Somewhere in my engine bay...there was a really loud/bad vibration/popping noise and I couldnt figure out what the hell it was.....I could even feel it through my shifter....I was looking around...and noticed something on the back of the alternator...looked closer...and I could see the ball bearings.....shavings of metal....and a thread...looked like a cap of some sort was supposed to go there....and I coudl see a rod which the ball bearings were surrounding...though there were only like 4 ball bearings left....Im pretty sure this isnt normal....what the heck just happend to it...and would that be the cause of the horrible noise????

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http://users.ticnet.com/mult68
1992 Teal Camaro RS
T-Tops
305 TBI V8
Open air element
3" Flowmaster Exhaust System w/Quad Tips
Aiwa CD/Mp3 player
10 Disc CD Changer
Rockford Fosgate Speakers
SLP Headers Coming
Dynomax High Flow Cat Coming
More to come.

 

i'd say there is a slight chance your alternator may be broke and or damaged and that it may be the cause of the sound you heard.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd
MM Black Diamond Lodge 538 F&AM

 

yep turns out it was the cause of a very slight weird sound that started a long time ago......and the horrible sound that started yesterday....the back of the alternator (where the bushings(?) are) was totally busted....replaced it with a new one....and its perfect now......I get more voltage....my car is completely quiet...its great

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http://users.ticnet.com/mult68
1992 Teal Camaro RS
T-Tops
305 TBI V8
Open air element
3" Flowmaster Exhaust System w/Quad Tips
Aiwa CD/Mp3 player
10 Disc CD Changer
Rockford Fosgate Speakers
SLP Headers Coming
Dynomax High Flow Cat Coming
More to come.

 

Lol thats a new one - ive never seen someone have the back of their alternator fall off.

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1983 Firebird
TH700R4 Auto
Small Block 400
LG4 ECM, Intake, Carb, Distributor, etc.
Soon to be non-computer.
Clarion Head Unit 45X4
2 Pioneer 400W 12" Subs
Third Gen Performance
"A four cylinder is half an engine."

 

Not to be pessimistic or anything, but sometimes the alternator is just a symptom of a problem. Make sure you know the condition of your battery and make sure you don't have any excessive current draw anywhere else!
Just make sure, you don't need 2 dead alternators + other problems


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Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat )MSD ignition. MSD Blaster SS coil. More soon when funds are avail...

 

No, I'm pretty certain from his description that the shield thing he saw was the grease seal from the bearing or the plastic dust cap. Alternator bearings do sometimes go, and it usually has nothing to do with the battery. If the alternator had shorted out or overheated, the battery could be a possible contributor, but the bearing is just a purely mechanical device. The failure of the bearing would most definitely cause one helluva racket as the rotor continued to spin at over 15,000 rpm while only supported by the front end of the rotor shaft.

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89 IROC with lots o' stuff

-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

I can show you one that locked up and twisted the mounting tabs off the aluminum case, then split the case into pieces. THAT makes a little noise...

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

D, just to continnue with my pessimistic attitude/devils advocate/PITA The bearings are purly mechanical yes, what does the alternator do? Converts mechanical energy to electrical energy (and more pessimist, not too effieciently either!) So a HUGE electrical strain will cause a great mechanical strain, which could cause bearings and other mechanical componants to wear much faster than expected. (why do I know this? Well, the few EE courses I had help, also I blew 2 alternators...ignored it, figured the replacement was bad...3 months later, the car just died while I was chaing the lower radiator hose...cause...dead battery!

Bottom line, "< A H r ef "Begin Cliche">An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of fix ? Aww, well, I don't remember cliche's all that well anyways!< / A >

(note the spaces in the *Fake* HTML tags are so they would show up as a joke


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Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat )MSD ignition. MSD Blaster SS coil. More soon when funds are avail...

 

Corry,

Your analysis is partially correct. The alternator creates electrical energy from the mechanical motion of the magnetic field induced in the rotor. However, increasing electrical load places most of the increase in mechanical stress to be borne on the perimeter of the rotor pole pieces and the laminated plates of the stator winding core, and not the shaft (nor bearings) upon which the rotor rotates. Most of the mechanical load on the bearings is induced by the radial load of the drive belt, which is why the front bearing on the alternator is significantly larger than the rear bearing. Resultant losses from generation are mostly dissipated as heat instead of mechanical forces exerted on the bearings. Lacking the radial load of the drive system, the alternator rotor shaft bearings could actually be very small and still be adequate.

Similarly, the electrochemical storage device (battery), while electrically connected to the alternator is not necessarily failing due to a failed alternator. The battery can suffer damage from repeated deep discharge through the starting motor and rapid recharge times and rates. Much of this damaged can eliminated through adequate charge rates and times. Most chemical storage batteries operate by the movement of metal ions through an electrolyte and the suspended ion concentrations of those electrolytes. Over time, the ions being expelled from the electrodes by electrical energy will enter suspension but deteriorate before being deposited back onto the electrodes, and eventually will not attach, but collect in the electrolyte as sediments. These metallic ion sediments can conduct energy between the electrodes, causing the device to discharge even faster. The cascade effect of this phenomenon can cause rapid deterioration of the system, and result in unrecoverable damage.

In a nutshell, your alternators have been crapping-out probably because they are low-quality remans, and you should find a different supplier or rebuild one yourself. The battery might have taken a dump because it was old, and was only helped a little by the crappy reman alternators.

Just a thought...

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

I've had 3 alt.'s that the front and rear bearing collapsed and caved in breaking all of the three housing prongs that hold the berings

LOTS OF SPARKS!!!

Underdrive Pulleys are BAD!

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Hecubus
Check out my new site http://www.geocities.com/hecubus91
91-Z28 305 Tpi "G92" mods-- K$N/Foil/Cat Back 3" Flowmaster/3" High Flow Cat/B&M shifter/ Intrax Springs/ Kyb Shock's-Struts's/Poly Bushings/Hotchkis Strut Tower Brace/ 100-150 Nos Wet Plate System/ 155lph Fuel Pump/ Holly Adj. Fuel Press. Regulator/Digital Fuel, voltage & Oil Press Guage's/MSD 6al/ Blaster coil/ Optima,Yellow top batt.

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