Another Alternator. Anyone know there electrical stuff?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,749
Likes: 41
I did the cs -144 conversion 2 years ago and no more problems. The mounting ear on top is a little thicker so you have to grind off a little on the alternator ear or on the brakcet. That's it, the wiring harness is the same. A cs-144 is a monster compared to the original but there is plenty of room for it.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 12
From: OBAMA IS HITLER
there are folks who disagreee with me, but......
i believe in the endless rotation of the reman route w/lifetime warranty.......duralast gold from autozone......when my acdelco craps out, i have a duralast gold on the shelf (i think it was about $80) and will play the lifetime warranty game --- from then on they're free......after all, the alternator is easy to remove & replace which is why i believe in this strategy.
so that is my "solution".
i believe in the endless rotation of the reman route w/lifetime warranty.......duralast gold from autozone......when my acdelco craps out, i have a duralast gold on the shelf (i think it was about $80) and will play the lifetime warranty game --- from then on they're free......after all, the alternator is easy to remove & replace which is why i believe in this strategy.
so that is my "solution".
Race Director
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,597
Likes: 237
From: Bartlett Illinois
I did the CS-144 upgrade.. going on 5 years.. NO Issues
CS-130 comapred to CS-144(installed)
CS-144 Installed
I understand it fits with a little bit of clearancing to the Stock bracket, I already had the AIR pump Eliminator so I cannot comment on the stock fit.
CS-130 comapred to CS-144(installed)
CS-144 Installed
I understand it fits with a little bit of clearancing to the Stock bracket, I already had the AIR pump Eliminator so I cannot comment on the stock fit.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Dayton WA
ONE very important issue that no one here has yet observed. Those cars that are driven daily, seem to fewer electrical problems and work just fine. That is to say, very few battery or alternator problems. Those cars that are driven on weekends, appear to have battery problems once a year with corresponding alternator failures.
The common thread to most of these problems is the state of charge on the battery as the car sits between drives. So here is the answer; buy a battery tender! And keep the battery plugged in when ever your not driving. The battery will be charged and ready for the next weekend drive. And the alternator will not be laboring/overheating trying to charge a half dead battery.
At a cost of $35 bucks its cheaper than an alternator and battery every year.
The common thread to most of these problems is the state of charge on the battery as the car sits between drives. So here is the answer; buy a battery tender! And keep the battery plugged in when ever your not driving. The battery will be charged and ready for the next weekend drive. And the alternator will not be laboring/overheating trying to charge a half dead battery.
At a cost of $35 bucks its cheaper than an alternator and battery every year.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 5
From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
Check out Motor City Reman. When I was looking the new CS-144 was three times as much as stock. You should also upgrade your cables to carry the higher output. Not worth it to me.
Last edited by BADDUCK; Jul 20, 2007 at 10:53 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 22,209
Likes: 12
From: OBAMA IS HITLER
ahh, no game for me then -- way too much $$ and no real payback. $239.99, screw that.
i like paying $80 up front, and then just replacing them forever for free. cheap and easy.
i like paying $80 up front, and then just replacing them forever for free. cheap and easy.
Last edited by Red Tornado; Jul 20, 2007 at 10:39 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,642
Likes: 5
From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
Yeah, I kept my original which still works as a back-up if I have to mail mine back in for repair.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,179
Likes: 673
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
OEM style alt using a local (mom & pop) rebuild shop....
And a Diehard battery....
The theroy of your cars electrical system is that the alt powers the car. Not to simply charge the batt. Driving around one day a week weakens a cheap overhauled alt. Upgrading to a 144 amp alt is a successful mod. And you now have the power to carry those 500 watt stereo amps and concert speakers.
And a Diehard battery....
The theroy of your cars electrical system is that the alt powers the car. Not to simply charge the batt. Driving around one day a week weakens a cheap overhauled alt. Upgrading to a 144 amp alt is a successful mod. And you now have the power to carry those 500 watt stereo amps and concert speakers.
Last edited by JrRifleCoach; Jul 20, 2007 at 11:01 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,653
Likes: 428
From: Melbourne Florida
Cruise-In IV Veteran
If you only drive your car during the hours that the parts store is open and keep all the tools you need in the car and keep an extra batttery if you kill your new one with that bad rebuilt alt and you make sure you only drive on roads where you can safely pull over to change the part, then rebuilt alt's are a no brainer...
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,029
Likes: 63
No-one took a look at my link? 
The link I posted earlier was tech tip of how to upgrade from CS130 to CS144 using original brackets, take a look. Easy job. I spent $500 for CS130 rebuilds and Iceberg upgrade before I was fed up and upgraded to CS144.
The link I posted earlier was tech tip of how to upgrade from CS130 to CS144 using original brackets, take a look. Easy job. I spent $500 for CS130 rebuilds and Iceberg upgrade before I was fed up and upgraded to CS144.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,597
Likes: 237
From: Bartlett Illinois
I don't remember, I got it from Jeff Kopp at Superiro Chevy,, before Chris May took his place
Rockauto has a Reman ACDELCO for $137.xx (that includes the $15 core charge you would have to pay)
so around $140 is what I paid years ago.. but I needed an Alt. and the last CS-130 I bought at Trak Auto, which had gone out of business before my alt died.
