Battery Light Troubleshooting Help! ('97 2.3L)

[BeeCee]

I take that back, I might have just found one lol.

 

[tomw]

You might want to try removing the stubs in the bracket. If the bracket is aluminum, and the stub can be made to hold liquid, you can use alum to dissolve the Fe, leaving the Al alone. Alum & H2O will cause the Fe to rust over some time, leaving threads in the bracket intact. You have to be able to have the liquid sit on the stub... and wait.
tom

 

[BeeCee]

What’s up guys, just wanted to give everyone an update.


My baby is officially back on the road!


I was actually able to source an alternator bracket. When I mentioned above that I found one, I did in fact end up finding the only one I could find on eBay, and in general.

I actually found the bracket by searching the discontinued OE part #, which was the 95-97 part # I mentioned before, F57Z10A313A. Weird thing is I didn’t find that bracket, or any others searching terms such as “97 ford ranger alternator bracket”, etc.

Here’s some pics of the bracket:

The bracket was in good condition luckily, and the bolts are from the hardware store.

Here's some pics of the old bracket, you can see where it was stripped and where the bolts snapped:

I want to thank everyone for their help & insight, the alternator solved the problem, no more battery light! I just wish I didn’t have to take the detour route to get to this lol.

 

[BeeCee]

Also, for anybody who might need to endure replacing the alternator bracket on the 2.3, you’ll need a O-ring for the coolant pipe running thru the bracket.

 

[tomw]

As you now know, apparently these brackets are like hen's teeth: scarce. For that reason I would suggest that you don't recycle the aluminum just yet. The bolt that broke can be extracted or removed by several means. If that is all that makes it unusable, check on youtube if you want to make if functional. I remember watching AvE, I think, suggest use of 'alum' and H2O which will dissolve a Fe bolt stuck in an aluminum casting. He took the bottom of a soda can, taped/glued/attached the can to the casting, such that he could pour in some alum & water. He did so, and waited. After some time, the iron bolt dissolved, leaving the Aluminum intact. Unless he was spoofing, it sure looked like an easy way to remove a stuck bolt remain. Just take some clay or other to form a 'dam' around the bolt, pour in some liquid, and watch, just like watching paint dry... Finally a shriveled bolt remain will be readily removed. At least that's what I saw.
As far as scarcity, I remember reading about someone trying to find one of these brackets for a mid-90's model(do not remember the year) and they were having the dickens of a time in their search. Apparently they are really scarce, so you may be able to sell yours if you can get it cleaned up.
tom

 

[BeeCee]

Thanks for the response Tom!


But yeaa man, they are scarce for sure. I searched for days, called a bunch of different junkyards, all over ebay, and then that one just randomly appeared it seemed like lol.

But even if you manage to source one in a u-pull it or junkyard, it's a risk it might be damaged, something similar to my experience could happen when attempting to remove the alternator/bracket.

I actually found a B2300 in my local U-Pull-it, and it surely looks like the same alternator bracket, but I saw the bracket was compromised as well because it didn't have the OE bolt in the top mounting hole, it had a hardware store bolt just like what I did with mine, so at the time I was scared to even bother putting in the effort pulling it.


But I did plan on keeping it, it could def be recycled for another Ranger in need. Nothing is wrong with it other than that the alternator mounting holes. In fact, if anybody in the future runs into this issue and happens to come across this thread in their searching, feel free to reach out to me. The science project you mentioned actually sounds pretty cool though lol. But the bracket would need machine shop work to re-thread the stripped out bolt holes. You can see in the last pic of the bolt that did come out that the threads are trashed.

 

[tomw]

There are multiple vendors selling repair kits for stripped out threads. Helicoil is the name it took me a minute to bring to mind. That is, I think, the original thread repair product, dating back to aircraft engines made of aluminum where a lot of machining would have to be done to replicate a part with stripped threads.
Do a search for 'stripped thread' or damaged thread repair or pick your own phrase.
Essentially, you find the product that will allow use of an original sized bolt, and the 'kit' will come with a drill bit that can be used to size the original hole for threading. The next step is to cut threads for the insert, then install the insert and 'lock' it in place using the proprietary mechanism(expansion, barbs, I dunno). Finally you end up with NEW threads, that are threaded into an oversized bore that has had threads cut into it. The new threads are the same as original. These kits are used regularly in the FoMoCo 4.6/5.4? that have the loooooonnnnnnggggg reach spark plugs. Said plugs, from the factory, were a bit too cheap, and with extended change range, were solidified in place by the time someone tried to replace them. They come apart, and sometimes eat the threads.
Ford has a kit for them, FWIW.
The Lima, being cast iron, doesn't run into as much problem with stuck plugs. There was a recent post where the spark plug(drivers side #3) broke off the top of the 'base', leaving a ceramic center, and the outer of the plug - no hex left. He got is out using the OHC Ford tool, I think. That is the only Lima plug problem I have heard of, and I bet those plugs were still the factory drivers side.
tom

 

[BeeCee]

Good insight. But yea I'm aware of thread repair kits/inserts. Personally I've never tried them, I feel like I would b scared to attempt it lol.