Has Anyone Extended The Axle/Transfer Case Breather Lines? Is It Necessary?

P. A. Schilke

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Heat is the enemy of electricity, so even water cooled oil is considered hot compared to what you'd want your alternator temp to be. I'd like to see the alternator moved up towards the top if possible, but my guess is it will happen with a redesigned block in 3-4 years and we'll be stuck with what we have.
Hi Chance,

Yep...FEAD are very difficult to redesign compared to when all the brackets were stand off from the motor. The old brackets were an NVH nightmare and being able to mount directly with robust aluminum castings has improved things greatly from the NVH perspective but packaging remains to be the main driver. I recall Ford of Australia video of a Ranger in water up to its headlights, but I am thinking this was not our 2.3L and more likely a diesel. Do not know where this alternator for the diesel is mounted but likely higher up.


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t4thfavor

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Hi Chance,

Yep...FEAD are very difficult to redesign compared to when all the brackets were stand off from the motor. The old brackets were an NVH nightmare and being able to mount directly with robust aluminum castings has improved things greatly from the NVH perspective but packaging remains to be the main driver. I recall Ford of Australia video of a Ranger in water up to its headlights, but I am thinking this was not our 2.3L and more likely a diesel. Do not know where this alternator for the diesel is mounted but likely higher up.


Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

There's a video where the aussies complain about the alternator, which is mounted on the US drivers side about midline with the head of the diesel, is too low. They say it easily gets messed up with mud. I've watched so many videos with ford rangers in them that I couldn't possibly fine the specific one I'm talking about. But yes, it's the diesel, and no it's not like ours which is down on the bottom.
 

Cmar

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In the Australian model ranger the 3.2 litre 5 cylinder Puma diesel has the alternator high up on the right hand side of the engine, it is well and truly out of harms way. The 3.2 also has factory fitted breather extenders for both diffs, gearbox and transfer case which come right up high into the engine bay and terminate near the diesel fuel filter. You can see it here on this oil change video.


The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder bi turbo diesel has the alternator in the crappy position of halfway up the LHS of the engine block, that's probably the one you were referring to.
Ford made a mistake of pushing that little diesel here, no one likes it, and we all keep buying the older 3.2 which fortunately is still available. It's killing the sales of the Raptor so hopefully this year we will get by popular demand the Mustang V8 in the Ranger Raptor instead.
 

t4thfavor

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It should be on top with an offroad vehicle. Ford did us a dis-service putting it at the very bottom, moreso than the Aussie one that is at least half way to safety.
 

BcP28

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How about an oil cooled alternator in the transmission housing before the TQ converter. Since the transmission oil is already water cooled. I’m sure if we get away from the belt driven accessory system things could be packaged better. However, always the issue of repair. I’ll have to look at some military systems and see how they manage.
An overkill version of what you're referring to does exist on the market today. They are generically called "P2 Hybrid Transmissions" that sandwich a large electric motor/generator between the engine and torque converter. ZF makes one, and so does Ford - called the 10R-MHT. The new Explorer Hybrid gets this trans for instance.

So the capability and hardware exist to provide a lot of electrical energy via a sealed device in the transmission, that being said, a hybrid probably isn't the ideal vehicle for a lot of deep water crossings. Also, the irony is that most hybrids out now that use this type of system still use conventional FEAD alternators to support 12V loads, so moot point I guess.
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