Hi guys im swapping my alternator out in my TE because its screwing around and over charging my battery, im swapping it for one from a 3.5L purely because it has the external voltage reg and so forth. I got it from U Pull it some im not too sold whether it will actually solve my issue but here comes the question.

The strip that runs down the middle of the alternator, its ribbed and when the alternator gets old it rusts, is that conductive? Reason being it because the one I have from U pull it, is rusty and I would like to tidy it up by perhaps sanding the layer of rust off, or painting it.

Thoughts?

Turns out the part im talking about is called the Stator, and looks like I can paint it.

The rusty part of the stator are the metal laminations that provide the magnetic field. It does not have to be electrically connected to the rest of the alternator although as it is clamped by the outer shells and has studs passing through it you can bet that it already is.

An alternator has a rotor and a stator. The rotor is the spinning bit in the middle. It has a magnetic field generated in it by a small electric current (the field current). The magnetic flux generated by the rotor is transferred to the iron laminations in the stator and as the rotor spins, so does the flux field in the stator. Embedded in the stator are some copper bars, and basic physics says that if you have a conductor (copper bar) intersecting a magnetic field, you get electric current. Because the magnetic field is alternating North and South, you get Alternating Current (AC), and you need a rectifier to convert it to Direct Current (DC). The rectifier in this case also serves as a regulator by governing the amount of field current fed into the rotor. Here endeth the lesson.

Basically, the iron does not carry any electric current, but the laminations are coated in a thin varnish. If they are rusty, the varnish has broken down in places. It will not affect the performance of the alternator, but as the field changes North to South and back again, you get microscopic movement between the laminations. The varnish would normally take this up. If you have rust betweent he plates, (rust occupies more volume than pure steel), you may get some more chatter, but nothing much else. I would be inclined since you already have the alternator to lightly clean the exposed surfaces and put it into service

Thanks for the advice, I painted it up, and made the later model alternator fit, there is quite a size between my old TE alternator and the TH Alternator and the TH Alternator actually has an external regulator, I will get pics up to show the difference soon.

Im thinking mine might have been from carried on from the 2nd Gen V6 's.

Mitsubishi said the TE and TJ both shared the same part numbers for the Alternator and that they were the exact same unit, yet I see something different infront of me. Plus the smaller one does not have an external regulator.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad217/peaandham_bucket/IMG_4459_zpsb37765bb.jpg

One is a Bosch, and the other a Mitsubishi?

Actually you would be right I believe Max, so im guessing the TE's came out with Mitsubishi and the others all came out with Bosch? Because in the Haynes manual they have the Bosch one in there, but I would've thought they would've used the Mitsubishi one.....

Do you know if theres an amperage difference?

Actually you would be right I believe Max, so im guessing the TE's came out with Mitsubishi and the others all came out with Bosch? Because in the Haynes manual they have the Bosch one in there, but I would've thought they would've used the Mitsubishi one.....

Do you know if theres an amperage difference?

Mitsu used their own alternators as well as Bosch randomly. Both should have identifying makes and model numbers on them.
Little one (2nd gen V6, early 3rd gen) is 85 amp, bigger one (later 3rd gen) is 110 amp I believe. In practical use, no difference really.

(Someone correct me if I'm talking sh#t.)

mitsubishi has a metal sticker on the side that contains the part number voltage and amperage, bosch has been stamped on the side of the comm end (rear) bracket
the bosch unit will have a bit more output (108A vs 80A), but is not as sturdy at the mitsi unit... the bosch has thinner stator windings and is wired in delta configuration, plus it uses mica washes to insulate the positive plate and a plastic sleeve on the rear bearing.
the mitsi regs are better than the bosch RE72's, but their rectifiers are not as reliable. the bosch units are more prone to rotor windings shorting under inertia, and the mitsi units use a steel slip ring that should never die.
in the end they are both a good unit and you can only win by upgrading to the bosch.

Some good info there!
Mitsu one is good. Did 220,000 km in my second gen V6 without any problems. Bosch one wins in my book because of the easily changed regulator and you can see the condition of the copper slip ring and brushes without pulling the alternator apart. Makes it easy to check the condition of a second hand one at the wreckers.

Some good info there!
Mitsu one is good. Did 220,000 km in my second gen V6 without any problems. Bosch one wins in my book because of the easily changed regulator and you can see the condition of the copper slip ring and brushes without pulling the alternator apart. Makes it easy to check the condition of a second hand one at the wreckers.
180-220,000 seems to be the average distance for failure.

180-220,000 seems to be the average distance for failure.

Not my problem. Sold the car.