radiateu2

ok I have a car where the new battery constantly goes dead. I noticed when the battery is fully charged the car runs great when the battery starts draining and the car is still able to start it starts to run terrible I took the alternator to schucks and they tested it its putting out 13.5 volt but they said the stator light didnt come on what should I think of this. If it needs rebuilding how hard would it be? They are not the cheapest part in the car.

MikeZ28

iTrader: (1)

If your talking about rebuilding it wouln't even be worth for the time and effort. Just go out and get a new alt.

radiateu2

well the alternator cost around 115.00 and the upgrade/rebuild kit is 70.00 or less why do you think it wont be worth it? I am sure I will need a new alternator, what I am trying to find out is if the alternator could be the cause of the car running so rough. I notice when the electric fan kicks on it gets worse. Could it be the alternator isnt putting out enough for the coil to fire off on the cylinders?

Danno

A decent AC Delco reman is close to $200. As far as the junk at the chain stores is concerned that's up to you. These days you get what you pay for. Try www.alternatorparts.com. They carry rebuild components. If you are fairly adept with some minor soldering and can follow instructions learning how to do a rebuild is definitely cost effective. You can overhaul a typical Delco unit for under $50, less if all it needs are brushes. Brushes are the most common problem aside from the bearings. Rarely do I need to replace the rectifier or regulator. The nice thing about doing it yourself is that if care is taken you know what you are getting.

Morley

I might be wrong but the stator light not coming on means there is something wrong with the windings that line the alt case (field coil). I have never seen a rebuild kit that had any of the windings included in them, but thats not to say they aren't out there somewhere.

radiateu2

how about you Danno ever see stators for sale? How about the folks on that web site you gave me?

MikeZ28

iTrader: (1)

The labor involved is what makes it not worth it. Go to napa and you can get an alternator for like 100$.

radiateu2

Hey Mike I here what you are saying about the labor. To me, thats what makes our cars so unique. The amount of time we spend with them and the labor we do on these getting old cars. I agree with Danno on this one I spent 40 dollars for the "Iceburg" upgrade. Far cheaper than the 100.00 I would have spent for a NAPA I dont know whats in it Alternator. Now I can spend the 60 dollars I just saved on the material to recover my seats and yes I am doing it myself. For me and alot of us its not about the labor, its about tinkering and seeing if we could do this ourselves. A labor of love sort of speaking. Who knows I may screw it up but how will we ever learn if we dont take on these things ourselves.

"Thats all I got to day about that" Forest Gump

Danno

You can buy new rotors, stators and single item from alt parts. Mike, the problem today is that $100 units are not holding up. Rebuilders are using generic parts that do not meet OE specs causing premature failure. Many times all you get is a so called warranty, but who cares if you have to do it every year. I am not saying it's for everybody to do but as I said earlier 80% of the time all that is needed is a set of brushes that cost less than $5.

Vader

Radiate Me Too,

First, the voltage is obviously having an effect on the ignition. Either the HEI module is operating in its margins, or the coil is weakening, etc. Regardless, you need to repair your alternator.

The problem with many, if not most rebuilt parts, is that you never know what you are getting. Many rebuilders will amass a cache of cores, disassemble them completely, clean everything, test each part, than catalog them and stock them in bins of "good" parts or scrap. When they are reassembled, the cases are laid out, a stator is pulled from the bin, a rotor, a rectifier bridge, etc. What goes into the remanufactured alternator may not reflect what is indicated by the stamped marking on the case. The case might indicate an 80A alternator, but the stator may be only from a 37A unit. The rotors are a little less significant, but you see the potential problem.

For that reason, plus the fact that not all the details get the kind of attention that we might give them, you may be better off rebuilding your own alternator, or having it rebuilt and returned.

For the price of a roller bearing, voltage regulator, brush set (about $25.00 total), and a little of your time, you can have a better alternator than what you might get handed in a box with a "lifetime" guaranty (yes, that box will NEVER fail) from your local parts store. Actually, the rectifiers, regulators, and rotors rarely fail. The usual problems are, as Danno indicated, worn brushes and failing bearings. Those items will set you back about $15.00.

The most important thing to do is to test the rotor/slip ring and stator insulation and continuity. Once you have determined that the stator and rotor are servicable, you have a rebuildable core. If the stator is failing, the "Iceburg" kits include a new stator, which would solve that issue.

