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My uncle swore a $20 junkyard alternator would hold up for two years
Back in March he told me to stop wasting money on rebuilt parts for my 2002 F-150 and just grab one from the pick-n-pull off a Crown Vic. That thing lasted exactly 47 days before the bearings went and left me stranded outside Columbus. Has anyone else had good luck with those junkyard alternators or did I just grab a dud?
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juliag1016d ago
Man, did you check if that Crown Vic was parked near a flood zone or something? I swear half the alternators at my local yard have that 'slightly salty with a side of puddle' vibe. I tried one off a Taurus once for my beater Civic, and it whined like a kid on a road trip for three weeks before giving up. Your uncle probably means well, but those junkyard alternators are a total crapshoot, about as reliable as my last attempt at baking bread during quarantine.
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jade_singh16d ago
Oh come on, you guys are way too harsh on junkyard alternators. That Crown Vic one was probably just a bad pull, happens with any part. I've grabbed three different ones from the yard over the years and two of them are still running strong in my buddy's fleet trucks. The key is to give them a good spin test right there in the lot, listen for any grinding or wobble, and check the date code if you can find it. Most of those old Ford alternators are built like tanks, way better than the cheap remans you get at the parts store that fail in six months anyway. Your uncle's advice is solid if you know what to look for and you're willing to spend 20 minutes picking through the pile. I'd take a factory Ford alt over a rebuilt Cardone any day of the week, even if it came out of a wreck.
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