One of my alternators failed mechanically. Pulley came off, scored up the drive end housing. Cobbled pulley back on in order to bench test the alternator (free), and it produced 110 amps as rated. This meant that the guts of the alternator were basically good.

I went on Craigslist to find another Ford alternator in the small 6G frame style. Found one for a 2001 Cougar. Looked up the internal parts and found it used a different type of diode bridge rectifier, different voltage regulator, different stator winding, different pulley... but the same rotor, case, and slip rings.

I disassembled both alternators, swapped parts around appropriately to match the specs of my original alternator, and took it back to get bench tested. 110 amps, 14.2 volts, and this time no wobble because the swapped rotor was true, and came with new slip rings to boot. Cost: $30 for the alternator on craigs, and $5 for the pulley at a mini bike shop (same pulley that the alternator shop sells for $20, made in the same factory in China no doubt.)

So for $35, I was up and running again as far as the alternator is concerned.

Most rebuilders use Chinese parts just the same as what is found in the preassembled wax and oil store alternators. That is all that is generally available.

 

Let's focus on the problem you went in for.
Remove the alternator and #1) have it rebuilt or #2) replace it with a new lifetime warranty alternator. Many are available for $200 or less (including core charge).

Example
http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/...392561_ang.jpg

$174.99 Each

Plus Core $10.00
Part # 392561
limited lifetime warranty

 

Huh, sounds like a nice write-up is forthcoming!

Stewart

 

Wow, that's really impressive ... Guy goes in for a ( possible ) low charging alternator, and he gets a bill for thousands. Most of which had Nothing to do with the original complaint ! Not to mention the X2 on the alternator price. Yeah ... I thought all that "Steal-er ship" talk was just urban legend. My mistake. Impressive.
Also, any idea why the wizards of smart measured your voltage at the cigar lighter, not the posts ???

 

I could be wrong, but this sounded to me like the OP used a device plugged into a cigarette lighter socket to get an idea of what was going on in there. If so, there is no telling how accurate his device is - it could be a $5 Wally World special.

We still don't know if this an alternator thing at all. The OP hasn't shared what the symptoms were with the no-start... it could be a bad ICP sensor for all we know from afar.

 

OK, I went back and re-read his post, and that is probably right. In that case, depending on how accurate those little units are, he might not have had an alternator problem in the first place. Can they be off by +/- .6 volt or so ?

 

By the way, my voltage meter on Torque pro is always 14-14.2, depending. All those guages are dead on. Best $27 I ever spent ! Now I see why you are so into the Torque pro app. Good stuff.

 

Yeah... I was anti-Torque Pro until the technology improved. Now... gimme Torque Pro and FORScan for the 7.3L, and we can monitor/troubleshoot far cheaper and more reliably than we could months ago (not years).

 

It's crazy. Last year I had a flip-phone and had just learned to text. Luddite for sure, ha-ha ! Now I'm runnin' TP app on my Android, and chatting on an internet forum. Geeze ... Strange days indeed. But hey, if it keeps me from ever having to darken the doorway of a dealership, I am up for it, brother.

 

Beeper, with parts in hand, (minus numpstops, lol) and tools needing to get a tad dirty, you got about 2hrs of labor ahead of you. And that's with 3 beers. One for the beginning, 1 for mid work, 1 for patting on ur back that u just saved 2800 bucks....go get ur pride n joy, bud

 

Yeah, X2 brother. Geeze ! Order 4 Rancho shocks for $200, and put 'em on yourself, in an hour. Ignore the "bumpstops", we can all take a joke, right ?! Get an OEM fuel filter for $25 from RiffRaff, and put it in, ten minutes. Get a set of boots from Clay at the same time, and put em in on a nice sunny Saturday, for around $200 I think. Then take out your alternator, and have it rebuilt and tested for $100, give or take. Charge up your batteries while it's out, and check your ICP sensor too. Including beer, you can do it for under $550, easy. You will get lots of help here. You can do it brother, just gotta believe !

 

Hey Folks!

I've got a running truck and saved $2200.

Total cost was about $900. Spent more than I needed to so that I could have my truck back by today (Sunday) to travel.

I ended up replacing my alternator, wires from alternator, engine air filter, fuel filter, oil filter (missing cap), bump stops (cheap and easy), cleaned up and tighten the oil leak at the intake tubes and purchased my shocks.

I found out a good friend of mine was a mechanic in the Army and he was a huge help. It became a neighborhood thing (nice day) and between trips to the store, pizza, beer, and a lot of jibber jawing about 6 hours of time / 3 hours of work.

The alternator was super easy to do but a pain in the *** to reach. How are you folks able to see and reach into your engines? Does everyone has 90" arms? Or a scaffold?

Some of the guys at the stealership said that I could sell my truck for $17-20K (as an RV hauler). Does that sound right? Its a 2002 Excrusion, 180K, and I'm the original owner.

So thank you thank you for all of the help and encouragement. Next time I will be able to save even more!

 

A lot of us use this.

It's made by Warner and I got it for about 40 bucks a few years ago at home depot

 

Nice job on the work. Told ya it was doable. Now stay away from the dealership, from now on. As for the price, up here in the PNW a good running low mile 7.3 4wd can easily go for $18,000, if it is in good condition. We don't salt the roads up here, and most truck owners up here don't work 'em very hard. Mall crawlers and grocery getters. I don't know what the used market is like where you live tho.

 

Huh? The alternator is right on top of the engine, the easiest thing to reach and work on.

Or do you have a dual alt setup and were replacing the lower alt on the passenger side?

Stewart