Good luck on the rebuild. Clean and visually inspect all the parts. Especially clean the rectifier assembly and its connections. Test the diodes individualy, and scrutinize the results closely. I'm guessing you may have issues there. Replace the front ball bearing. Clean and inspect the rear roller bearing and rotor shaft stub for wear. Regrease the roller bearing with the best bearing grease you can get your hands on (like Kluber lube) and reassemble the unit. A little anti seize compond on fasteners and heat sink compund on the rectifier and regulator, and you should be all set.

radiateu2

Vader,

As usual thanks for your speedy reply. I have the alternator all apart and labeled and diagramed for assembly it took a total of 20 minutes to tear it down. I found a faulty rectifying bridge and worn brushes. The brushes had worn right through the holes used to retain them for assembly causing the squealing sound. The stator and rotor are fine I tested them using the instructions on the following site www.alternatorparts.com Randy at this web site was very helpful and has been doing this for 30 years. Since you are a moderator I will ask you if it was possible to put the rebuild instructions from that web site as a tech article. I really dont think Randy would mind.

I found it quite simple to do with the only special tools needed was a heavy duty soldering iron and a set of small female torx sockets. If this works out ok never again will I buy a reman alternator from a parts store for the reasons you have mentioned above. Atleast here I know what I am getting. I hope this solves my ignition problem and if you are interested I will keep you informed. Maybe I will write a tech article for the site on my rebuild. Only problem no digital camera except for my web cam.

Morley

Film camera and scanner works too!

radiateu2

Lol no scanner though boy I need to get with 21st Century hah lol

Vader

Radiate,

If you're using a Windows-based OS, you can get still images from your webcam.

• Get the video stream you want.
• Play it through your viewer, and pause the playback when you get the image you desire on screen.
• Hit the PRINT SCREEN key to copy the entire screen image to your clipboard.
• Open your graphics editor, and paste the clipboard contents as a new image.
• Crop out the image you want, then save it in your favorite graphics format. JPGs are a good format for both file compression and image resolution/clarity.

Vìola! (Or, in your case, "Walla!") - You have a graphics image from your webcam. You might want to play with the capture and playback resolution to get the image clarity and detail you desire, but you don't necessarily need more hardware.

Danno

Glad to hear it worked out Radiate. It really is a piece of cake once you get familiar. The hardest thing is splitting the case, I use a few large nuts and reverse the Torx fasteners. One point I might mention is that at Alternatorparts stocks the OE Delco parts as well as thier own vendor. I like the OE rectifier and regulator for rebuilds if they need to be replaced. Also ANY GM dealer can get you the parts once you have the part numbers. I too have been doing my own rebuilds for many years and have found it to be very practical and rewarding. Starters are fun too!

radiateu2

hey Danno,
The hardest thing was I didnt have a mini or micro puller for the bearings. I used the dremel with a cutting wheel and then cracked the cases on the bearings. It was easy. To remove the stator leads, make sure you have a really good soldering iron. I used a mini torch with a small flame to melt the solder. It worked great but I think an iron would have been better. A bic lighter worked just the same, but it was not as precise as the mini torch was or could be. I degreased the case (like I always do) with Tide laundry detergent and when the wife wasnt looking I put it in the dishwasher. He he she was pi$$ed when she found it and served it to me on a plate. If you wanna test the rectifiers with a digital meter forget it. For some reason some digital meters will not work. fortunately for me I do have a tester to test the voltage regulator, mine was fine. Brushes were the culprit in my case, since the alternator was so old I opted to replace everything but the regulator which tested good. If I could figure out how to send images with the web cam, I will send some with detailed instructions.

Danno

I use a Weller light duty gun for the soldering. My adjustable station gets hot enough, but the gun is faster especially when you have to pry the crimp open. As far as the diodes, my Fluke seems to check them OK. Only thing that comes to mind is maybe your meter won't supply enough voltage to bias the diode into conduction to perform the test. Anyway it's good to see you met with success. I keep spare parts for all the different cars we have, when one goes south it's only a matter of an hour or so to do an overhaul.

MikeZ28

iTrader: (1)

i just want to say that i do love working on my car don't get me wrong. But tearing down the alt is just a little to time consuming for me. I did the heatercore and that was the highlight of my mechanic career. but if you get the knowledge know how and you save your self some money im not one to critize. I give your props to be so caring to your car. i just throwing in my .02$ that is why everybody has there own way of doing things. I hope you got it all fixed up though.

radiateu2

Hey Mike,

I'll buy that. Depends on how much you value your time and how much I needed to prove to myself I could do it. I will be the first to admit that, I have started things that I have gotten in to deep and needed help to bail me out. For me, I look at it as a challenge. I guess I am lucky since during the week I have nothing but time since I only work 3 nights a week. So, in a way I ahve nothing but time.