Best 1g Alternator for 2023

[Tina94]

I see rock auto has a number of options and surprisingly, local part stores seem to still have units available. What’s the best alternator currently available for a 1g? Any direct fit higher amp or more durable units? Has one brand been clearly more reliable than others recently?

Check light came on and I saw some sparks coming from the alternator when I popped the hood, maybe that’s the whining noise I’ve been trying to isolate

 

[motomattx]

Factory OEM is the best option.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Im running a gm alternator. I had stock before but upgrade for meva bit more amperage.

 

[1cleangsx]

You can run a 90amp unit for a Galant VR4, it’s a direct swap and an upgrade over the 75amp that’s factory on the DSM’s. That’s what I’m running from Advance Auto with good luck so far, I’d run OEM but I think they’ve been discontinued for years now

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

II am also running the 90 amp Galant unit. I believe it was a 96? @1cleangsx , do you remember what year we use that is plug and play?

 

[1cleangsx]

I told the clerk I had a 91 galant vr4

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Thanks, I was thinking 86 but if the 91 is a PnP then 1991 it is.
Appreciate it Jeremy!

 

[Tina94]

91 it is then, I was hesitant to go with a parts store one but if they’ve worked for you guys, I’ll give it a shot. Thanks!

 

[dwb]

You can run a 90amp unit for a Galant vr4, it’s a direct swap and an upgrade over the 75amp that’s factory on the dsm’s. That’s what I’m running from Advance Auto with good luck so far, I’d run OEM but I think they’ve been discontinued for years now

Ditto, 90a from Advance Auto. I think it was a Carquest brand. Lifetime warranty. I make sure to keep the box and receipt in the box so I get another warranty replacement when this one inevitably dies.

My current one was a warranty replacement. The clerk offered the 90a even though I was returning a 65a or 75a core.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

I just returned my old one and never said a word. They look the same, and DO get a lifetime warranty so, ya know, just in case it craps out on you in a year/month/week and I keep my receipt in my glovebox for each car.

 

[Tina94]

For anyone reading this in the future, it looks like Advance Auto's new is the WEI unit. However they can no longer get them and you have to have it shipped directly from the manufacturer. Napa's offering is also WEI. O'reilly only has remans. Autozone doesn't list a manufacturer for Duralast Gold (new) but uses the exact same WEI stock photo as the other two, I'm willing to bet its WEI.

Autozone will also price match, so they should give you Advance's $205 price instead of their $225 price and get it to you next day or the day after.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

I had to check with my son, who works at Autozone as a driver. I can save a whopping $2.00 through my commercial acct. Sometimes it doesn't make much of a difference and I bi***. If my customer can buy the part for the same price as I can, that means I have to charge more LABOR $ to make up the difference, so I shop around. IDC if the son works there or not. He did tell me that even the reman units had a lifetime warranty though.

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

I’ve been using the Duracrap remans from Autozone, to be completely honest I’ve been burning them out a few times a season and exchanging them with the warranty. I turned in another random junk alternator so I always have a spare reman in the box ready to go, but usually the voltage regulator goes on them.

Next time I turn one in my connection at the zone said he’d refund it since I’ve had so many fail (fellow DSM’er) and let me put it towards a brand new made in China Duracrap gold to see if those do any better. One I had the hardware rattled out of it and started rattling against the pulley, but the others were failed voltage regulators.

 

[Mello]

FWIW - I tried a BBB Industries alternator from rockauto on my 2G. Rockauto lists both a reman. a "new" from BBB Industries. The price for the "new" was about $10 less (& no core charge) so I went "new". Anyway it's been about 1-1/2 years so far & all is good, no problems. Before I choose the BBB Industries alternator & tried researching them. They are a fairly new company which branched off of Remy. Remy was AC Delco's remanufactured electronics division. When GM sold Remy they branched & BBB Industries was created with their main focus is on "new" while Remy still handles the reman. units primarily.

 

[Tina94]

FWIW - I tried a BBB Industries alternator from rockauto on my 2G. Rockauto lists both a reman. a "new" from BBB Industries. The price for the "new" was about $10 less (& no core charge) so I went "new". Anyway it's been about 1-1/2 years so far & all is good, no problems. Before I choose the BBB Industries alternator & tried researching them. They are a fairly new company which branched off of Remy. Remy was AC Delco's remanufactured electronics division. When GM sold Remy they branched & BBB Industries was created with their main focus is on "new" while Remy still handles the reman. units primarily.

