Check out ficmrepair.com they have alternators and are a site sponsor they spend more time over in the 6.0 forum and have a very good reputation.

 

Just for an update, I'm still running the same 6.0 alternator that started this thread. Sitting at around 534,000 miles on the truck now, and it's been a few years with no troubles.

It gets a decent workout too. Between some of the excess stuff I have (lights, air compressor, etc.) and the fact that my wife doesn't driver her truck much so I just swap batteries with her when hers drain down.

I really hate seeing the MIC sticker on the box, but even DB has gone that route now. A few options are still available for US made, but I'm happy with what I've got.

The wife is still running a US made DB alternator though and it's served her well (when she drives)

 

I have had my Advance NEW 6.0 140amp for 3 yrs now with no issue and it was made in Mexico. Other then price one of the other reasons I went with a parts store alt is for the fact I can break down any where in the country and find a replacement on the road. Mind you when the stock one went out I was a 100 miles from and had to be towed home. In April I have a 3000 mile road trip planned and since I have no idea when it will go out it is nice to know I am sure I can find a Advance parts store.

 

have to say your comments have swayed me to the same unit here in the near future.

I have a 110 Amp rebuilt unit, PO@local shop in va beach, and think its about 5 yrs old or so. Need to check the voltage, but at speed on OBD app it shows a nice steady 13.9 to 14.1 volts.

I was looking at the new bosch unit on amazon but when we go full time in 3-4 yrs, RVing that is, I don't want to have to deal with amazon on getting unit replaced on the road. That would take 2-3+ days it would seem, but like you were saying there are advance autos all over the place and getting a replacement could be done quicker especially with them showing who would have the unit in stock in your current location.

thanks for the update on 3 yrs of good service, that is nice to hear.

 

Another update. Son in law drives the truck now. Same alternator still going strong.

 

Thanks for the update.

 

I've now had 2 more O-Reilly 6.0 alternators fail, get this, at the same spot on I-70 in eastern UT. One failed in October, and I ended up changing it under the interstate bridge at the Westwater exit, after getting a ride to the Fruita, CO O'Reillys and back. It had stopped charging completely and, when the airbag light came on at around 9.5v, I pulled off the road as soon as I could.

Yesterday, again coming back from Moab, I noticed Torque only showing 12.1v and, sure enough, the battery light came on. This time voltage dropped more slowly, and I was able to drive to the very same O'Reilly's. At idle the alaternator would test fine, but revving the motor would make the dash gauge go to 18v and back down, and it tested bad immediately on their machine. They gave me a hard time about the replacement, but relented, and I got another R112062A (spec'd for a 2006 SuperDuty). The weird thing about this one was that it came with the same 7.3 pulley I'd been moving from alternator to alternator through all these swaps, so I didn't swap them this time.

Why am I going through alternators so fast? (This last one only lasted 2000 miles, and 6 months.) My Diehard Platinum batteries are over 7 years old, but still test good, and spend a lot of time on the Odyssey charger, particularly in the winter. The charging system is all stock on my 2001 Excursion, which means it was probably designed for a 110a alternator, not the 135a one I've been using for awhile. I went through a lot of 7.3 alternators, too, though.

Ideas?

Thanks!

Mark

 

I wouldn't worry about the size of the cabling as much as the condition. Are all the grounds clean?

I've seen super high output alternators for sale (200+ Amps) so I'm sure the 135 Amp unit is fine. That's only the potential draw as the alternator only puts out the amount needed up to its maximum. I had two 140 Amp alternators (in 6G cases) for years without issue.

I'm not sure what's eating your alternators (or if they're eating themselves). Electrical issues can be hard to sort out.

I had an issue years ago with batteries going south quickly. Couldn't figure it out for the longest time and someone told me they had the same problem and it was their starter. Replaced my starter and life was good. Couldn't tell you how or why that was the problem. Not saying that's your problem but you can't rule anything out.

