Thread: Alternator brushes, D2 V8

I was driving my 1994 Merc wagon the other day and the alternator stopped working. I got a friend to deliver my spare, fitted it and all was well. After getting home I looked at the old one and thought how similar it looked to my spare D2 V8 alternator. Turns out they are very similar in construction and share the same type of regulator, also used in a wide variety of European vehicles of the era.

I pulled the old one's back cover off to expose the regulator, held on with only two screws. Ditto the D2 V8 one. The regulators swapped no problems. On mine one of the brushes had worn to the point of no contact. Had a go at unsoldering the brushes but no go. So looked at ebay and found out the price of a genuine Bosch regulator, over $250. Hmmm. Unbranded generic ones for $50 or so.

So I dropped by my local auto electrician who pronounced the regulator unfixable, tried to sell me a generic. I asked to see his spare brush collection and promptly found a set of matching spares, Bosch part number 1 127 014 028 They came with tails to pull them into place, new ferrules and springs. Luvverly.

So back home, still can't unsolder the old brushes. I end up crushing them up to powder with a small sharp screwdriver and extracting the springs. Then with a 2mm drill bit I drilled out the old wire from their ferrules. I then installed the new brushes and springs, pulling the wire tail through with needle nosed pliers. Solder the wires and cut off the tails and it's like new again. Installed the regulator and bench tested it, a solid 14.6 volts. Excellent result, an hour well spent.

Cost of brushes? Around $20 depending on where you look. Hope this helps someone to keep their D2 V8 on the road without spending zillions.

BOSCH Alternator Carbon Brush SET 1127014028

Always good to think out side of the box