just burnt my FIFTH dura-crap alt.

[dsmcurse]

So my car has been eating altanators for breakfast lunch and dinner. Swear to the DSMgods that I change my altanator more than I change my freakin oil! I've had my current DSM for a lil over 3years. The first year and a half or so she ran off of a true OEM mitsu altanator. Well, once that died of old age I replaced it with a autozone duralast POS. This has been the biggest mistake I have EVER made with my pride and joy car. How embarassing...

I don't get how the hell their dura-crap product could be SO $HITTY!?!?! So let me tell you this guys, I just left home (Lewiston Idaho) and drove 115 miles, 2 hours up to tri cities (Pasco Washington) so I can check in on gettin a new job and moving up here. Well, as soon as I get to town my alt goes dead. Agin.... Luckily she ran completley outa juice and died right when I showed up at my friend Alex's (boostdriven) house. Talk about a lucky place to break down!

It currently sucks a fat one because my dura-crap autozone receipts and paper work warenty card BS is 115miles away. After replacing 5 of there alts I'm done with that brand anyhow!

Alex knows a guy that has a OEM old age old used but actuall Mitsu 2nd gen turbo alt that HOPEFULLY I can score for free tomorrow after I check in on this job. Luckily my mom lives up here too so I can drive her POS dodge stratus to this interveiw in the morning.

The good thing about my alt dying (besides where I broke down at) is that I'm no longer gonna be runnin a dura-crap product on my car, AND, alex wants to take this chance to swap out my HX40 to his old HX40 (he just switched to a 52) the differance between my HX40 and his old one is that mine is the standard 60mm cold wheel and his has the upgrade extended tip 62mm cold wheel. Mine has a Holset cover, his has a polished ported aftermarket cover, mine has a non ported hot housing, his has a ported to holly hell turbine housing.

So a switch to a name brand alt and a switch to a bigger turbo is in the works for tomorrow. I do have a question for every ones opinions. Alex has his battery in the trunk with no alt issues (he has a OEM not dura-crap) his battery is a cheap small 600 cca wal mart battery and the wire that feeds up to his bay is a 4gauge stereo/amp wire. That's it. My battery in the trunk is a big 'ol Napa gold truck/SUV 950cca battery, and my wire feeding up is 2gauge. Alex says I should replace my wire with a smaller asgauge like him. I'm not so sure that makes any sense tho? Any input?

My Napa truck/suv battery is a big huge nice one, the wire feeding up to my engine bay is big nice 2gauge. That can't be my problem? Can it? Don't see how in a million years that could be a issue. I blame the frequent altanator changes on AutoZone wonderfull remanufactured in Mexico products!

Oh, and to make things even better, less than a week ago I traded off my Honda Prelude (daily driver) for a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R special edition black. The bike is totally awesome but I'm missing my Prelude already... Depending on a HEAVILY moddified DSM for your everyday car can be nerve racking....

 

[ed1380]

Autozone warranty is done by your phone number. No need for receipts or anything.


I'd keep your battery setup how it is.

 

[dsmcurse]

Ya, nice napa gold truck/suv battery nicely mounted in trunk with a 150amp breaker, and 2AWG wire feedin up to my bay. Car keeps eatin alt's like they're goin outa style.

I one hundred percent believe the problem is duralast products being used rebuilt remanufactured in mexico P0S's. I don't believe there's anything wrong with my cars set-up. But ya never know I guess...

 

[Boostdriven]

his battery is a cheap small 600 cca wal mart battery

Don't be hating bro my is a napa power 530cca, I had that thing for over 2 years now, she starts every time

And sorry to disappoint but that compressor wheel is not extended tip but it is a 7 blade 62/86 wheel and it is taller then your standard HX40 6 blade.

 

[m1nd64m3]

I think heat may be a contributing factor, and seeing as you have a tubular manifold, you got a lot of it. Another thing is the voltage regulator in the oem alternator is a $170 part alone, so you can imagine how bad it is in a $130 alternator, this seems to be the part that fails on me the most with the autozone alternator.

I found with mine as soon as I went externally gated with an aftermarket turbo and exhaust (no heat shields), I started going through alternators like crazy too.

 

[Blurred Talon]

My car also likes to eat alternators, it's a heat issue and the fact that the voltage regulators are crap.

Best solution is to swap a Saturn alternator in. Even better is to relocate it to the back of the block.

 

[dsmcurse]

A relocate to the AC spot might be a good idea

 

[pauleyman]

I ran one oem alternator for 16 years. Instead of getting the rebuilds I took the original one and had that one rebuilt at a local alternator shop whenever I would have trouble. Quality voltage regulator and new brushes at a local shop and I was good to go again for less than 50$. I had it done twice over the course of 190k and 16 years. I finally opted for a larger bosch OEM replacement 90 amp unit although I didn't really need it.

 

[luv2rallye]

^+1 YES, this is the way to do it people!!!

Also note that both heat and PS fluid leaking on the alt will kill any alt.

 

[delta448]

FYI, the duralast alternators are all OEM rebuilt units. The only ones that are 100% new are the pricier duralast "gold" ones. They're supplied from 2 different vendors.

If you're burning up alternators, there's a reason, and it's not because of what store you bought it from. Advance, Autozone, NAPA, -it's all the same parts, just with different stickers slapped on it and different business practices at the stores. Have you considered relocating the alternator away from your external wastegate? Jay racing makes an alternator bracket for mounting on the firewall side of the block. Removing it from the heat and figuring out whatever else might be killing them will help a whole lot more than switching to another brand.

 

[dsmcurse]

Update, have a bitchin as$ heat sheild around my alternator now. It also doubles for a drip sheild if any lil oil dropplets come outa the top of my dipstick tube/groment.

Ill get you guys a pic when I can.

Super special thanks to boostdriven for helpin swap out my stock HX40 for his highly moddified HX40. Oh, and we switched my drain line from a stock metal mitsu oil return line to a 3/4" hose type of oil drain.

Side note-

Got to go on some power pulls in alex's car with that new HX52 on. IT PULLS SO HARD! I CANT BELEIVE THE INSANE AMOUNT OF PULL IT HAS!!!! If he took a lil old grandma for a powerpull in this thing I garentee old grandma would swallow her dentures

HX52 is piss your pants scary kind of power! For those that have never felt 52 power yet, you haven't truly lived until you do...

 

[stars]

I ran one oem alternator for 16 years. Instead of getting the rebuilds I took the original one and had that one rebuilt at a local alternator shop whenever I would have trouble. Quality voltage regulator and new brushes at a local shop and I was good to go again for less than 50$. I had it done twice over the course of 190k and 16 years. I finally opted for a larger bosch OEM replacement 90 amp unit although I didn't really need it.

Definately the way to Go! Why give up your outstanding alternator when all they need is brushes and bearings to be considered "rebuilt". Just think of this when it goes to starters as well. Complete overhaul cost was around $45 to $50 max for my last alternator rebuild. Never give up your OEM parts unless you are in fact getting a OEM part in return. Why would you want to pay to give good parts away? Exactly the answer, you should never do this unless you have no other options. Guess buyer beware fits best here.

 

[DROOPY209]

I went through 7 bad alternators right out of the box from autozone. Eventually I got one that worked and it's been great. The most important factor I believe is having the heat shields in place. I'm not sure if Mechman still makes HO alternators for DSMs but a while back they were making some with modified internals and adjustable voltage regulators to handle the heat and maintain proper fuel pump voltage under high rpms. A few of my friends with 3KGTs had great results with theirs.