Didn’t really think about it until the alternator konked out after yesterdays rally-cross, but man, I’ve got a pile of alternators! Didn’t especially want to deal with this, but it’s the daily driver and it should be a quick fix. The hardest part is working it through spaces like a 3D puzzle in order to pull it out of the engine bay. It still spins ok, but on closer inspection I see bits of some beige plastic/bakelite stuff, that can’t be good. I dig out three other alternators from my shelf of parts. The mounts match, but the plug placement is different, no big deal, the wires reach. In fact I think 3 out of four alternators say that the broken one is the “wrong” one. I grab the one labeled a Bosch Reman since I recall buying that one, so I think it’s one of the newer ones. Unfortunately, I get it installed and everything hooked back up and start up the car. The charge and brake lights still come on, nice and bright now since I recharged the Diehard Platinum right after I got home yesterday. Curses, I recheck connections and fuses, looks ok. Damn, I remove the alternator. I look at the remaining bunch, which should I try next? The spoogiest one has a wire still on it that was cut. My guess is that one came off the MR-2 engine and transaxle cut that I got years ago for the transaxle. I reason there’s a good chance the alternator was good since the problem with that engine looked to be a blown HG. After installing yet again, my gamble was good, car starts, no warning lights.
So can you get a core deposit on a part you haven’t bought? It’s like recycling, right?
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