Rebuilt my 1st alternator

Bret4207

Well-known Member
Well, I finally tried rebuilding an alternator. Took a bad 10si Delco and turned it into a single wire, self exciting alt. Why I didn't do this years back I don't know. Simple, simple, simple. It's all parts swapping as long as the major components are good. $10 vs $80!
 
15 years ago the alt would go bad on the 89 Olds every year. I'd go to the local auto electric and pay $180. After the forth time I got fed up and took it apart myself. Turns out they never applied the $.10 of heat transfer compound between the voltage regulator and the housing. After a $20 regulator and $.10 worth of compound, it's still good.
 

FYI: Those self-exciting regulators don't last as long as the old-fashioned type, so you might want to keep a spare in your toolbox.
 
When repairing car radios that stuff was called heat transfer paste.
Grey color and kinda like tooth paste. Trouble was it would dry out
after a while and loose heat transfer. The newer stuff is a very thick
silicone grease. Works just dandy.
 
(quoted from post at 03:15:46 04/21/17) 15 years ago the alt would go bad on the 89 Olds every year. I'd go to the local auto electric and pay $180. After the forth time I got fed up and took it apart myself. Turns out they never applied the $.10 of heat transfer compound between the voltage regulator and the housing. After a $20 regulator and $.10 worth of compound, it's still good.

When that paste first came out it was $30 a oz :shock:

I learned how to rebuild those alts around 1973/74. The top gun in the shop I was working at always got those jobs. The top gun was on vacation I told the boss I can do'dat so he let me have at it. I fought it for quite some time it would not charge, Boss got fed up and orders a reman alt. I did not remove the rectifier just bent the copper tabs up and ohm checked them it checked good. That night I removed the rectifier and found the screw that goes threw it non insulated retifier to case has corroded into. From that day on I always take the rectifier out. To make maters worse the next one he let me do same deal it would not charge every thing check good. I found the rotor bad and learned the trick on how to test them with a small battery charger. Down the road one came into the shop a new replacement reman it was a cheap arse car dealer. This was on a Saturday all the parts stores closed he had the car sold I fought that alt for quite some time every thing checked GOOD. I finely found the pulley was not thigh enoufh.

When someone states how EZ this is there arse just aint got bit yet...
 
I don't understand the attraction of one wire alternators. They are a
compromise at best and require rpm to work. May as well run a
generator, as most tractors don't need the amps anyway. It's not that
hard to wire a 3 wire Delco as it should be. Then it is more reliable
and charges down to idle.
 
(quoted from post at 09:57:09 04/21/17) I don't understand the attraction of one wire alternators. They are a
compromise at best and require rpm to work. May as well run a
generator, as most tractors don't need the amps anyway. It's not that
hard to wire a 3 wire Delco as it should be. Then it is more reliable
and charges down to idle.

In this particular case I'm replacing a 1 wire with another 1 wire. It makes little difference to me if it's a 1 wire or 3. Just happened to be what I was working on.

Just located pre-made diodes to prevent back feed! Ain't the internet great!
 
(quoted from post at 08:52:07 04/21/17)
(quoted from post at 03:15:46 04/21/17) 15 years ago the alt would go bad on the 89 Olds every year. I'd go to the local auto electric and pay $180. After the forth time I got fed up and took it apart myself. Turns out they never applied the $.10 of heat transfer compound between the voltage regulator and the housing. After a $20 regulator and $.10 worth of compound, it's still good.

When that paste first came out it was $30 a oz :shock:

I learned how to rebuild those alts around 1973/74. The top gun in the shop I was working at always got those jobs. The top gun was on vacation I told the boss I can do'dat so he let me have at it. I fought it for quite some time it would not charge, Boss got fed up and orders a reman alt. I did not remove the rectifier just bent the copper tabs up and ohm checked them it checked good. That night I removed the rectifier and found the screw that goes threw it non insulated retifier to case has corroded into. From that day on I always take the rectifier out. To make maters worse the next one he let me do same deal it would not charge every thing check good. I found the rotor bad and learned the trick on how to test them with a small battery charger. Down the road one came into the shop a new replacement reman it was a cheap arse car dealer. This was on a Saturday all the parts stores closed he had the car sold I fought that alt for quite some time every thing checked GOOD. I finely found the pulley was not thigh enoufh.

When someone states how EZ this is there arse just aint got bit yet...

I'm sure I'll run into an alt where I'm going to be busted, but for now I'm a happy camper.
 
I have a 1 wire on my Oliver 1600 starts charging just as soon as the tractors starts at regular RPM its a gas so I need additional wiring for switch but on a diesel all I'd need is the one wire to the battery and and a start button.
 
My one wire alternator on my Jubilee starts charging while it's still cranking, as shown by the ammeter.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top