I guess this is mostly for reference..

Last night, coming home, CC set @ 70 mph, did a check of the gauges, voltage gauge was ~12.. ohh, dat's no good.

Pulled over, the serpentine belt was still on, so I pulled back onto the interstate. I was still 2 hours from home... Buddy's house was 1/2 hour away, so I shut off anything unnecessary, and drove to his place... when he returned home at 12:30am (I pulled up at 9:45), he had an unexpected overnight guest!

CC worked, tach worked, just no chargy. Pulled the alt this morning, noticed a thick black "goo" around the front of the alt. housing. Had it tested, and it's no good. Replaced, and everything is ducky again.

A few signs it was going out that I should have caught - hindsight is great!

1: lately, I've been getting what would sound like ignition noise through my CB... a week ago, it was 2/4 bars. this week, it's been consistently 3 bars, and last night, before the alt went, it was hitting full, and causing an awful background noise.

2: slight metal to metal noise on cold starts for about a minute.

With the new alt, the background noise is gone. It was the failing diodes allowing AC into the electrical systems.

So, if you suddenly develop noise in your AM, it might be the alt!

 

how much is an alternator for our trucks?

 

Great post Eskimo!

 

Found BRAND NEW ones for cheap ($180):

http://www.fostertruck.com/alternators.htm

At that price, its almost worth buying one just to have on the shelf

Read the fine print guys - they dont fit all the trucks.....

 

For how many I've had to replace in the last 10 years I would hardly spend the $$$ to keep one lying around.

 

I agree about heeding the warnings.
Many years ago I had a 90 Cheby that made a simmilar noise when cold, but since it was winter and cold I didnt put it high on the get her done list
Any way one morning after a graveyard I'm heading home on the freeway and its snowing hard I get this high pitch whine from under the hood. A quick scan of the gauges I see no voltage and think, ok kill the accs and limp her home only two exits to go. Next I see flames from under the cowel so I wheel her over and open the the hood Large fire,entire hood felt and serpintine belt, flames everywhere. Luckely lots of snow to throw on it and douse the flames. The alt looks like the sun I can see right thru the case and the windings are dripping out the bottom. I guess the front brg went south and got so hot it was glowing red. They couldnt even use the case for a rebuild it was so whiped out. Next a cop pulls over and says " you cant park here" Its 530am and snowing, my hoods up and the trucks steaming from the snow I have thrown all over it, im soaking wet and freezing so I say to the cop gimmy a break Im broke down can you call me a tow truck. The **** head just drives away
Sorry to vent or hi-jack the thread but the moral of the story is heed the warning signs

 

Hate to say it cause I know where you work....$180 is MUCH better than the OTHER options. And, its not a bad idea if you plan on keeping the truck until the wheels fall off.

 

I know where you're coming from mr evil, but what i'm saying is that I've probably seen two bad alts on a CTD in the last 10 years. Even if you keep trucks until the end of time I wouldn't be putting the alternator on the top 10 spare parts to keep around just in case. Probably not even the top 50.

 

Ahem, Dr. Evil - thank you very M-u-c-h

I guess youd know better than I how long the alternators last - thanks.

....I guess I have more money for the FASS fund....

 

AutoZone was $160 for lifetime rebuilt, Advance Auto was $170 for the same one, NAPA was $170 for a rebuilt Bosch that they'd have to special order.

(That's N.C. 7% included)

Those are the cheapest options with the lifetime warranty. You can spend as much as $300 from the parts houses should you want a new one... Foster truck rules, but when you need an alternator, you NEED an alternator now!

P.S. I think you can go a looong ways, especially during the day, with no charging. I drove for about 45minutes to an hour with no charging at night, 2 more start-ups, and then a grid-heater cycle and start-up the next day after swapping the alt... No special batteries, just some duralast golds that have been in the truck for who knows how long.

I bet I coulda made it home...

Masonic Dodge (Cris) - I'm glad I didn't call you about doing the GSK & plate on Sunday.. I didn't get home till 4pm!

 

.....just watch. Mine will take a dump this week now .