 

Mark, I have been there with my '01 X...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ternators.html

NO problems since changing out all corroded, green copper and replacing with new.

 

Are you getting new or rebuilt alternators? The rebuilt ones are just barely rebuilt enough to work, or just the common stuff is changed. I've had a bad rebuilt alternator out of the box, but it passed autozoo's bench test so they wanted to argue with me that just because the battery light came on and the volt meter showed low voltage when it was tested on the truck didn't mean it was bad.

If you've had two brand new alternators fail on you in the same spot, perhaps it's time you find a different route to take. That or start checking your cables and connections for corrosion or loose connections.

 

Thanks Mike!! I saved myself from forgetting later and went ahead and rep'd you now...

If I do the work and follow directions, can you help me figure this out? Here's what I found tonight:

Engine off
Batteries voltage 12.71v (both)
Voltage at B+ post 12.71v
Voltage at larger heavy connector on starter relay 12.71v
Voltage at smaller heavy connector on starter relay 0v
Voltage at starter heavy gauge wire 0.4v (?)
Resistance between alternator case and negative terminal on near battery 1.0-0.9ohm

Engine running at idle, no accessories on
Battery voltage 14.23v
Voltage at B+ post 14.43v
Voltage at larger heavy connector on starter relay 14.35v
Voltage at smaller heavy connector on starter relay 0v
B+ cable very slightly warm
Alternator warm, but I could leave my hand on it

Engine running at idle, all accessories on
Battery voltage 14.18v
Voltage at B+ post 14.48v
Accessories are lights, brights, driving lights (wired to brights, so seldom used in real life), radio, CB, AC with fan on high.

Any thoughts on what I should check next?

BTW, truck is a 2001 X I've owned for 16 years, with 158K on it, of which 98k are mine. Garage kept Colorado truck all its life, so all connectors, wires and fusible links "look" fine. The thing has dined on alternators for years: OEM lasted 87k, and I've had 5 7.3 alternators from Checker/O'Reillys, and I just put my 4th 6.0 alternator on it in 70k and 14 years. The bearings failed on one, the diode on another, the B+ terminal burned off one, one quit charging completely, and the one yesterday was charging at less than 12v, and would spike to 15v off idle. The only other thing I've noticed is that it may charge at 14.1v for awhile after a cold start, but it'll end up around 13.5-13.7v after a few minutes, and that's where it normally runs. It used to go through Interstate batteries every few years, but the Diehard Platinum AGM ones I have now are 7 years old and have lived a hard life on a truck that doesn't get driven much.

Mark

 

Very easy test you can do. Attach a 4 GA cable to the lug on the back of the alternator (double it up on the stock one), and run it over the engine to the starter solenoid. You will need to attach lugs to the ends to make the connections. Re-check your voltages with that cable hooked in there.

I also added a ground from my driver's side battery to the alternator case, and I connected the two battery grounds by making a "jumper" between the two engine grounds on the block. Thoroughly cleaned the ground on the passenger frame rail under the CAC tube, the ground on the passenger fender by the battery, and both the block grounds.

Also, you have a pretty significant voltage drop in your numbers between the alternator and the batteries. I suspect corrosion or a compromised solder joint in the B+ wire as it travels over the engine valley. You have several solder joints in there...

 

Thanks Mike! I'll do that.

I found in my notes that I replaced the alternator pigtail back in 2011. Any chance a poor job doing that could be involved in the issues I'm having?

Mark

 

Yes, we have had a few X owners find their alternator 3 pin plugs broken inside or at splices outside.

Did you read the other half of my thread over in the X forum? Lots of good info and pics in there of my fix for this issue. Still on that same Autozone alternator now 3 years later...puts out 14.2V everyday all day.

 

Mike, any reason not to go from the B+ terminal to the positive connection on the driver's side battery?

I did this tonight, as well, and resistance dropped 0.1-0.2ohms, from 0.9-1.0ohms to 0.8-0.9.

Mark