2004 through 2008 F-150 Alternator Replacement in Pictures
Changing the alternator in your F-150 is simple, requiring no special skills or tools.
If you own and daily drive a Ford F-150 from the 2004 through 2008 era, the odds are good that the mileage is getting pretty high and as the truck ages, you find yourself replacing some vital items. In some cases, replacing parts on a decade-old truck can be pricey, but anyone who can use a ratchet can save themselves money by replacing their alternator themselves.
In fact, when it comes to replacing components that are bolted to the engine, the alternator in an F-150 with the 5.4-liter Triton V8 is about as easy of a project as you will find, so you won’t beat yourself up in the process of saving money on mechanic bills.Forum member “BrazenC5” put together a great F-150 Online forum thread showing how easily the alternator is changed, so with this information and some basic tools, you can change your F-150’s alternator without the help of a mechanic.
The Introduction
When the OP first posted his how-to thread on changing the alternator in a 2004 through 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, he began with the following information.
Had to change out the alternator this weekend, so I thought I would snap some pics in the process. Dashlights were noticeably dim, and barely made it home before random dashlights started lighting up (abs, 4×4, etc). When I tried to restart, the battery was also drained. Hopefully this may help others if they haven’t previously had to change out an alternator.
Tools used:
3/8in ratchet
10mm socket
10mm socket deep well
1/2in ratchet or breaker bar
channel locks
misc socket sizes for battery terminal & alternator ground wire
Accessing the Alternator
The “hardest” part about changing the alternator in your F-150 is getting to that unit on the front of the engine. The alternator is located in the middle-top of the 5.4-liter V8 engine, just under the inlet portion of the engine air intake system. To remove the alternator, you have to begin by removing the air intake system and, as the OP points out, removing the upper radiator hose also creates space, making the alternator swap a bit easier.
After removing the air intake system and the upper radiator hose, the final step before tackling the alternator is the serpentine belt, which is removed by adding slack to the system at the tensioner. Once you have the belt out of the way, you are ready to remove the alternator.
Removing the Alternator
The alternator of a 2004 through 2008 Ford F-150 with the 5.4-liter V8 is held on with six bolts; four in the pair of brackets at the top of the unit and two at the bottom of the unit.
Once those six bolts are removed, there are two electrical connections on the back of the alternator that are removed, one of which clips on and the other bolts into place.
Once those wiring harnesses are removed, the alternator is free of the engine and you are ready to install the new unit.
Button Everything Up
Installing the new alternator is as simple as following the directions above in reverse. You begin by re-attaching the two wiring harnesses on the back of the alternator, followed by mounting it to the engine with the two bolts on the bottom and the four across the top.
Next, re-install the serpentine belt by applying torque against the force of the tensioner, carefully routing the belt in the same way that it came off. At that point, you can start the engine and ensure that you having proper charging. If everything is working properly, you finish up the job by putting the engine air intake system back in place.
While this write-up applies specifically to the F-150 from the 2004 through 2008 model years, replacing the alternator on many Ford trucks with other engines and from other model years is just as simple as the project discussed here.
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