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New alternator

Spanky

Moderator
Staff member
Anybody have difficulty with alternators going bad? I just installed my 3rd one (since 2016)! :confused: I'm using 100-amp 1 wire alternators and can't figure out why they don't last. I use a battery cutoff switch when not driving my T and use a trickle charger to keep the battery up to snuff. any ideas???
 

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I assume that you mean they fail electrically and not the bearings.
LongJohn beat me to it, buy a Powermaster.
 
Alternators are usually pretty stable, long lasting components, and the delco is pretty rock solid. I can only speculate that there are low quality regulators or diodes that are failing. Perhaps order quality parts and replace them or take it to a rebuilder if you aren’t comfortable doing it. There really isn’t anything to fail in them beyond that.... you aren’t wearing them out. Napa usually has decent parts... or used to.
 
The one I replaced today was a Tuff Stuff I bought from Summit Racing in April 2019. I guess 5 years isn't too bad. It's just that I don't put a lot of miles on them. Maybe Fletch has a point. I'll have to look into the rebuilding angle.

(PS - Crawling around on my garage floor is getting increasingly less fun! :rolleyes:)
 
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I agree with the China comments. When my alternator went bad, I took it to the local Alternator rebuilder. He opened it up and said repairing was impossible as the innards were Chinese junk! I replaced it with a Powermaster, which is doing fine.
 
Can buy one from Oriley's with lifetime warranty but you have to keep up with the paperwork.
 
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