Thread: What to do with old Alternators??

Everything is recycleable, is it easily reconditioned? If the bearings and brushes can be changed then it should be able to see service again. Rewinding is probably a bit beyond DIY.

What sort is it? Someone here will know if you can let us know what type it is. It might not be worth it is it is inexpensive enough to replace.

Originally Posted by slug_burner

Everything is recycleable, is it easily reconditioned? If the bearings and brushes can be changed then it should be able to see service again. Rewinding is probably a bit beyond DIY.

What sort is it? Someone here will know if you can let us know what type it is. It might not be worth it is it is inexpensive enough to replace.

300tdi 65A from my defender.

I bought a so called reco one which failed 12 months later. When i went to the auto elec to see if it was salvagable they told me the alternators used on the 300Tdi's arent all that suitable for being reco'd and that a new one was the only option. I was fine with that the new one was only $40 more than the price I paid for the so called reco one.

Being a retired spanner I have a good knowledge of the motor game.

A reconditioned alternator is usually a dead one with the problem fixed plus new bearings quite often making one out of two. For example, an auto sparkie has an alternator with a dud armature. In most cases a new armature would nearly cost as much as a new alternator.

The next one comes in with a crook diode pack but the armature is ok. So s/h armature plus new bearings (which cost about $7 ea) and you have a reco alternator with three months warranty.

I used to know a bloke who used to sell reco fridges. He would get dead fridges, often trade ins, patch them up and sell as reco with three months warranty.

I used to work in a place that sold reco gearboxes on a change over basis.
They would be pulled apart and any damaged gears replaced with new bearings. So a reco box could have only a couple of new parts plus new bearings.

So in a lot of cases reconditioned means repaired and checked with new bearings.

To me the true meaning of reconditioned is when you reuse the old housing with parts that are either new or re manufactured to as new. Eg, grinding an engine crank. It is then as good as a new one.

Dave.