Alternator fun!
Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:13 am
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]
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]
