a stock FJ62? I have heard of using a "GM one wire" alt, but that the guage on the dash doesn't work with this swap, is this true of the GM CS144 swap?

Thanks,
Greg
 
At this point I have pretty much decided against the MG. Mainly because they don't answer their damn phone. It is 10:45 AM at their shop right now, left them a message and still havn't heard back. I just don't like doing business with companies that have sh!ty customer service before I am even a customer!

Shoping for best OEM alt price now.
 
swank60 said:
Anyone have a price/source for the GM CS144?
Click to expand...

Here's a thread about it on POR, with a link to a site that sells them.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232612&highlight=CS144
another thread:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=189408&highlight=CS144

I haven't found anybody online that has done this on a 3FE. The alt on 2 F's is different than on 3FE's, and I am not good enough with wireing and electricity to be the pioneer, so I am leaning towards a OEM one.

GT
 
i have the MG on my fj-62. no problems at all so far. installed it before the summer began.
 
Replaced the locally rebuilt Toyo alt w/ a MG on the FJ62 sometime in July. Ordered from MAF (same issue w/ MG not answering the phone or returning e-mails). It took almost 5 weeks to arrive. Dropped directly in (removing the air pump make accessing the alt a snap) and has worked flawlessly. Biggest difference has been the volt meter indicating more volts - an not dropping into the red (<12 volts). The true test will be this winter w/ heater, defroster, wipers, fog lights, radio all on in stop and go driving - time will tell. Even with the wait i'd do this mod again.

Ming
 
cruiserbrett said:
All the MG alternator is is a GM CS144 with a double pulley. you can do that for way cheaper, it is overpriced for what you get. A stock CS144 puts out about 100+ amps in smallest form.
Click to expand...


I gotta say that is false...It may be similar outside but internally it's different...The MG's output at idle is much more than most oem units...usually around 90-100 amps at idle and about 200 at peak...most OEM's are less.
 
TOZOVR said:
I gotta say that is false...It may be similar outside but internally it's different...The MG's output at idle is much more than most oem units...usually around 90-100 amps at idle and about 200 at peak...most OEM's are less.
Click to expand...

Also the links above are for the FJ60/2F alternator. The FJ62/3FE alt is a completely different beast. I've yet to see any alternatives other than MG or a rebuild (or new) for them. I went rebuild because I got fed up with the Man-A-Fre runaround on the MG.

There is no $40 GM replacement for a 3FE.
 
Does anyone have actual part number from NAPA or someone else for the CS144 and the right pulley for FJ60?
Russ in California
 
Russ - just tell them you need a CS144 for a GM car. The pulley needs to be for a V-belt that's 17 or 18mm (can't remember, but when I was replacing the belt in my truck, the only belt that would fit was a Delco made model) - you may need to experiment with belt length, too. I'm not sure what they diameter of the pulley is (and there is some sort of relational differences you can manage with your belt length and width - talk to someone who understands it though)

And I used to ask my Trig teacher when I'd use all of that crap in my day to day life...
 
I am planning on having my OEM unit rewrapped to produce about 100 amps. Will put a direct line into the battery to assure charge and lighten the load on the existing wiring. Cost is about $100 loacally - but includes total rebuild and limited gaurantee.

Mike S
 
I'd try something else. MG has the worse customer service I have ever experienced. I even filed a BBB compliant on them. Mine has gone bad three times and even though MG has fixed it free of charge it was very difficult to get a hold of them and the turn around time was very long. I have my old reliable Checkers stock Alt ready to stand in The owner told me each time that I was not using the alternator properly. How can that be? The other problem is shimmimng the alternator to fit correctly in the stock mount. You need the right amount of washers for the alternator to sit right in the bracket so the pulley is aligned with the other pulleys.
 
i can't find the thread for this question, because i kind of touched on this one a week or so ago....my battery charge light is coming on again when the meter drops below 12. this seems to be due to it idling low when i first start it. it really was bad this evening because i didn't let it warm up. tonight i started it and drove off and the meter was actually in the red unless i had it in gear and was driving. am i due for a new alternator, or could it be a different issue?
 
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