[B10alia]

My Spirit is making a very bad grinding noise from the front passenger side of the engine compartment. The water pump has less than 20k on it and the engine runs smoothly with good oil pressure, so I assume my alternator bearings are probably on the way out. The alternator is the 90A (I think, it's whatever was standard equipment) Nippondenso unit. I've seen kits on eBay that say they're for the 90A Denso alternator, the part number seems to match what I've found on RockAuto and the brush assembly looks like the one in my Spirit, but the part "only fits" the Ramcharger and pre-Ram pickups... Are these units in fact the same? I don't want to shell out $125 for an alternator that needs two $10 bearings...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALTERNATOR-REPAIR-REBUILD-KIT-Dodge-Dakota-Ramcharger-B-D-W-Pickup-75-90-Amp-/230784110330

 

[John Wood]

My gut feeling says that the kit won't work based on looking at the brush holder. It could be that the bearings are the same, but I wouldn't take that chance.

It is easy enough to inspect your brush holder configuration before you decide to purchase from anyone.

In the past, I've brought in old bearings to NAPA or Carquest and just had them match identical units from their stock. The bearings were usually in the $5-$7 range, but it has been a while ago.

 

[dana44]

Ditto. There are only a couple bushing sizes used on alternators, and brushes can be matched up, too. It is a NAPA thing.

 

[B10alia]

Well, NAPA told me they "didn't have anything like that" when I called them... I need to have the alternator in the car until I'm ready to do the bearings, since the only NAPA near me is off of a major highway and riding my bike there is out of the question... does anyone have the dimensions of the bearings or perhaps a Timken catalog number on these?

 

[Bob Lincoln]

A search shows that NAPA and O'Reilly's don't have a rebuild kit for alternators. But Advance Auto does have the bearings - one bearing is $22.99, the other is $20.99.

 

[B10alia]

From an online alternator parts house. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I read this email.
Part Type
Reference #
Karam #
BEARING
5-3514 [SIZE=14pt]$20.35 [/SIZE]
10-2021-4
BEARING
5-5222 [SIZE=14pt]$32.00[/SIZE]
10-3042-4

Plus $20 shipping w/ground UPS.
I found out that one of the bearings (the top one) is the same as spec'd in the eBay kit. The bottom one, unfortunately, is not. It seems like Chrysler used 15mm and 17mm shafts on the alternators.

 

[John Wood]

That seems like a lot for just bearings. Be completely sure that is really your problem. Only one time have I ever had problems with alternator bearings and it was on a chain store re-build unit (doubt that they ever replaced the original bearings in the rebuild).

In my experience bearing noise around the alternator (on cars I worked on) turned out to be a bad AC idler pulley bearing and AC compressor hub bearings. I suggest you remove one belt at a time to ID the source. Take all the belts off and if the noise continues, consider that it could be the timing belt tensioner pulley.

 

[mjg0711]

I want to bring a talented guy to your attention. Here in Portland, Oregon, Bill Jungck does custom rebuilding of alternators and starters. He actually will tests your alternator, tears your alternator down, then rebuilds it completely with new mechanical and electronic parts. Then, he will either bead blast the alternator case, and he can arrange for chrome plating on your beautiful alternator. He's done a beautiful and long lasting job for me in the past, so I'm going back to him.

He owns PMX Custom Alternators and Starters. (503) 777-7172

My K vert has the 90 amp alternator. It's original to the car, and has over 200,000 miles on it. Bill's rebuild will cost me $140. (no chrome)

 

[chuzz]

That won't work for B10alia. It looks like this car is his primary mode of transportation and I doubt that the process would be an overnight thing.

 

[John Wood]

This was a rather old post. I wonder how he made out?

 

[scjeff]

I used Nations Auto Electric for a starter repair kit a few years ago. It looks like they have the alternator bearings as well. http://www.nationsautoelectric.com/bearings.html