Adding to my post above:
Two days after getting my '08 back from having the plugs and coil packs changed (Thank you, Brian!), I was driving home, and my cluster went DEAD. I guess they go into some 'limp' mode when they're running off battery-power-only. That's a good thing, from Ford.
So, I checked the batter - battery fine. BUT, only fine, in that it's ready 12.something with the car on. It SHOULD be reading 14.something+, while running. So, bad alternator.
The alternator on the V8 is a LITTLE more involved a swap than it is on the V6. But only slightly. I just swapped 3 alternators on the V-6 ('06) to get it to work. By-gosh, I wasn't going to pay someone else to do this job, if I could, reasonably do it.
Well, I did it. It requires the removal of the throttle body, which isn't required on the V-6. But short of that, it's really the same procedure. Oh, the only BIG difference is, it requires a 1/2" socket (to move the idler pulley), where the V-6 took a 3/8'ths. That DID require me to have to go buy a 1/2" drive socket (well, I wanted to buy a 1/2" drive socket, but all the stupid parts store had was a 1/2" pry-bar, but that did the trick). So, if you have the same 8MM, 10MM, 13MM, etc sockets, and a 1/2 pry bar (to loosen the idler pulley), you, too, can swap the alternator on a Gen2, V-8 ST.
