Alternator - rebuild or replace
 

Hi
Just pulled my alternator as it quit on me.
One brush was shot and the other was down.
My question is this. There is a channel in the copper of the shaft of the alternator that is about 1/16" deep. I'm not sure how much contact surface is built onto the shaft so who might know if it's okay to just replace the brushes ($5.00) or do I have to replace the whole alternator ($285) :eek:
Thanks in advance.

The "copper" are the two slip rings where the brushes make contact.
I would polish those with a little scotch-brite and put the new brushes in.

Probably will last a long while.
You can always rebuild the alternator later if doesn't work out.

I do commutators by wrapping them in a strip of emery cloth and pulling it back and forth. Works fine and knocks down irregularities quickly.

if you have got about 150k miles or so, then the wear to the commutator is probably excessive. i have cut them down on a lathe and polished, put in new brushes... you wil bo o.k. for a few months. It about time for a new commutator... thats a lot of work, just get another alternator. You can get a better deal than $300. I bought a takeoff on e-bay from a guy that builds ambulance and puts on BIG units. It cost me about $100. a couple years ago.

Kinda what I thought as the commutator was pretty gouged.
Thanks guys

I just put a lifetime warranty rebuilt from NAPA. It was ~$185, replaced the belt too for another $50.

HI Clint,

If you would like to check out what we have here's a link to our alternator section.We sell new alternators,so there's no core charge to deal with.

Ford Truck Alternator

I did a check-up on mine at 250,000 miles and found the brushes were only half worn, but, since I was in there I replaced them anyway. Everything else looked good so I reinstalled it back on and now I'm at 340,000 miles with no problems.

your lucky. 75% of the alternators have the brushes and/ or commutator worn out by 150k miles.

Yea, my truck has ran so good it's unbelievable.
I know I will be rebuilding it soon.....I guess. Anyway, I went and looked at a used 97 for sale and noticed the engine running and could actually see a side to side shake in the engine.
I then went home, opened up my hood on my truck looked at it and I could not detect ANY movement at all. Makes me wonder if at the factory someone may have "blueprinted" my engine as an experiment.
Oh yea, I'm still on the original EGR, which I would have thought it would ruptured by now.