Alternator

[Ken Shaffer]

I replaced my alternator with a NAPA one 10 days and 4000 miles ago. We had to run the generator a lot during this trip because the outside temps
were so hot. The new alternator just failed again. Does running the generator cause any problems with the voltage regulator On the alternator ?
--
Ken Shaffer
Marion Iowa
73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior

 

[emerystora]

No. There is no effect on the engine alternator from running the Onan.

Emery Stora

>
> I replaced my alternator with a NAPA one 10 days and 4000 miles ago. We had to run the generator a lot during this trip because the outside temps
> were so hot. The new alternator just failed again. Does running the generator cause any problems with the voltage regulator On the alternator ?
> --
> Ken Shaffer
> Marion Iowa
> 73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

 

[Ken H.]

It should not. The isolator should prevent any current flowing from the
generator-powered converter to the alternator.

Ken H.

On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 11:02 AM Ken Shaffer via Gmclist <

> I replaced my alternator with a NAPA one 10 days and 4000 miles ago. We
> had to run the generator a lot during this trip because the outside temps
> were so hot. The new alternator just failed again. Does running the
> generator cause any problems with the voltage regulator On the alternator ?
> --
> Ken Shaffer
> Marion Iowa
> 73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[mike kilroy]

I just heard from a second friend their new alternators lasted approx.
10 days each. They went thru 3 or 4 before finding one that is now
running. Seems to be common with the alternators being made today...

> I replaced my alternator with a NAPA one 10 days and 4000 miles ago. We had to run the generator a lot during this trip because the outside temps
> were so hot. The new alternator just failed again. Does running the generator cause any problems with the voltage regulator On the alternator ?
> --
> Ken Shaffer
> Marion Iowa
> 73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

 

[Bruce Hart]

Are these all Napa brand or mixture of all brands. New alternators or
remanufactured?

On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 12:31 PM mike--- via Gmclist <

> I just heard from a second friend their new alternators lasted approx.
> 10 days each. They went thru 3 or 4 before finding one that is now
> running. Seems to be common with the alternators being made today...
>

>
> > I replaced my alternator with a NAPA one 10 days and 4000 miles ago. We
> had to run the generator a lot during this trip because the outside temps
> > were so hot. The new alternator just failed again. Does running the
> generator cause any problems with the voltage regulator On the alternator ?
> > --
> > Ken Shaffer
> > Marion Iowa
> > 73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Bruce Hart
1976 Palm Beach
Milliken, Co
GMC=Got More Class

 

[ek_lektro]

> I just heard from a second friend their new alternators lasted approx.
> 10 days each. They went thru 3 or 4 before finding one that is now
> running. Seems to be common with the alternators being made today…

Between 2 coaches, i’d gone through about 3 or 4 Duralast alternators in the past 3 years.
The lifetime warranty at Autozone had me stuck in a painful loop.
(And this estimate is NOT including 2 other Duralasts that'd probably failed because
a neighborhood mechanic hooked the leads up backwards, and it was putting out 16v….
until thanks to a Jim Bounds consultation call, i traced what was going on.
Yes, my coach doesn’t have the stock double connector anymore, so you gotta be careful)

So finally i decided to try an AC Delco from O’Reillys, branded as Ultima.
I’ve only put about 500 miles on it so far, and It hasn’t blown out on me yet,
however i’m pretty disappointed that its only putting out 13.2 volts!
The “GEN” light does not come on, and the belt is tight, so wondering what’s the issue here?
(BTW: This is on the Eleganza, not the Birchhaven which is having the ignition / battery / starter issue)

Also, last time i had the Eleganza out in the evening, with headlights on, and needed to raise airbags,
the alternator seemed to temporarily stop working. my analog voltage gauge dipped down to
12 volts, and i could hear the compressor motor struggling.

So now that the Birchhaven starter situation might be handled (more on that in a later post)
i’m gonna dig into the Eleganza alternator issue and see what i can see.
Wondering if one of my 10 year old Viair pumps is getting tired, and taxing the system.
(It makes a lower growling noise compared to the other one, but seems to raise just as fast)
Connections are tight. Grounds are good. Hmmmmm….

