(Oh, ok, the title needs work. Any suggestions are accepted, if you want, but only if you contribute to the real problem. )

Short version: Battery AND alternator went bad. Went ahead and got an Advanced Gold to replace the Motorcrap. Don't gimme guff 'bout it, it's done, and I'm happy. Awesome's happy. That's fine.

But the alternator, while it's still charging, it's got a bad diode, so it's gotta be replaced. That's too easy to do, but the part itself... well, Advanced doesn't have ANY 'round here for another 5 days. So, for now, they're not in the list.

I searched online, and for around $200, average, I can have a lifetime limited warrantied alternator from either Pep Boys (in stock), Autozone (in stock) or O'Reilly's (in stock), or Advanced (5 days to get it.) Except for Advanced, the others are online checked, but you know how that can be...

I've used Autozone alts, and except for the pitiful '95 Mark VIII's alternator design, which resulted in my instead, after 2 replacement rebuilt stock ones from AZ for free, swapping out the third one for a '96 Cobra one, problems solved. I've never had a problem with their rebuilds (the design of the Mark VIII's alts are pitiful, bad cooling, so the diodes blow at the slightest increase in amps needed. The Mark VIII is a very electrically heavy car already, so adding 300 Watts of amps kind of pisses the alternator off.. The Cobra is designed to cool better, and has a few more Amps to deal with things, so it didn't quit when the others did. Go Cobra. )

BUT... I value the community's opinions. If it's averaged that any of the above is better, or worse, then I'd like to know before I screw up. Not that not getting a new Ford alternator isn't possibly screwin' up... but really, I'm just not going to do that. And their warranty probably sucks in comparison, yeah? Unless there's a lifetime warranty part I can get for $200... and if so, well, lifetime warranty my current one, why don'tcha, Ford?

So... lemme have it. I have no real opinion, except that Pep Boys seem to be higher, but excepting that, they're all the 'same', and if Advanced's remans are just That Much Better (tm), then I'd like to know that.

Thanks muchly.

 

Don't use napa. Car quest is pretty good. Oreily is usually where I would go first. I would use AZ for emergency purposes only.

 

Thanks, Al!

After averaging the responses, I went to O'Reilly, had the alt tested one more time, then due to the overall two day 3-3 bad diode response, got the alternator from them. I'll put it in in the mornin'.

It's a lifetime replacement one, so that's cool. I hope I don't have to abuse it because it's crap...

 

Same here. Oreilys first. Az emergency use.

 

Why no love for Vato Zone?

 

Figured the reasons were obvious...

 

Glad you found a replacement. You should have called me. I've got a gently used one in stock. About 4,000 miles on the clock.


I took the stocker off and put on a 200amp alt.

 

where did you get the 200 amp alt from?

 

From PA Performance online. Same place Tom got his from back when he used to drive a Mustang.

http://www.paperformance.com/Scripts/default.asp

 

The 'new' alt is in, and boy... the starter whirrs very fast, engine flairs to life... It's all good!

Even my crappy little Peak plug-in-the-power-port tester shows the alt's good now, whereas the other one, after a few whiles of running, the 'good alt' light would go out. Guess it was heat related failure.

40 minutes, start to finish. With a little practice, I could probably get that down to 30. I have to admit, on this particular item, Ford did a *really* nice job in making it easy to replace. Although, it makes me wonder if that's on purpose or not... Nah...

Anyway, thanks for the input! I took it all in. I'm keepin' the core, as O'Reilly gives a measly $10 for it. For that, I think I'll keep it, buy the stuff to rebuild it, namely, the diode pack, and have it ready in case I need it badly enough... then swap the lifetime O'Reilly one. My own rebuild should cost only $60 or so in parts, I think, if I read all those right.

 

I'm cheep...I'd check ebay for a kit to rebuild it. the starter went out in our windstar, think it woulda been like 150 for a rebuilt one, took it apart, needed a brushholder, got a new one on ebay for like 5 bucks, took maybe 15 minutes to take apart/clean/reassemble. bet bearings/diodes/sliprings/brushes for alternators are available too