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

 

[99dsmer4g63]

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.

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On my 2g the stud is for a thing in the wire loom. It’s similar to like a p clamp that holds the alternator/ofh wires to and keeps them out the way. I’ve done so much to wiring tucking that I don’t use that stud at all. No ground wire hooked to it or anything.

FWIW I have an advanced auto one. Couldn’t order it in the store had to order it online and ship it to my house. I used the 90 amp like most are stating. The one I bought was the “brand new” car quest unit. It was like $180 several years ago and was like $20 more than a reman so I figured I’d try it. So far I can’t complain about it. Most people bash parts store alternators but I’ve had luck with them.

One thing I think gives these alternators a bad wrap is people being careless when working on the power steering and water pipe/ water pump.
I’ve had 2 alternators go out and one was right after I put the car together and didn’t bleed the P/S correctly and it would overflow fluid out the reservoir. Thus killing the alternator within days. Overflowed a couple times before I fixed the problem.

Second time different car had to remove water pump. Coolant definitely soaked it from the water pipe connection to water pump. Killed the alternator within days.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence but I think not. I’m confident I killed both alternators I seen fail personally. With the heat of the downpipe these things have a hard life.

-Daniel

 

[97egl]

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.

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This seems to be the best thing to do. Seems like all the reman ones they put new voltage regulators on them but they are not OEM Mitsubishi regulators and they commonly crap out way before the brushes go out. I have changed just the brushes on several alternators before the NOS regulator assemblies with brushes showed up on ebay. Now I just get the whole regulator assy with the brushes and save the OEM mistubishi regulator for when the supply on ebay dries up.

Only other issue I have seen with factory alternators is the slip ring the brushes ride on was very worn on one and I had to replace that and the rear bearing. I've yet to see a rectifier bridge, stator, or rotor go bad. I would highly encourage people to rebuild their oem alternators & starters. Most the time you will have a higher quality unit for a fraction of the cost of a (probably) subpar reman alternator. The days of it not being worth it to rebuild these parts seem to be going away but unfortunately all the shops that used to rebuild alternators & starters have gone out of business so now you have to do it yourself.

To sum it up the best alternator in 2023 is probably your original alternator with a new set of brushes.

 

[technicaldiag]

yep i have a 30 year old starter and alternator in both of my dsms......

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

For the price of a new Voltage Regulator/brushes/diode trio, I would be pretty deep in the pocket verses a rebuilt unit.
I would do what I have on 2 of my 3 DSM's, use a 90 amp Galant Alternator. Mine are 1g cars so keep that in mind as I don't know if it makes a difference but might.

1996 MITSUBISHI GALANT 2.4L L4 Alternator / Generator | RockAuto

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I have to agree that if you buy a rebuilt or new unit, get the lifetime warranty, I did.

 

[ist dwa]

Best alternator you can buy bar none. I have bought 1 for each of my DSMs and they both just keep on working one is over 10 years old.

150 AMP 13249 Alternator Dodge Eagle Plymouth Mitsubishi High Output Performance | eBay

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[Dericsh]

Best alternator you can buy bar none. I have bought 1 for each of my DSMs and they both just keep on working one is over 10 years old.

150 AMP 13249 Alternator Dodge Eagle Plymouth Mitsubishi High Output Performance | eBay

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Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

My issue is this, there are so many fly by night sellers on FleaBay that a lifetime warranty is impossible. I bought an electric cutout on that dam site 5 years ago, lifetime warranty, but you can't find the seller now and the cutout is all kinds of messed up, so it is an open dump now.
I warn against Ebay. Have a starter/alternator repair shop just spruce up the original.

 

[chrisman287]

My issue is this, there are so many fly by night sellers on FleaBay that a lifetime warranty is impossible. I warn against Ebay. Have a starter/alternator repair shop just spruce up the original.

They’re legit. I know of someone with an audio shop that uses them exclusively and he rarely has issues and highly recommends them.

I currently have a Galant 90 amp because I got a really good deal on it locally.

 

[diambo4life]

Don't buy parts store alternators for our Mitsus. Just swap to a Saturn one. Seriously, it may be the last one you ever buy. I used to go through at least ONE alternator a year. The straw that broke the camel's back is when one burned up and left me stranded hours from home. Never. Again.

 

[Car Cannibal]

I've been getting mine rebuilt by the local alternator shop for over a decade, while it's gone from 120 amps to 160 amps now, it still only lasts roughly 20k miles and that's with all my hot parts coated, this whole time, even did the turbo blanket 5k ago.

I think the best option is to get it away from the heat, go to the back location on the belt like the Saturn alt, but I don't see anyone using stock alternators and doing this.

I've tried using a metal plate in between the DP and alternator but I think the front area is just too hot in general and they get blasted with little relief 10 minutes after start up.