What have you done to your square lately??

[Sgt Gus]

Right?
I did a little research after my 4 alternator day experience.
What I found was reman (and icbw been probably 5 years) = blast clean and new bushings and brushes at a minimum. Windings, rectifier, voltage regulator don’t get replaced if they “pass” or work.
Of the 4 I had, in this order.
1. Worked great but had been dropped and one of the mounting ears was smushed and bolt wouldn’t go thru.
2.Just didn’t make power
3. Made power but the pulley wobbled like me after 10 Old Fashioneds at last weeks Christmas party.
4. Didn’t wobble but had very excessive lateral play in the shaft/bushings. Like a wore out ball joint!
The store, also a dist center for the Vancouver BC suburbs only had 4 remans and no new ones. (Reman was fcking $300 CDN iiirc as well)
After wearing a path in to the asphalt parking lot walking back into the store so many times with a broke out of the box alternator, I was out of options except to try a discount place like Princess Auto.
But was on a time line as doing it between sons morning and afternoon hockey games.
The counter staff lady was very accommodating and allowed me to “borrow” a new drill and drill bit off the shelf and the. Made me go outside around the corner to drill out the smushed hole on alt #1.
Got us on the road and I’m appreciative of their help. Despite the poor quality parts.
Anymore if I have the time and ability, I take components like starters and alternators to a local rebuild shop. They will replace everything or just what you want done. This doesn’t work in many locations because not many Indy shops that rebuild them anymore.

Yes, I considered in my case of pulling apart and fixing, but glad I didn't. Plus didn't make sense since under warranty. What's happening in our case is if you tighten + nut on rectifier, it loosens when you take off.
I talked to a guy who used to rebuild and he suggested that it's good I didn't, because they are not easy to get back together...
Your case sucked, but you got r done.

 

[Sgt Gus]

Oh, ^^^ yes we used to have an older guy that rebuilt electric motors (when I was a teenager). Maybe I'll take an alt apart one day, but not likely, lol. I couldn't charge someone enough to rebuild them as a side hustle. Miss when it was affordable to fix some things and not just toss as junk.
Update: found two places under 13mi from me that rebuild alts and starters (assuming time and not a daily or on the road).
Can find a rebuild kit for 40ish online, but having someone cleanup and do for the reman price. Priceless.
If just a diode (you can in and have tested also) $8 @ the Z.

 

[Radiohead]

The only thing I would do is buy the Autozone stock! AZO it's price @ 3,409.25/share and dropping some because of forward guidance for 2026. @ some point it will do a stock split in order to make the share price affordable to more investors. This is only my 2 cents the stock market is risky and the risk reward can be like pulling a slot machine lever or buying a lottery ticket.

Wow man.Three grand plus a share? Lol, no. That's like almost 3 months income around here. We're poor folk out in the boonies, but I imagine someone would do that.

That's more than I'm all in on my square. I'm a sweat equity kinda guy at this stage of life. It gets worse the more the dollar gets crashed. From what i can see, there's another major correction coming up, with all the greed from on top causing it. Same as it ever was.....

 

[hoagster]

Wow man.Three grand plus a share? Lol, no. That's like almost 3 months income around here. We're poor folk out in the boonies, but I imagine someone would do that.

That's more than I'm all in on my square. I'm a sweat equity kinda guy at this stage of life. It gets worse the more the dollar gets crashed. From what i can see, there's another major correction coming up, with all the greed from on top causing it. Same as it ever was.....

I used to think that way and live pay check to pay check like most everyone! I have been frugal my whole life and put away at least 5% of my paycheck even as a lowly E-1 Airman in the Air Force. I have never bought a brand new truck for my self, my wife I have bought new cars for yes. So I have had those expenses. So I do buy stocks, and they have acutually made it easier by allowing for fractional shares. So what that means is you can buy $100 dollars worth. I don't recommend this to anyone if you can't put it away and leave it and add to it for the long haul. Is it in for a correction maybe, maybe not. That were study and taking the time to investigate the company you are buying. If their books are good and they are making money chances are good the stock will thrive! This isn't the spot for this "where's the rant thread" is going to come up again I feel

 

[Radiohead]

No worries, it's just thread drift

 

[Travlr]

Wow man. Three grand plus a share?

