I just blew my 3rd generator- in the last year and a half. After I did the motor swap (V6-V8), I installed a rebuilt lifetime warranty generator from Autozone. This is the third time it has blown, and I have taken it to Autozone and it always tests bad(thank goodness they repalce it!). When it blows, it takes out the main fuse up by the battery, so the car dies. I disconnect the generator, put in a new fuse, and I can drive home on the battery. After I replace the generator, everything seems to work fine (for about 6 months). I've checked all of the wiring, and battery terminals, can't find a problem(the battery is also new). Have any of you had bad experiences with Autozone rebuilt generators? Any ideas on where to look if it is a wiring problem? Thanks.

 

rebuilt anything is shi.t.
id buy a new delco alt.
i had my alt die, so i replaced it with some brand name i havent herd of and it died within a week of puttin it in. either enjoy your life time warrenty or but a brand new alt.
:>

 

Cars don't have generators anymore. Rebuild it yourself or find a shop that will rebuild it correctly. My 'guess' is that you have a short somewhere else that is toasting the alternator. My lawn tractor has a generator, 69 cub cadet though. The cool part is that it's also the starter

 

Thanks guys for the advice- I concur that rebuilt is worse- not an alternative to new, but right now I'm glad I bought the lifetime warranty. I think I may have found the problem. When I wired up the car, I ran the cooling fans (I put in a dual fan Flexilite set up in it), I fed the circuit through the 20 amp main engine circuit. I just re-wired the cooling fans on a separate circuit with it's own 25 amp fuse. We'll see if this works. Also- on the generator/alternator comment- I beg to differ. Look in any GM service manual (I've got a factory one for the 89 year) and you will see no reference to "alternator". We all know what we have really is an alternator, but GM won't call it that. I'm just sticking to nomenclature that goes with the manufacturer. I think Chrysler will probably call thier units alternators, but I've never seen one of thier service manuals.