shatto
05-09-2011, 10:52 PM
The more I think about it, the more irritated I become. All because of a design flaw that caused destruction rather than stopping working.
Forty years ago when the generator on the Land Rover stopped working, I simply opened it up........let me explain;
A generator, alternator or any electric motor all have in common that they have 'brushes' which are just copper or a copper alloy and are held against the spinning armature by spring pressure to make contact, complete a circuit and make the electrical process happen. Brushes, in whatever form, eventually wear out because of contact friction and must then be replaced because the unit no longer functions.
Simple, right?
In the old days English vehicles used Lucas electronics, then the stuff of mirth and ridicule for their sub-par performance.
When the Land Rover generator 'brushes' wore to the point of no longer working I simply opened it up carefully stretched the springs so the brushes once again made contact and, usually, it would work long enough to get one home from the bush.
The 'brushes' were designed to be pushed only as far as the end of the 'brush' so when it wore down it stopped making contact, so hard parts did not damage the armature.
Smart, right?
In 2006 Toyota manufactured my V8 powered Tundra, 'Clyde The Ride'.
In May of 2011, after traveling a total of 168,000 miles the alternator failed.
Not a big deal, right?
Not a big deal except that I had a medical delivery and had to go from Redding, California way up northeast almost to the Oregon border and then all the way back to the Bay Area. In a truck with electric everything, from the transmission controls, to the fuel pump, injection....even the gas pedal. I had to buy four batteries to complete the trip. Why? Because there were no alternators nor overhaul kits anywhere in northern California.
We all know we could have an alternator for any year of any model of any pickup of any of the Big-Three in minutes. Think about it, Toyota.
So, I eventually got back to Dex's Automotive in Concord and he had his mechanic bust his knuckles and.....the brush kit would not work because the 'brushes' had been pushed so far that the wear-out part was gone and the non wear-out part ate-up the armature and destroyed the alternator.
So what?
$250.00....Rebuilt Alternator.
$140.00....Labor.
$390.00....Unnecessarily spent.
or
$25.00.....Brushes.
Nobody minds spending money for maintenance and replacement of parts that wear out.
Some of us are irritated by the necessity, every hundred thousand miles, of a thousand dollar timing belt replacement that also requires a new water pump, pulley's and assorted 'wear-out' parts, so why not have the alternator included in the service?
Moral of the story?
Hey, guys! Include new brushes in your alternator when you have the timing belt replaced every hundred thousand miles.
Forty years ago when the generator on the Land Rover stopped working, I simply opened it up........let me explain;
A generator, alternator or any electric motor all have in common that they have 'brushes' which are just copper or a copper alloy and are held against the spinning armature by spring pressure to make contact, complete a circuit and make the electrical process happen. Brushes, in whatever form, eventually wear out because of contact friction and must then be replaced because the unit no longer functions.
Simple, right?
In the old days English vehicles used Lucas electronics, then the stuff of mirth and ridicule for their sub-par performance.
When the Land Rover generator 'brushes' wore to the point of no longer working I simply opened it up carefully stretched the springs so the brushes once again made contact and, usually, it would work long enough to get one home from the bush.
The 'brushes' were designed to be pushed only as far as the end of the 'brush' so when it wore down it stopped making contact, so hard parts did not damage the armature.
Smart, right?
In 2006 Toyota manufactured my V8 powered Tundra, 'Clyde The Ride'.
In May of 2011, after traveling a total of 168,000 miles the alternator failed.
Not a big deal, right?
Not a big deal except that I had a medical delivery and had to go from Redding, California way up northeast almost to the Oregon border and then all the way back to the Bay Area. In a truck with electric everything, from the transmission controls, to the fuel pump, injection....even the gas pedal. I had to buy four batteries to complete the trip. Why? Because there were no alternators nor overhaul kits anywhere in northern California.
We all know we could have an alternator for any year of any model of any pickup of any of the Big-Three in minutes. Think about it, Toyota.
So, I eventually got back to Dex's Automotive in Concord and he had his mechanic bust his knuckles and.....the brush kit would not work because the 'brushes' had been pushed so far that the wear-out part was gone and the non wear-out part ate-up the armature and destroyed the alternator.
So what?
$250.00....Rebuilt Alternator.
$140.00....Labor.
$390.00....Unnecessarily spent.
or
$25.00.....Brushes.
Nobody minds spending money for maintenance and replacement of parts that wear out.
Some of us are irritated by the necessity, every hundred thousand miles, of a thousand dollar timing belt replacement that also requires a new water pump, pulley's and assorted 'wear-out' parts, so why not have the alternator included in the service?
Moral of the story?
Hey, guys! Include new brushes in your alternator when you have the timing belt replaced every hundred thousand miles.