/ Register

Ot: Just Need To Vent

Discussion in 'General Car Audio Discussions' started by Steven Kephart, Nov 28, 2003.

  1. Steven Kephart

    Steven Kephart Full Member

    I hope it's ok to do the OT thing.

    My alternator just went out in my car. So tomorrow I have to pull it out of my car. Unfortunately it is positioned between the master cylindar and the CV joint. I have to pull the CV joint to take it out, which is a pain in the rear. But I have done it before.

    What's wierd is that my alternator went out about a year to a year and a half ago, so I had it fixed. Shouldn't it last longer than this? :blink:
     
    Steven Kephart, Nov 28, 2003
    #1
  2. ScottS

    ScottS Full Member

    this time a year and a half ago??? man calm down your talking nonsense :)
     
    ScottS, Nov 29, 2003
    #2
  3. sandt38

    sandt38 Full Member

    Such is life!!!

    Steven, one thing I have learned in this buisness is if you buy cheap, you get cheap. I'll bet it was a NAPA, or Chief alt right ;). If you buy a high quality reman unit (AC Delco, Bosch, or a Honda) you will spend more, and get more. I have put on more than one NAPA Silver line alt only to replace it a few months later.
     
    sandt38, Nov 29, 2003
    #3
  4. The_Ancient

    The_Ancient Full Member

    Hey now, Autozone, and Napa Brand parts are my friend
     
    The_Ancient, Nov 29, 2003
    #4
  5. Steven Kephart

    Steven Kephart Full Member

    Well I pulled it out. It doesn't have any markings on it, so I don't know what brand it is. It is the same one that came with the vehicle when I bought it. The last time I ran into this problem, I had it re-built. I believe it was like $80-90.

    Would it be better to buy one from Napa for $160? The shop that fixes them are closed until monday. But Napa is open today and tomorrow.

    BTW, it wasn't a "silver line" alternator at NAPA. Unfortunately I can't remember what brand they said it was that they had.

    My dad recently got a lift. It is sooooooo nice to be able to work on the car with a lift. B)
     
    Steven Kephart, Nov 29, 2003
    #5
  6. sandt38

    sandt38 Full Member

    It is just one of their house brand alts. I suggest a "Gold Line" over their silver (By a mile, I refuse to install their silver line alts). I would prefer to see you use a Bosch.
     
    sandt38, Nov 29, 2003
    #6
  7. Steven Kephart

    Steven Kephart Full Member

    Do you know who sells them? Also I really can't afford the rebuild right now. So spending even more money REALLY has to be worth it.
     
    Steven Kephart, Nov 29, 2003
    #7
  8. geolemon

    geolemon Full Member

    Sounds better than the awful alternator I got...

    My alternator has been acting up, the truck will start hesitating.. if you take it apart, pop the rotor, remove the lower lid... you'll see an electromagnetic pickup wheel, with 360 holes punched in one row going around the disc, and 6 holes punched in a higher row.
    No doubt the pickup counts the holes to know when to fire.
    A rusty dust keeps forming on this disc over time, eventually making the truck miss and hesitate.
    So I blow it out real good with an air hose, and it's good for a while.

    I paid $250 for a refurbished alternator at Autozone, and replaced my alternator with it. Made marks on it to make sure I got it dead-on, tooth for tooth.

    Fired the truck up, and the timing was way out in one direction. Even turning the distrubitor ALL the way couldn't get the timing where it should be.
    So I thought I inadvertantly had it off by a tooth.
    So, I pulled it out, and moved it by a tooth.
    And this time, the timing was out in the other direction. Even turning the distributor ALL the way the other way couldn't get the timing where it should be.

    So I returned it.
    I'm still blowing out this POS distributor periodically.

    That reminds me...
    I was going to see if I could locate a junkyard one, online...
     
    geolemon, Nov 29, 2003
    #8
  9. The_Ancient

    The_Ancient Full Member

    well geo, if you stop buying the damn imports and gets some REAL cars, you would not have the proble ROFL
     
    The_Ancient, Nov 29, 2003
    #9
  10. sandt38

    sandt38 Full Member

    Uhh, Chris... This is an Alternator discussion, not a distributor discussion...

    You been tippin' back somea grammas cough syrup :p
     
    sandt38, Nov 29, 2003
    #10
  11. geolemon

    geolemon Full Member

    lol...

    I'm just saying, I need the "delco" or "gold" option for distributors...
    Rather than the cheapo (well... $250 isn't cheap) option from Autozone.
    The next step up was like $350 or something.
     
    geolemon, Nov 29, 2003
    #11
  12. trifle

    trifle Full Member

    man i never knew alt's were so expensive for 'tegs....that's crazy...and don't you hate when the damn things are stuck down there by the cv joint...sucks...

    but i agree with seth...ac delco i know from experience work pretty well
     
    trifle, Nov 30, 2003
    #12
  13. Steven Kephart

    Steven Kephart Full Member

    At least I know I'm not the only one who has those brain trips now. B)

    "1.28 cubes is too big. you should put something in there because 1.2 cubes is ideal." I could have sworn that it said 1.8X cubes earlier when I read it. :huh:
     
    Steven Kephart, Nov 30, 2003
    #13
  14. Steven Kephart

    Steven Kephart Full Member

    I'm starting to get REAL good at taking off that CV joint. I suppose the only real hard part is popping off the steering knuckle. I guess since I have to do it so much, maybe I should go down and buy a fork to seperate it. Prybars and hammers can be hard on your knuckles (the ones on your own hands) when they finally release.

    I guess I will call around today and see who carries them locally. I hope they aren't too much. Cause if they are, I might as well go even further and buy a HO alternator.
     
    Steven Kephart, Nov 30, 2003
    #14
  15. sandt38

    sandt38 Full Member

    Don't use a pickle fork. It will tear up the boot on the tie rod end. That allows water intrusion and failure, particularly since your car most likely has sealed joints, non-servicable I mean ;).

    Just use a 3 pound hammer and strike the knuckle directly. Collapsing the banjo end of the knuckle forces the tie-rod ball joint from the knuckle in 1 or 2 blows. Shouldn't take more than 10 seconds ;).
     
    sandt38, Nov 30, 2003
    #15