anybody know what kinda amps we're lookin at for a good alty?
I'm considering one of those high output altys from LC eng.

 

Check this one out: http://www.alternatorparts.com/Toyot...lternators.htm

 

WOW thats a lot to take in...I appreciate the link, but a plug and go is more what I'm able to do

 

I have a reman autozone alt. After 70,000 miles, no probs. also it has a lifetime warranty.

 

i just replaced my alt. after reading alot of threads on here we decided to go with the Toyota alt.
heres a few things Ive noticed, the GOOD and the BAD:
Aftermarket:
Good: cheaper (alot cheaper)
Bad: doesnt last very long. they generally only replace a few parts. Toyota:
Good: toyota quaility, they replace just about everything inside the Alt. you get only a used casing. will last you years, not weeks or months.
Bad: the cost.
this is just my, opinion, take it for whats its worth. but i say do it right the first time.
again thankx for all the help and advice over the years
EDIT: let me say that the last one was from NAPA and did last just under a year.

 

Bought a NAPA new, alt, about 3 weeks ago. One of their premium ones. So far so good. Supposed to be heavy duty, hd rectifier, etc. We'll see....

 

for starters, i am a dealer tech and have installed many of each. in my experince ive had little to no problems from a factory one. but when it comes to the aftermarket remans it usually takes three to four tries to get one that works out off the box. most of the time if the factory one goes bad there is a mistreated story behind it.

 

I have been running the same napa alternator for some time now (2 years or so) with absolutely no problems.

 

FYI for those thinking about buying a rebuilt alternator.

A lot of electrical parts starters, alternators are rebuilt by the same sweat shop labor.

 

The two napa alt. ive put in have always been to big to fit in the bracket so i just take a file to them but they work good.

 

Update: My 4th one is still running (knock on wood). I did get the premium alternator at NAPA with the lifetime warranty (what they don't realize is that for me, lifetime on a car is >10 years). I've been keeping my receipts in the glove box with the insurance & registration. That way, no matter where I am, I can get an exchange

 

It's not the alternator that's the problem. There's a spacer inside your front arm of the lower bracket that is part of your block. It holds the alternator on the bottom. It is a kind of hardened sleeve that slides when the bolt is tightened to cinch down the lower pivot point. Give that spacer/sleeve a shot of PB-Blaster and then use a wrecking bar or such to push the spacer back toward the front of the car. This will open up the space for the alt to slide right in to the lower bracket opening without any "coercion" .

(Just a little tip that I learned from my 4 changes of alternators in the last year )

 

I tend to try to buy locally if I can, and I've been using a local Portland auto electric shop for my alternators/starters. So far, so good. They rebuild in-house and supply many of the local battery/starter/alt shops in town. I'd suggest finding a similar shop in your area if you can...

edit: holy old thread batman! i swear this was up at the top of current threads when I replied to it, although the last post was 12/07?-- i guess people responding to the poll bump it up... oh well....

 

Well, the saga continues. I've just had two voltage regulators go out on me in a week. (High voltage, 16-18V) What gives?

 

I put a remanned Napa on my 3.0, and everafter, it would make a whirring sound whenever I got up to about 3200 rpm. It sounded like the engine was asking the alternator pulley to spin faster than it wanted to.

 

When a Alt goes, I ALWAYS swap to a AC Delco 1 wire unit.. It completely does away with future problems.. I just ask for to fit a 75 chevy truck with a 350.. It's fairly easy to fab into anything

What i will NOT buy from NAPA is a Battery, Ive never seen 1 last over a year