[V8] Just when things were looking good.....

[Dave Saad]

I did mine a long time ago - so don't remember any specifics, but generally speaking all alternators are pretty much the same.
The hard part is usually getting the front pulley off.  If you can do that, then just pay attention when you disassemble (mark the case halves for example) and you will be fine.
Once the rotor is out, take some very fine steel wool or something and smooth out the slip rings. Remember to clean out all bits of steel wool when done.
If you have a multi-meter, you can look for shorts/opens in the windings and check the diodes but the best thing to do is bring the rebuilt unit to a good shop and let them bench test it.  A typical auto parts store will not have a very good tester - you need to find a shop that rebuilds them.  I always get this test done for free - maybe I am just lucky, but most shops will do this for you.  Tests include full load, ripple, and voltage.
The only other "gotcha" is the brushes.  On this alternator, there is no problem, but on most others I have seen, you need to retain the brushes with some sort of pin (a tooth pick usually works) while you assemble the halves together.

Let me also remind you all that your very expensive and no longer available electric fan motor (for the radiator) is also easily rebuildable.  If the front bearing seizes up like mine did, it will burn up the motor quickly - and by burn up I mean the motor guts melt beyond repair. The bearing cost about $5, and the brushes would need to be fabricated but that is easy and costs less than $1 per brush x 4.

Both of these repairs are cheap and easy and I recommend doing them as preventive maintenance rather than waiting for failure.
I rebuild alternators at about 100K miles, and the fan, due to parts un-availability should be done maybe at 50K intervals.  The last price I got for the fan was ~$700, but none in stock and not possible to order, and that was a good six years ago.  

Dave


On Jan 28, 2011, at 6:03 PM, toml99 at todomundo.com wrote:

> Well, I got those sensors in and the 5-speed definatly was happy  
> about that...Noticed that it was a bit slow to turn over the last few  
> days, and since the battery is no more than 2 years old, I went to  
> check charging.  The battery tested at 15.9V!, and when I started  
> it...it went up to 18 something....Yow.....  Sooooo, I dug thru my  
> "Box of Nick"...that I bought a year or so ago with just about every  
> suspension part in it looking for...(drum roll)....The new Bosch  
> Voltage regulator/2 bearings to rebuild the alternator that was also  
> in that box o'plenty(saved the day, Nick).  Anyway, wondering if  
> anyone's ever rebuilt their alternator....I've found a good writeup,  
> but there's no mention of how difficult those bearing's are to  
> remove....Just wondering if anyone's done it.  Glad I wasn't on a  
> roadtrip and ended up with "catastrophic electrical meltdown  
> syndrome" somewhere in Wyoming during a winter storm watch......Tom
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