Bosch alternators

[turbowop]

Yay, another alternator thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

So, my Bosch took a crap today. Been on the car since like '04 I think. Not a lot of miles though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I remember Brian saying that they have lifetime warranties, yet I thought I remember Andre saying it was two years. I looked it up on Bosch's website. NEW alternators have the lifetime warranty. Reman'd alternators have just the two years, of which I'm well over unfortunately.

Looking up parts on Bosch's website , they don't have a 90amp new unit, just the 75amp. The only 90amp they have is the reman'd version. My alternator is part number AL4008X. The X stands for reman, the N on their other part numbers stands for new. 4006's are 75amp and 4008's are 90amp. Whatever I buy to replace this thing, I want to be new so that I get a lifetime warranty, but it looks like I'm going to have to step down to a 75amp. I don't have a big booming stereo so are there any reasons the 75amp would be a major downgrade?

And before anybody chimes in about Subaru alternators, sorry, I don't feel like going through the hassle of making one fit. If my next one lasts another five years and I can get a new one to replace if for free, so be it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif That still beats the weekly change outs of the Autozone lifetime warranty units. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

How about a saturn alternator? They look VERY easy to fit, and you can get upto 180amp replacements.

 

[Terry Posten]

I am running a 75amp unit. I also don't have a big stereo.

I don't have any issues.

 

[Brianawd]

Just put in a 75amp new one Mark. Even know I got a brand new 90amp 4 years ago, all I get now is 90amp remans because of them not making any more. You can also just take your alternator to a shop local to you that rebuild them. They should be able to rebuild it and upgrand you to a 90-120amp.

 

[DailyDSM]

Well it sounds like you just want a stock replacement but I bought a 160A Saturn alternator from an ebay vendor with a lifetime warranty. Think it was around $140 and I had a 1 wire regulator installed for an extra $15 so all you hook up is a 4 gauge or larger power wire. Modification to the block is easy enough (takes about 30-45 minutes with a dremel) but its much easier and cleaner to do with the engine out of the car (took me about 10 minutes on my second engine).

 

[Romanova]

Quoting Brianawd:
Just put in a 75amp new one Mark. Even know I got a brand new 90amp 4 years ago, all I get now is 90amp remans because of them not making any more. You can also just take your alternator to a shop local to you that rebuild them. They should be able to rebuild it and upgrand you to a 90-120amp.



+1 for local rebuilds...

 

[turbowop]

Quoting Brianawd:
Just put in a 75amp new one Mark. Even know I got a brand new 90amp 4 years ago, all I get now is 90amp remans because of them not making any more. You can also just take your alternator to a shop local to you that rebuild them. They should be able to rebuild it and upgrand you to a 90-120amp.



Yeah, I'll probably get the new 75amp. I'll call around and see what the local auto electric places can offer as far as heavy duty regulators. I don't want to get some Chinese regulator installed just to have it poop out in a week or less.

I love good local rebuilds, but they don't seem to be using the quality parts that they use to. I have two locals that I'll talk with before I spring for a new Bosch.

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Go to advance auto. For under $100 I got a reman mitsubishi 75 amp with a lifetime warranty. I would look into it.

 

[Terry Posten]

My last Autozone Alt was also a Mitsu unit. The case had the Mitsu diamonds cast into them.

I am sure that the regulators and diodes are aftermarket though.

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Yeah mine is the same way right down to the diamonds. But I don't even care that much what's inside as long as it lasts a couple years. For how long it take to replace one, a lifetime warranty is really nice to have (unlike when things like exhausts have lifetime warranties and you still have to pay for labor). Some people may say that it's nice to have the warranty, but you don't want to break down all the time and I just say well that's why you always park at the TOP of a hill, so you can always push start it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

 

[turbowop]

I'm in the middle of pulling out the old unit right now. I don't want to have to do this every week even if the alternator is free everytime it goes bad. I can't get my goddamn PS pump off because that one hinge bolt next to the wastegate is too close. Now I gotta pull the wastegate off. Christ.

It's been removal of:

grill- to get headlight off
headlight- to get to clamp that holds intercooler coupler on
wastegate- to remove PS pump
PS pump- to make room for alternator removal

And I still have AC so I get to fanagle the alternator around all those lines as well.

Last time I did this I had the FPgreen with a different wastegate setup that I didn't have to remove. What a pain in the ass. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Man, I have no idea what you chumps are talking about. All I had to do was take out the o2 sensor for the o2 housing and lickety split she came right out. I have AC too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[turbowop]

You had to have needed to remove more than that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif Do you have power steering? The pump is in the way. I never had to remove the O2 sensor...wtf?

 

[SmoothCustomer]

I do have power steering. I dunno I just took it off and turned it sideways and she came up right in front of the radiator. I will take pics when I get home on Wednesday of said clearance.

 

[turbowop]

Yeah, pulling off the PS pump and moving it to the side is cake...until you try to remove the bolt on the exhaust manifold side and the wastegate is in the way. Modified cars with all accessories are a little weird to work on sometimes.

 

[turbowop]

Here's a top-down pic of what I'm dealing with:




You can see that the PS pump, wastegate are in the way and to get the coupler off the intercooler inlet I had to pull the headlight, ect.

Anyway, this just isn't something I want to go through on a weekly basis by using a chain store alternator with a lifetime warranty that we all hear such good things about. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hs.gif

 

[turbowop]

So I ended up needing to remove the bracket that holds the PS pump on as well. I couldn't squeeze that bitch out between that bracket and my intercooler inlet pipe for the life of me.

Goddamn thing is out now:

 

[spooling92vr4]

after countless garbage pep boys/ auto zone alternators , and moving it to the back to escape the head I decided f*** it and bought a reman from satan it was 125 and im very happy with this choice.

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Quoting turbowop:
So I ended up needing to remove the bracket that holds the PS pump on as well. I couldn't squeeze that bitch out between that bracket and my intercooler inlet pipe for the life of me.




You know, I figured if the pump had to go the bracket would too. Oh well what is that thing two or three bolts? No big deal.

 

[turbowop]

I've left the bracket on in the past, but that was with a different intercooler setup. It had to go this time, but yeah, it's easy to remove with only three bolts.

I picked up a new Bosch 75amp unit today. Lifetime warranty rather than the reman's 2yr. It was a good deal at $135. Dealer cost ftw.