It's come down to the alternater now.

[Randee of the Redwoods]

Replaced suspect battery. BAttery light still flashes, and now flashes in warm weather as well. Used to only flash in cold weather. Bought replacement alternater from Advance. Only like $90 after core. Looks like a reman, so it probably is. Problem-new alt comes with pulley just a smidgen smaller than the one on the truck. Tried to swap pullies to no avail. Managed to remove the pulley from the old alt, but can't get the nut to budge on the new one(and don't have impact tools). Also, case is not set up right and needs to be clocked in order to line up one one of the bolt holes BUT pulley has to come off to allow front case to lift in order to clear the cast in tabs on case back. Either or, unit fits and works fine, even without the third bolt. I just don't like how close the charge lead is to the mounting bracket(like 1/16"). I can already see the tach reading higher than normal. So question-will the small pulley be ok aside from the aforementioned tach readout until I get an impact wrench? I checked charge outputs at idle and they match the original at idle. 14.43 on the right, 14.39 on the left(passenger) and 14.4x off the charge lug.

[tom.mcinerney]

I'd guess with the long thru-bolt and one more fastening should be OK ...if belt tension reasonable.

[CleviteKid]

What does Advance say? Seems like they supplied the wrong alternator configuration for your application. They should either exchange it, or swap pulleys for you and clock the case while they are at it.

Dr. Lee :cool:

"If it's not one thing, it's another."

[moedog]

RANDY,
I HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE ON THE GM ALTERNATORS FREEZING UP THE BEARINGS( COMMON PROBLEM ) UNTIL MY ALTERNATOR SHOP PUT A SMALLER PULLY TO REDUCE THE TENSION ON THE REAR BEARING AS GM DESIGNED THEM TO SMALL. ANOTHER GREAT GM IDEA. SINCE THE PULLEY REDUCTION IVE NEVER LOST ANOTHER BEARING AND IT CHARGES JUST FINE. BOLT IT ON AND THANK THE MANUFACTURER!!!
DAN

[Randee of the Redwoods]

As for Advance, I specified K3500 diesel and this is what they gave me. When I take the core back, I'll check again to see what they say. I'll be taking the core to a different Advance near my house. If they have one in stock, I'll have them pull it and see if the case is the same or different.

[Bobbie Martin]

Welcome to the Delco CS-130 alternator! It has a reliability record that would make a Lucas alternator turn green with envy! ;) The CS130 fits about

[Randee of the Redwoods]

The new one looks just like the old one, except for the aforementioned housing clock. The bearings even look the same, about an inch in diameter. I'm just gonna run with it for now and see how it goes. The barely readable imprints on each housing states the original was 100amp and the new one is also 100amp. As for China, wouldn't surprise me.

[damork]

I gave up on the CS-130 from GM (Delco) and bought a Duralast Gold (new - not rebuilt) from Autozone about 6 months ago. Since then it has been the only alternator that actually keeps voltage up during idle and seems to be very well built. The previous 2 Delco units would drop voltage at stop lights, with headlites on, heater on, etc.

Not only that, but it is good to have the proper voltage supplied to your electronic fuel pumps/drivers for long life.

[CleviteKid]

You guys are making me feel guilty. I put a $34.95 special chain parts store rebuild on my truck in 1992, and it is still working just fine. I did wear out the threads where the adjustment screw threads in, and heli-coiled that to repair it, but the bearings and diodes and brushes and all that other stuff are still makin' like the Energizer Bunny (knocking on wood as I write this ;) ).
http://www.stuntgrunts.com/sections/photo_gallery/bunny.jpg

Dr. Lee :cool:

"The only thing better than being smart, is being lucky."

[ 04-28-2004, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: CleviteKid ]

[Randee of the Redwoods]

Drove on the new alt today. Good hour each way, with stop and go traffic. I don't know if it's the alt, the smaller pulley, or a combination of both, but the volt needle on the dash definately showed some change! When the motor was hot from a long drive, the volt needle would drop 2 ticks to the left of 14(hot regulator/rectifier). This one stayed one tick to the left of 14 all day except when I hit the brakes, turn signal, etc. It RESPONDED the same as the other one, but during the traffic jam, the stoplights, and the open highway, the needle did not drop like it used to.
I'm going to pick up an impact gun and swap the pullies and see what happens. Maybe it's just because this one is new(er), but according to the dash needle, it's output seems more reliable. (FYI-the box is marked Imperial)

[dieselbegreat]

I suggest you use extreme caution when rotating the cases on these or the brittle brushes will crack. They must be held out of the way when separating the case at all or they will hang up and crack inside.

[Polar Diesel]

must be a difference in guages, but i've had three alts, and all maintain above 14. I also had to change the pulley 3 times. I still have flickering lights and alt guage. i'm thinking it's a ground.

[tom.mcinerney]

The alternator mounting is a neat bit of engineering from electrical point of view. The long bolt connects rear-to-front shell; the bracket bolts to thermo crossover [thus psgr side batt], and intake manifold [thus drvr side batt]. So if bolted connections good, it should ground well.

[Bobbie Martin]

Originally posted by damork:
I gave up on the CS-130 from GM (Delco) and bought a Duralast Gold (new - not rebuilt) from Autozone about 6 months ago. Is the new alternator a CS130 or something else?

[cruzer]

I have an Advance Auto parts # that fits my truck. I know the yrs are diff,but it's probably the same alt. The # is pa 5211867.
My 1st one blew in 1997 and I purchased an Advanced, it bolted right up.I didn't know about the pulley back then. The second one blew a couple of months ago. I showed the the reciept,
and they gave me the same part #, Swapped the pulley only and it bolted right up. Both were identical each time.

[Randee of the Redwoods]

So far, so good. I've driven the truck several times. Aside from the tach readout being off, this thing has NEVER felt so tight since it was delivered last Nov. It actually feels like it has 400 poundfeet of torque now, even though it's a fat old crew cab. This thing gets up and scoots!
Maybe something in the programming, after detecting electrical glitches(spikes from loss of voltage) was retarding the engine performance? Even in the blast of hot weather here recently this thing boogies! Should have changed the alt out a long time ago.
PS-Can't find the cordless impact gun I'm looking for but still plan on changing out the pulley to see if there is a difference. Any one know the diameter of the true original pulley? Maybe the OLD pulley was the wrong size(past replacement).

[cruzer]

I think it's 62mm where the belt rides

[Randee of the Redwoods]

Battery light still flickers. Gauge still dips. Don't know whether to ignore it or keep searching. It's cost me 2 new batteries and a new alt. Huh? What's up? I can't just ignore it. My commute is 50 miles one way(Nissan won't be registered until next week). I don't want to end up stranded. Motor still runs like I lit a fire under it. I just don't get it.

[Polar Diesel]

don't worry about the flickers. i've driven 30,000 miles with mine doing it. it ****es me off more than anything. Just one of those things you have chance to monitor when your on long drives. kinda like watching temp and oil pres.

[damork]

Bobbie Martin,
The Duralast looks like a CS130, but supposed to have improved internal parts. I would have stayed with the stock unit, and the Iceberg units took more hacking than I was willing to put up with so therefore I chose the Duralast.

[Calvin 60]

I just replaced the Alt. on my truck this week. I think the truck runs better and I am wondering if the stalling problem (happened about three times in the last 3 months) is connected to the Alt. not operating properly. Also the tac and the temp gauge are showing slightly different readings. My truck has about 110,000 miles and all of the stalling problems have been in the last 2000 miles.