'98 Camry - need new alternator -- OEM or aftermarket?

Ok,

The bearings in alternator in my '98 Camry V6 are starting to go...nasty squeeking noises.

The question is, should I go with a Denso branded alternator or an aftermarket unit?

Toyota wants ~$300 for the Denso and Autozone wants $137.99 for a "Duralast" Gold with lifetime warranty.

What I don't want to do is be pennywise pound foolish and buy an Autozone unit and have to replace it every 2 years...

Suggestions appreciated.

Jay.

Reply to
Jay
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Hi Jay, Is it not possible to just replace the bearings. Usually motor stuff is just standard metric ones . I would not thing it would be to difficult if you are into engineering practices. Thing is to knock or pull them out and take to a shop that specialises in bearings. Not the TOYOTA dealer. Standard sizes are really very cheap.

Just my 2 cents.

Reply to
Johnny Melvin

Johnny,

I thought of this too, but if the commutator is too worn or if the rotor is out of round, then it may not be worth it.

I have the repair manual for the car and it details the alternator repair. Removing the bearings and re-inserting them requires some of the special Toyota tools.

The dealership wants $21.20 / bearing and add to the time involved in taking it apart...it may not be worth it.

Do you have any personal experience replacing the bearings? Maybe it's not as hard as the manual makes it look.

At anyrate, thanks a lot of your suggestions.

Jay.

Reply to
Jay

I think you hit the nail on the head. The Denso is $160 more than the AZ unit, more than double. That being said, rebuilts don't have a reputation for durability. How important is doing a job every couple of years or having a rebuilt crap out in East Hockaloogie on a Sunday night in the rain? I only buy new OEM whenever possible. This stuff is too hard to do twice, warranty or no warranty. I've been maintaining and fixing my own vehicles for over 40 years. In the beginning it was a challenge. Now it is just a pain in the ass. My vote goes to the Denso after you shop the hell out of the price. YMMV (of course) FWIW (naturally) DFB (me)

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Reply to
MisterSkippy

Same here. Unless the Toyota dealer offers their own remanufactured unit.

Brings to mind a nice 1967 VW bug, where I had a mechanic replace the generator. If I remember correctly, it was replaced five times under warranty before I finally switched to Bosch orignial equipment. Never had to change it again. On the Toyota truck I replaced the "lifetime warranty" Pep Boys starter twice before going to original equipment and ending my problems. I must be a slow learner, because I also bought a water pump there and actually found the shaft wobbling loose in the housing after coasting off the freeway having lost all coolant in the system.

Reply to
Daniel M. Dreifus

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