Do I need to rebuild or replace my 3G alternator?

[svasica]

I have a 3G alternator that is making a clicking sound when I spin it by hand (its off the car cause I'm replacing the pulley to a smaller 1 7/8" pulley). Is this clicking normal? If not, should I rebuild it? Or get a rebuild unit or new unit? Or should I just keep using this one until it craps out on me?

 

[Vinnietbird]

I have one on the work bech that makes a slight clicking sound also.I took down and had it checked and it was good.I looked in it with a flash light and there a flake of ??? in there.I pulled it out with tweezers and no more clicking.Have you had yours checked?I don't know if this helps,but it's my own experience.

 

[svasica]

No, where can I get it checked? Also, there is a slight wobble in the pulley when it spins, and its making dust from the belt collect on the alternator housing, I have a feeling it will either need to be overhauled or replaced. Question is is it more cost affective to overhaul or get a new/used one?

 

[bill302]

you probably have a bad bearing i would take it to a local alternator shop and let them look at it they will be able to tell you how much $ it will cost for them to rebuild it.around here they charge about $65-75. but that should lead you in the right direction....goodluck..

 

[HISSIN50]

If you do have it rebuilt, you can inquire about having it rewound for more amperage if you want.

Good luck.

 

[Vinnietbird]

I agree.If you have a wobbly pulley,probably bearings.Any auto electric shop should be able to handle it.

 

[svasica]

How hard would it be for me to rebuild it myself? Where can I get a kit somewhere or is it not worth the effort?

 

[bill302]

heres a rebuild kit i believe it comes with install instructions and you need to contact seller to ensure you get the right kit...rebuilding an alternator is very easy...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ALTE...ryZ33573QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[svasica]

Has anyone here bought that rebuild kit off of ebay and had success with it? I'm leaning in the direction of buying this kit off of ebay, I need to find out exactly which 3G I have. I THINK its off of a '94 mustang but I can't be sure. There is a number 5 on the casing of the alternator, but not sure if there is any other marking. Also, the ASP 1 7/8" pulley I bought works with the casing so I'm guessing its not a '95 or higher since I'm hearing those casings were different and didn't accept those pulleys.

 

[svasica]

Anybody?

 

[358stroker]

I wouldn't worry about the noise, just fix it when it craps out on you.

But if you are that worried about it, then just buy a new one at an auto parts store, most have a lifetime warranty.

 

[svasica]

I priced out some places and remanufacterd ones go for no less $150 at Autozone with a lifetime warranty. I could wait till it craps out but i'd rather not be stuck with a dead alternator on the road somewhere. I think the rebuilt units should be a good idea, but i'd rather not dish out $150 for the complete unit when I have one that just needs to be fixed up a bit (bearings and what not)...plus, I could get spend that extra money and chrome the case of the current one instead.

 

[HISSIN50]

Another route to go is to get a new one online (often times with a good bit of savings vs the parts store units). These normally dont require a core, so you can keep your old one to fix up or as a spare if the mail-order alt has an issue and you need to send it off for repair work. If your alt is otherwise in decent shape, this will allow you to keep it around.

 

[svasica]

I looked at PA Performance and they're pretty expensive.

 

[HISSIN50]

There are more places than PA to get an alt. I went with Alterstart, for instance.

Good luck.

 

[svasica]

I got a remanufacterd Autolite Alternator with the big pulley on it. I went to take the pulley off to replace it with the smaller ASP that I have and couldn't pull off the pulley once I removed the bolt. Do the remanufacters affix the pulley to the alternator shaft with some sort of adhesive? I put a screwdriver between the pulley and the alternator housing and tried to pry it loose but didn't wanna push it to far and break or bend something. Do I need a puller to get it off? The pulley off my old alternator came right off.

 

[Bladez5_0]

The puller is pretty much required for removing the pulley. Also doesn't hurt to head up the pully at little too.

 

[svasica]

I do need the puller? That sux! Now I gotta go out and buy one....what about when I reinstall the new pulley, is there any special procedure or adhesive thats recommended?

 

[Bladez5_0]

You can probably just borrow the tool from advance, autozone, whatever parts store is near you. I've used a rubber mallet to install pulleys. It's not the best idea though since you can mess up the alt. The pulley is almost pressed on so the pully is just held on with the tight fit between the shaft and inside diameter of the pulley. A local auto shop (tire kingdom or similar place) should be able to press the pulley on.

 

[svasica]

See thats strange because on my old 3G alternator the pulley came right off and I could put it right on the shaft with no problem and no puller. Oh well, i'll just get a puller and then probably just use a rubber mallet and socket to get it back on. Thanx.