Help! ZJ 136A alt swap... Pic inside

So, I ground down the brackets and everything is sitting correctly, but I can't figure out how to hook this thing up, the connectors are totally different...

Difference: (Large to show detail) ZJ on the left, XJ on the right.



HELP?! :banghead:

Other random info that may be relevant.. Mine is a 2000 sport, the alt came out a 94ish limited.. I know it's the 136, I looked it up, and I had it tested.

As you have observed the connections are different between the two alternators.... There are plenty of posts under this topic, but IIRC the 99-01 required a different alternator such as the 2002 Durango or 99-04 WJ for the electrical connections to be a plug and play.
To clarify what to do.... my recommendations are to do a search on the forum for this topic.

I'm fixing to do this soon as well. I pulled up some alternator pictures on an autoparts store website.

I have a 2001 XJ. I confirmed that I can use a 99 WJ or 99 Durango alternator in my XJ. I can't use the 98 ZJ and presumably lower due to the same situation you see with the plugs.

That said, after checking the 98 ZJ, I only checked the 99 WJ and Durango because that is all the local PAP has on their lot.

XJ changed alternator connector style in 97. Grand Cherokee changed in 99 (WJ). I don't know what year the Durango changed.

It's possible to splice the old-style connector onto your harness but I don't have the details, and you probably shouldn't modify your harness anyways. It'd be smarter to get an alternator that will interchange.

It's also possible to swap the connector on the alternator. If you can disassemble the rear half of an alternator that has the right connector already, you will find the connector module sitting right behind the shell. It should swap right over. Look at the pics here http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/rebuilding-nippon-denso-alternator-00-01-56041822aa-835511/

ehall said:

It's also possible to swap the connector on the alternator. If you can disassemble the rear half of an alternator that has the right connector already, you will find the connector module sitting right behind the shell. It should swap right over. Look at the pics here http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/rebuilding-nippon-denso-alternator-00-01-56041822aa-835511/

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That's what I was looking for, thanks a ton!! I'll tackle that tomorrow and get the XJ back up and going.

On a side note, the ZJ alt put out 14.67v and had a .45 (flex?) rating, 2 was withing spec. The dude at O'Reily was surprised that a JY alt performed this well.

I'm going to bring my old one over after school tomorrow and see how bad it is.. :roflmao:

I believe it was in 2000 that the connector changed. My 98 has to old style...

o-gauge-steamer said:

I believe it was in 2000 that the connector changed. My 98 has to old style...

Click to expand...

I just looked at some pictures on rockauto, and they show the new connector style for 99 models but the old connector style for 98, so I guess it was 99. I thought it was earlier