Vanagon EuroVan
Previous (more recent) messageNext (less recent) messagePrevious (more recent) in topicNext (less recent) in topicPrevious (more recent) by same authorNext (less recent) by same authorPrevious page (January 2010, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:   Wed, 6 Jan 2010 08:58:01 -0000
Reply-To:   Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:   Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:   Arkady Mirvis <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:   Fw: Alternator Repairs
Content-Type:   text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response

Congrats on repair. I am surprised how unprofessional Advance Auto was. Greed explains all. It is everywhere, great part of the society is chasing money. People are chasing each other - it isn't a sport, it is much worse. What is even worse is that drive to educate people, to self-education runs to the dogs. Ark ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 8:06 AM Subject: Alternator Repairs

> I've been plagued by alternator problems and having three vans - and > being the frugal (read "tightwad") type that I am, I was doing the > swappy-swappy thing with them to keep my daily driver roadworthy. > Finally, the last unit quit. I took it - a Beck-Arnely - and had it > tested at Advance Auto. It was dead. I thought "enough of this - buy a > replacement"! Well, the cheaper replacements for the Bosch alternators - > exchange - around here are priced about $125.00. Other places - even > with list vendors - it varies. I wanted a Beck-Arnley rebuilt because > they seemed to last a lot longer, but when I checked them out - exchange > they were $245. Ouch!! > > Well, I was holding onto my buffalo/Indian head nickel so hard that you > could hear the Indian grunt and the buffalo squeal over those prices, > when it occurred to me - these alternators are simple, the shaft has two > brush rings, and two brushes, and this alternator has no shaft looseness > of any kind, so it should be in good mechanical shape. Besides > bearings, there is not much else that can go wrong but for the brushes > and the rectifiers. Close examination showed that there is a one-piece > rectifier/brush-holder that mounts to the back of the alternator, and I > figured, "how simple is that to replace". I ordered one up on E-bay for > 12 bucks, and it was in hand in 3 days. When it arrived, I removed the > two screws on the back of the alternator holding the piece in place. > Inspection showed one brush was worn completely out, and was stuck in > the older, not making contact with the commutator ring o the shaft. I > looked a the rings on the shaft and saw they were oxidized. I whipped > out a little piece of 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper and dry - pressed it to > the commutator rings while turning the shaft. In a few turns the rings > were nice and shiny. A blast of compressed air cleared any dust and > debris. In inserted the new brush-holder/rectifier with the new brushes, > buttoned it up, and hauled it away to Advance Auto. This time, the bench > check showed maximum power output. The thing worked perfect. It is now > ready to re-install. > > My point - if your alternator has seemingly failed - no output, or > minimal output - remove from the vehicle, rotate by hand and see if the > shaft and bearings are OK. If so, remove the rectifier/brush holder and > inspet the brushes, and also check the commutation rings. If oxidized, > polish with the 600 grit paper, and install a new brush holder with > brushes and rectifier. Your cost - a little time and a $12 part. > > $12 bucks vs $125 or $245 is hard to beat. > > -- > John Rodgers > Clayartist and Moldmaker > 88'GL VW Bus Driver > Chelsea, AL > Http://www.moldhaus.com


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.