Makes one wonder why, especially since most of the parking lots are never very full. If they aren't careful somebody might think they are doing something nefarious to pad the books.

 

[Zelph]

I played contortionist and got my power door lock relay swapped out.

 

[Ricko1966]

What kind of amps does a bad diode draw?
Did a quick check months ago was gettin 40-50mA.
Sound like a diode?
I think it’s that or the Temu quality headlight relay.
Need some time to spend on it. Maybe next month lol

Doesn't sound like a diode I'd be looking for something over 200 ma but even if I had 100 I'd still disconnect the alternator 1st to see if my draw went away. Best test though is check for AC current,engine running check for AC voltage at the alternator charging post to ground. More than .5 volts I'd be considering a new alternator. The reason I'm saying considering. If I had .55 that's not a for sure I'm going to condemn it but 1.0 it's for sure getting replaced.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Makes one wonder why, especially since most of the parking lots are never very full. If they aren't careful somebody might think they are doing something nefarious to pad the books.

The one near my house is always busy

 

[Ricko1966]

The one near my house is always busy

Exchanging warranty parts? Auto zone lifetime guarantee, guarantees you will replace it once a year for your lifetime.

 

[Bextreme04]

My good buddy Mark, who I’ve been working on cars with for 30 years on and off, basically said the same thing last night.

After staring at the ceiling last night and gathering my thoughts, I think the first step would be to take out of the engine and straight to the shop to have the block looked at to have it assessed- I’ll leave that part to the pros. Reason being, I don’t have room to have an engine in the garage. Because of our parking situation, my wife has to park in the garage, we literally have no driveway here. It’s a shared parking situation with neighbors that is terrible. But it is what it is. And that has 5 feet of workable space behind her car when she is there.

I’ll stop by and look at that LS tomorrow because I have an appointment with him for that. Maybe @TotalyHucked can comment, but after looking around, 1750 for a LQ9 engine these days isn’t a good deal with that mileage, even though it’s a 6L and pre-DOD.

I got an L9H Aluminum Gen IV 6.2L out of a 2009 Tahoe with the engine/trans/wiring harness and computer for $1400 here in Oregon a couple years ago. The torque converter had gone out at ~120k miles and the guy was parting it out instead of rebuilding the 6L80. $1750 is way to high for a high mileage 3rd Gen.

That 6.2 just got a hone and refresh and then got dropped into my Suburban to replace the 230k mile 5.3 that was in it. That 5.3 is going to get turbos and go into my 91 Camaro drag car.

 

[bucket]

Someday someone will go into a parts store and want to stroke a 390 Ford or 350 Chevy, or put a clutch behind a small block 400, and no one in the entire company will be able to help them because all they know or are concerned about is what the computer says.

These days, I just research whatever it is that I want to buy on whichever company's website. Then I go into the store and show the counter person the screenshot I took of the part, including the part # and the statement that they have it in stock.

 

[DoubleDingo]

These days, I just research whatever it is that I want to buy on whichever company's website. Then I go into the store and show the counter person the screenshot I took of the part, including the part # and the statement that they have it in stock.

Funny thing, well not funny at all, but, I do this as well and still get asked what year, make and model. I then tell/show them the info again, and then they get it

 

[Terlingueno]

Last night just after midnight, about 25 miles out in the sticks on a rough dirt road, I experienced an electrical issue. I noticed that my 18 year old Auto Gage voltmeter needle was bouncing around like Sydney Sweeney running down the beach...

Anyway back to the narrative.

Didn't notice any headlight dimming or any other belch, just the gauge being weird. (EDIT-gauge just quit last night on the road about half-way home). Arrived at the hovel around 0200 o'clock, and shut off the truck. This morning I proceeded to check the battery with a multi-meter, 12.8v. Started the truck, battery then reads 14.1v. So it isn't the battery or alternator. Tested the power post on the back of the gauge, 0v. Checked the power wire up to the fuse box, male connector is just hanging out in the wind. Plugged it back in, gauge functions just like always. All three of the 'Made in Taiwan-Designed in USA' gauges have worked just fine since I installed them. I guess the connection just had 18 years to work its way loose.

 

[JamesSam]

I bought a battery/alternator test probe, and test probe light from Advance. I did test with the battery/alternator tester. Battery:

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Alternator:

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