Anyway, yes, alternator quality (at Autozone at least) was pretty atrocious. Right out of the box, many of the blades are bent
and hitting against the housing. I’ll see what i can do about this AC Delco and report any new findings

Cheers!
Greg / SolarSonic / LosAngeles

 

[Matt Colie]

The problem with "Rebuilt" any electric thing is that the devices are often reworked by local shops and put into a "Fill in the name" box that is
stamps with a part number (about 80% accurate). I know for a fact that the local NAPA warehouse gets such things from three different shops. I was
in the one I like most recently and they were returning the unused boxes with NAPA labels. They had lost the bid.

For this reason, if you can find a local shop to patronize. You have a better chance at getting the job done right. They know that you know who they
are and where to come back to if there is a problem.

I have a fun story about this, but it has been a long day for me....

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit

 

[mike kilroy]

13.2v max is flat defective. replace it. you need 14.2v hot, 14.3-4
cold or you will slowly destroy your batteries by not fully charging.

>> I just heard from a second friend their new alternators lasted approx.
>> 10 days each. They went thru 3 or 4 before finding one that is now
>> running. Seems to be common with the alternators being made today...
>
> Between 2 coaches, i'd gone through about 3 or 4 Duralast alternators in the past 3 years.
> The lifetime warranty at Autozone had me stuck in a painful loop.
> (And this estimate is NOT including 2 other Duralasts that'd probably failed because
> a neighborhood mechanic hooked the leads up backwards, and it was putting out 16v....
> until thanks to a Jim Bounds consultation call, i traced what was going on.
> Yes, my coach doesn't have the stock double connector anymore, so you gotta be careful)
>
> So finally i decided to try an AC Delco from O'Reillys, branded as Ultima.
> I've only put about 500 miles on it so far, and It hasn't blown out on me yet,
> however i'm pretty disappointed that its only putting out 13.2 volts!
> The "GEN" light does not come on, and the belt is tight, so wondering what's the issue here?
> (BTW: This is on the Eleganza, not the Birchhaven which is having the ignition / battery / starter issue)
>
> Also, last time i had the Eleganza out in the evening, with headlights on, and needed to raise airbags,
> the alternator seemed to temporarily stop working. my analog voltage gauge dipped down to
> 12 volts, and i could hear the compressor motor struggling.
>
> So now that the Birchhaven starter situation might be handled (more on that in a later post)
> i'm gonna dig into the Eleganza alternator issue and see what i can see.
> Wondering if one of my 10 year old Viair pumps is getting tired, and taxing the system.
> (It makes a lower growling noise compared to the other one, but seems to raise just as fast)
> Connections are tight. Grounds are good. Hmmmmm....
>
> Anyway, yes, alternator quality (at Autozone at least) was pretty atrocious. Right out of the box, many of the blades are bent
> and hitting against the housing. I'll see what i can do about this AC Delco and report any new findings
>
> Cheers!
> Greg / SolarSonic / LosAngeles
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

 

[john r. lebetski]

I redid my own working 80A by replacing bearings and brushes. If the diodes and regulator are
good I leave them. I Deoxit D5 cleaned all internal connections. Then drove Chicago Seatle Chicago to "road test". No issues.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

 

[Ken B]

Almost all brands of rebuilt alternators are done by Cardone in Mexico.

If you go with one of the national chains (except NAPA) your get the lifetime benefit being able to exchange it for free anywhere in the US. With NAPA
you have to go back to the same store with a paper receipt in hand. Usually if you get a good one from one of them you are OK. I have heard heard
stories of people having to go through 2 or 3 of them to get a good one.

Your other option is to take your defective alternator to a local rebuilder. Those usually have a better track record but if it ever goes bad on the
road you are out of luck on getting a free replacement.

--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[Bruce Hart]

John, how do you test the voltage regulator?

On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 7:02 PM John R. Lebetski via Gmclist <

> I redid my own working 80A by replacing bearings and brushes. If the
> diodes and regulator are
> good I leave them. I Deoxit D5 cleaned all internal connections. Then
> drove Chicago Seatle Chicago to "road test". No issues.
> --
> John Lebetski
> Woodstock, IL
> 77 Eleganza II
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Bruce Hart
1976 Palm Beach
Milliken, Co
GMC=Got More Class

 

[Bruce Hart]

Ken, I had purchased my NAPA alternator at the store I work at in Colorado.
I was able to do a free exchange on my last trip in Billings Mt.
It really depends on the store how they want to deal with a customer.

