Don't Buy Rebuilt Alternators!

aztecgwynn

Active Member
Apr 3, 2015
121
23
28
So a few days ago was driving my 93 lx 5.0 mustang home at night. All of a sudden I lose my volts and with lights on battery didn't have much of a chance and also killed battery.
Just to update 1995 3G alternator underdrive crank pulley, cobra water pump pulley, and overdrive alternator pulley.
So I switched battery drove home and stared immediately on finding out what went wrong! Had battery recharged and discharge killed 1 cell but was confirmed it was alternator because used trucks optima battery and mustang was not charging optima battery as well.
So I call good friend of mine who works at auto zone of course for hook up or discount and he has me come by to get a rebuilt alternator. Switch alternator pulley to overdrive pulley and installed on car and turn car on. Let car warm up everything good take off for drive 5 miles down road poof alternator goes bad!
So get back home it was dark disconnect battery and take out in morning. First thing I noticed when I had alternator in hand alternator was in motorcraft case everything inside looked new but the main part voltage regulator was used or it was checked and reused. I went thru 2 more rebuilt units all with same result. At one time I thought it was my car wiring that was bad but went thru checked wiring and all was good.
My last resort was buying auto zones brand new duralast gold alternator. Brand new case, brand new internals, brand new pulley, and brand new regulator, but it is made in China. Installed this one as well changed pulley of Couse but this time turned car on for 1 hour with lights on and lights off. And now 2 days later no issue so this is a huge costly lesson for me and hopefully this helps someone as well.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


DarthVaderLightSaber.gif

The Win is strong in this thread.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Wrong lesson learned there.

The real lesson is, don't buy parts at Autozone.

I sold their garbage for two years. Their starters and alternators are remanufactured by Remy or Motorcar Parts Incorporated in Mexico. The quality control is laughable at best, and the comeback rate for the shops I sold to for them in the rotating electrical category was the highest of any category other than batteries.

I've also worked for Advance and multiple OEMs (including Ford) selling parts, and installed parts from everywhere working as a technician (again, including for Ford dealerships). Nobody else has as many problem parts as Autozone.

That said, Autozone's tool lineup is good. They revamped their entire tool line in 2010 when I still worked for them, and went from mostly junk that wasn't worth taking out of the store to the Duralast line rivaling the tools sold on a certain big white tool truck that I spend way too much money on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
I'd use a jy OEM alternator over an autozone POS one anyday
True story, in my younger and dumber days, replaced three AZ alternators and voltage regulators together on my classic T-bird... Went to the junkyard and bought an alternator from a Ford pickup (same alternator) and a new regulator from the Ford dealership, and never replaced it again.