That’ll be where I start looking when the duralast fails. Then again I’ve had duralast batteries outlive interstates so I guess you never know.

 

[Spleen8urLSX]

That’ll be where I start looking when the duralast fails. Then again I’ve had duralast batteries outlive interstates so I guess you never know.

Not to get off topic but I must say I’ve never had a crappy duralast battery, but I’m sure like everything else it’s another brand with autozones house brand name slapped on it, nothing but great luck with autocraft batteries from advance and probably the same thing too. Rural King batteries on the other hand, not so much but they’re so cheap I can’t complain.

 

[danl]

I’ve been using the Duracrap remans from autozone, to be completely honest I’ve been burning them out a few times a season and exchanging them with the warranty, I turned in another random junk alternator so I always have a spare reman in the box ready to go, but usually the voltage regulator goes on them. Next time I turn one in my connection at the zone said he’d refund it since I’ve had so many fail (fellow dsm’er) and let me put it towards a brand new made in China duracrap gold to see if those do any better. One I had the hardware rattled out of it and started rattling against the pulley, but the others were failed voltage regulators.

I was able to buy just the regulator from eBay. It comes loaded with the brushes. Typically I shy away from eBay, but I’ve had decent luck finding new old stock white box items for Mitsubishi applications there.

OE MITSUBISHI REGULATOR A866X09071 FITS MITSUBISHI, INFINITI, NISSAN | eBay

UP FOR SALE IS AN O.E. GENUINE MITSUBISHI REGULATOR A888X09071 (35-8302) - MADE IN JAPAN, FOR TYPE : REGULATOR. NISSAN - INFINITI ALTERNATOR OE NUMBER. MITSUBISHI ALTERNATOR OE NUMBER. THE REGULATOR IS NEW, UNUSED AND STILL IN ORIGINAL BOX.

www.ebay.com

 

[We're on Boost]

I've been ok with a NAPA part number RAY 2138258 which I have been using since 2018.
It's a reman of the 75 amp OE alternator that was used on automatics.
I see they still have the same part number and it comes up at the top of the list NAPA gives you for a 1990 Talon alternator search.
Oops forgot to mention, I made a nice alternator heat shield and put it on the car at the same time as that 2018 alternator. Which helps.

 

[dwb]

Ditto, 90a from Advance Auto. I think it was a Carquest brand. Lifetime warranty. I make sure to keep the box and receipt in the box so I get another warranty replacement when this one inevitably dies.

My current one was a warranty replacement. The clerk offered the 90a even though I was returning a 65a or 75a core.

Just pulled the receipt. It's a reman that has been daily drove since June 2018. It was listed at $137.99 then but I paid $103 in 2015. https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...nator-remanufactured-90-amps-13289a/5844118-P

 

[Tina94]

Just pulled the receipt. It's a reman that has been daily drove since June 2018. It was listed at $137.99 then but I paid $103 in 2015. https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...nator-remanufactured-90-amps-13289a/5844118-P

I was thinking about that one too but figured I’d opt for the new one. Good to know that’s a decent choice if the autozone doesn’t work out.

 

[Dericsh]

I think fabbing up a little heat shield like @We're on Boost mentioned is a good idea.

 

[Tina94]

Also, what the heck is this stud for? Some kind of ground from the case to the chassis as a some kind of auxiliary ground? My harness doesn’t have anything to hook to it, doesn’t look like this photo from the internet has anything hooked to it either. Didn’t see anything in the fsm about it.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[dwb]

Yes, just a ground lug but obviously not necessary on a 1g.

There's also the option of the Saturn alternator:
Thread 'Saturn alternator swap' https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/saturn-alternator-swap.497246/

 

[Tina94]

Great thread, seems easy. The only Saturn swaps I had seen had located it behind the block where the ac compressor sits and I didn’t want to do that. I really wanted to keep this car as oem as possible and just enjoy it as a cruiser but if these parts store alternators don’t work out for me that Saturn in the stock location might be the way to go.Thanks for linking that, totally good option.

I hope a shitty autozone one will work fine for me, as I’m sure I’m making a lot less heat at a lot lower rpms over a lot fewer miles than most on here.

 

[steve]

Also, what the heck is this stud for?

If I recall correctly the harness with the oil sensor wires, PS Pressure Sensor wire had a plastic guide that bolted to that stud. As noted it is connected to the alternator case and is grounded.

It can be used in addition to the ground path via the alternator mounting bracket/engine block/battery ground to the starter bolt.