On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 7:16 PM Ken Burton via Gmclist <

> Almost all brands of rebuilt alternators are done by Cardone in Mexico.
>
> If you go with one of the national chains (except NAPA) your get the
> lifetime benefit being able to exchange it for free anywhere in the US.
> With NAPA
> you have to go back to the same store with a paper receipt in hand.
> Usually if you get a good one from one of them you are OK. I have heard
> heard
> stories of people having to go through 2 or 3 of them to get a good one.
>
> Your other option is to take your defective alternator to a local
> rebuilder. Those usually have a better track record but if it ever goes
> bad on the
> road you are out of luck on getting a free replacement.
>
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Bruce Hart
1976 Palm Beach
Milliken, Co
GMC=Got More Class

 

[Ken Shaffer]

Mine came from Napa and were remanufactured. On this last trip to California I purchased one in Salt Lake City and returned it defective in Kansas
City with receipt. Since it was in the upper 90s yesterday and we have the generator running anyway for the roof air, I chose not to change out the
alternator on the road. So hopefully this new one will last.
--
Ken Shaffer
Marion Iowa
73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior

 

[Bruce Hart]

Ken B.
Some NAPA stores are individually owned while other stores are owned by the
Napa parent company. Could be why some Napa stores except al warranties
and some won't.

On Sun, Jul 14, 2019 at 9:42 AM Ken Shaffer via Gmclist <

> Mine came from Napa and were remanufactured. On this last trip to
> California I purchased one in Salt Lake City and returned it defective in
> Kansas
> City with receipt. Since it was in the upper 90s yesterday and we have
> the generator running anyway for the roof air, I chose not to change out the
> alternator on the road. So hopefully this new one will last.
> --
> Ken Shaffer
> Marion Iowa
> 73 Canyon Lands, 455, Manny Tranny, Custom interior
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Bruce Hart
1976 Palm Beach
Milliken, Co
GMC=Got More Class

 

[Ken B]

That is exactly it. My daughter worked at a NAPA chain of 6 stores. They would only accept returns from or those 6 stores. I was refused a
warranty claim out of state once on a .5 year old water pump.

I do not not know what the policy is at company owned stores, but I assume that they do not have access to sales records from independent owned
stores.

They have a different business model than most other chains. Most of their business is local businesses and shops, not walk-in. As an example they
hold a contract for all of the Indiana State government. Where my daughter worked walk-in was about 20% of their revenue.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[d c *mac* macdonald]

A far as I know, O'Reilly's stores are connected. I had an alternator replaced at Branson West, MO 3 or more years ago. When it failed last year, I went to the local store, told them where I bought it. They looked it up on their company's computer, told me the date and time I had purchased it, and gave me full credit.

Do you think I will patronize O'Reilly's in the future? You betcha!

I had a similar result with local NAPA, but that was the same store where I had bought a seven year battery that failed at 22 months.

D C "Mac" Macdonald​
Amateur Radio K2GKK​
Since 30 November '53​
USAF and FAA, Retired​
Member GMCMI & Classics​
Oklahoma City, OK​
"The Money Pit"​
TZE166V101966
________________________________
From: Gmclist on behalf of Ken Burton via Gmclist
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2019 12:12
To: gmclist
Cc: Ken Burton
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Alternator

That is exactly it. My daughter worked at a NAPA chain of 6 stores. They would only accept returns from or those 6 stores. I was refused a
warranty claim out of state once on a .5 year old water pump.

I do not not know what the policy is at company owned stores, but I assume that they do not have access to sales records from independent owned
stores.

They have a different business model than most other chains. Most of their business is local businesses and shops, not walk-in. As an example they
hold a contract for all of the Indiana State government. Where my daughter worked walk-in was about 20% of their revenue.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[johnny]

Advance, AutoZone, and O'Rielly's have all three given me new stuff for bad stuff, no questions asked beyond neams and usually phone number.
O'Rielly's even gave me a new alternator for my pickup when I took the one which had a cracked front housing back to them. I saw no reason to tell
them I cracked it with my own stupidity and they didn't ask, just said sign here and handed me a new one. AutoZone gave me three new fans for my
Mopar minivans over the years, again phone number, 'here'. And no need to tell them three different vans. I guess I'll have to actually buy the next
one, the PentaStar fitted new ones use a different fan. Starters I usually rebuild myself, bearings, nose bushings, brushes and regulators are cheap.
Locally, Dollar Carburetor and Electric has a couple of old gray-headed farts who rebuild AFBs and ThermoQuads such that they work properly. When
those two retire or die, I'll have to progress to EFUI on the ratrod.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell