Hello all!

I just have a quick question about replacing my alternator. The car is now tipping 170k miles and it's still gripping to the final straws of it's (seemingly) original alternator. Being that I've only had the car for the last 40k miles or so, I'm not sure if it was ever serviced. The alternator is keeping a good charge on the car -- it's the bearings.

The bearings have begun to groan on me, even such that they tend to hum when I hit certain RPMs. It's just not fun. Either way, I know I could just replace the bearings but I'd prefer at this point to toss a little money at it and get a lifetime guarantee. In order to replace the bearings I'd have to do the dirty work someplace else as the future in-laws are coming this weekend and I don't see me having the time or space. I know now that some of you have had issues with AC Delco as of late, but a new AC Delco unit was my consideration (~$90 on rockauto w/ a lifetime warranty ATM).

The question I have is this: Is it possible that some of the AC Delco alternators have been failing in our cars because they come with a different pulley size than our stock pulley, thus overworking the units? I did a search on our forum, but only came up with posts specific only to you lucky folks with a SC.

I only ask because I saw a post on a Cadillac forum (don't ask) from somebody warning another member about this very thing... a thing I had never once thought about. Stating that new alternators often come with smaller pulleys than their cars were meant to have and new alternators would soon burn out unless the old pulley or a correct replacement was used. Anyhow, I don't know the size of the new alternator pulley as I haven't purchased it yet. Just a thought...

Anyhow, this will probably be my project this upcoming weekend. Any tips? Advice? Warnings? Scoldings for wanting to go new?

Thanks once more, you guys have always been great!

-D

[EDIT: Horrible, despicable grammar]

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Bonneville SE -- Cruising the mountains, surfing the lowlands, and passing broken down competition since 1993!

I wouldn't worry about it too much...

I would almost recommend getting an alternator locally, that way if you have any issues you can get it exchange and continue on as opposed to waiting... I would recommend AC delco, but if you get it from Rock you'll be waiting for a replacement and have to send yours back when it fails..

So go local on this if you can..

FWIW, I got 10 years of service from a 100% new Bosch alt. in my 93 SE before it quit. If I were planning to keep that car, I'd probably go with a Powermaster alt. this time around. (made in USA)


http://www.powermasterperformance.co/

Done! And surely overdue!

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Bonneville SE -- Cruising the mountains, surfing the lowlands, and passing broken down competition since 1993!

Shiny!

Don does have a valid concern with rock auto parts. I would keep that alternator around as a spare or core, in case this one flops on you. Then you have something to run when the other one is out.

My alternator started chattering, and I ran it to the bitter end, as in alternator smoking, and bearings falling out of it. The replacement came just in time.

And anyone who even considers committing a whole weekend to an alternator job on these cars has no business being under the hood.

Good job!

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~Randall~


1993 Buick Park Avenue - 197k - Some odds and ends done - Simply won't die
1994 Buick Regal - 78k - Bone stock - Always ready for a good kicking
1990 Oldsmobile 88 - Gone to a better place

Oh no, it took me about 15 minutes to swap to new, I just didn't want to create a mess that I'm SURE would have been talked about if I were replacing bearings. (The future in-laws are not car people, and certainly wouldn't see the purpose of me fixing old rather than buying new.)

Anyhow I picked it up from a local parts store. New Remy model but only a $5 core haha

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Bonneville SE -- Cruising the mountains, surfing the lowlands, and passing broken down competition since 1993!