Rockauto has a Reman ACDELCO for $137.xx (that includes the $15 core charge you would have to pay)
so around $140 is what I paid years ago.. but I needed an Alt. and the last CS-130 I bought at Trak Auto, which had gone out of business before my alt died.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,749
Likes: 41
Thanks man!
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Kalamazoo MI
I purchased a Pep Boys Lifetime rebuilt for my 1st 88 and it's still going strong 9 years later.
The Delco rebuild on my 2nd 88 just went and I put a Pep Boys rebuild on it and still ok after 3 months...wooohooo!!! It gets hot as snot almost as soon as the car is running though so something is obviously wrong...time to start the troubleshooting. Looks like some good starting points on this thread. Probably start with cleaning terminals and battery.
The Delco rebuild on my 2nd 88 just went and I put a Pep Boys rebuild on it and still ok after 3 months...wooohooo!!! It gets hot as snot almost as soon as the car is running though so something is obviously wrong...time to start the troubleshooting. Looks like some good starting points on this thread. Probably start with cleaning terminals and battery.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 10,749
Likes: 41
It looks like the alternator went again today. Does anyone have any idea what the issue could be?
The battery light came on, loss of power, volts at 11.6. This is the 3rd time this has happened.
The battery light came on, loss of power, volts at 11.6. This is the 3rd time this has happened.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,028
Likes: 170
From: oregon
Most rebuilds get fixed what only went bad,then you dont even know what the rebuilder is using,if hes using the cheapest chit he can get and charge premium for it.
If the same part they replaced fails,its a good bet the replacement parts are simply cheap inferior quality..especially after a few times!
Im also urge most L98 C4 owners,if they want peace of mind,to do the CS144 upgrade found on later models.Its way better in design.
Sure some people with the older units got some life out of theirs...it happens,but the rebuild/replacement and majority of failure in replacement parts have been very high.
Myself included..the Vette was the ONLY car I had constant alternator failures with,and I did replace the battery and made sure the charge was healthy and excellent before doing a new one.
If the same part they replaced fails,its a good bet the replacement parts are simply cheap inferior quality..especially after a few times!
Im also urge most L98 C4 owners,if they want peace of mind,to do the CS144 upgrade found on later models.Its way better in design.
Sure some people with the older units got some life out of theirs...it happens,but the rebuild/replacement and majority of failure in replacement parts have been very high.
Myself included..the Vette was the ONLY car I had constant alternator failures with,and I did replace the battery and made sure the charge was healthy and excellent before doing a new one.
this gets my vote ! also, in my area i have found rebuilt L98 alternators with slightly smaller than stock pullies. this is great for low rpm charging but causes them to fly apart with rpm since you are now spinning the case faster than it was designed. do make sure you get a stock size pully or larger if you have a high rpm modified motor.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,394
Likes: 2,741
The CS144 is certainly "the fix" or the more desirable option. Unless you really need the amperage the 124 is likely plenty!
Here's your link again!:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=189&TopicID=2
That and the "ground confirmation" should be all that's needed!
Here's your link again!:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=189&TopicID=2
That and the "ground confirmation" should be all that's needed!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
As an EE, and your getting the same regulator all the time, I would suspect the regulator is poorly designed. I'd call some other auto electrical shops and describe your problem and see if there are other sources for replacement voltage regulators. I drive my 87 every day and I have replaced 3 alternators, they seem to last me about 6 years and I have always bought rebuilt AC Delco OEM alternators. Find out from the nearest Chevy parts department if the voltage regulator can be bought. I'd try that next.
Last edited by jfb; Jun 22, 2008 at 12:39 AM.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 506
Likes: 12
From: Savannah GA
Heck,Ive got to chime in!
Your shop is using cheap parts. (my opinion)
Heat is what is killing you alternator. Auto electric people told me long ago 3 or 4 year was good for a GM front driver, or vette because they don't have engine driven fans to cool things down.
Along with the weak battery you are providing by letting the car sit so much.
I went with the Pep Boys lifetime. They are new aftermarket alternators. I've smoked 2 of them in the last 10 years from weak batteries when my vette was sitting most of the time.
If your vette is weekender get a battery tender. It will take the load off the marginal alternator and the battery will last longer to. (Ask me how I know)
Another small help is a new boost fan switch if your vette has the fan out front. The stock switch doesn't turn the fan on until about 225 degrees. I got one to turn it on at 200.
If you got to get a new alternator I'd look into the CS144. Couldn't be much more. I think Pep Boys want $130 ish for a new one of theirs.
JS
Your shop is using cheap parts. (my opinion)
Heat is what is killing you alternator. Auto electric people told me long ago 3 or 4 year was good for a GM front driver, or vette because they don't have engine driven fans to cool things down.
Along with the weak battery you are providing by letting the car sit so much.
I went with the Pep Boys lifetime. They are new aftermarket alternators. I've smoked 2 of them in the last 10 years from weak batteries when my vette was sitting most of the time.
If your vette is weekender get a battery tender. It will take the load off the marginal alternator and the battery will last longer to. (Ask me how I know)
Another small help is a new boost fan switch if your vette has the fan out front. The stock switch doesn't turn the fan on until about 225 degrees. I got one to turn it on at 200.
If you got to get a new alternator I'd look into the CS144. Couldn't be much more. I think Pep Boys want $130 ish for a new one of theirs.
JS