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  #1  
Old 10-07-2004, 08:03 PM
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Significant Technical Input
Christmas tree dashboard cure <$55

It finally happened to me. Ironically I was on my way home from a short trip to NAPA for parts for one of my home customer's cars. Just as I was turning the key off I saw the typical Steering, Brake, Brake Lamp, Battery & ABS warning lights on. Damn! I really don't want to spend $200+ for a quality reman alternator and most of you know I don't use the 'A' word. Looking at the Subaru parts price list online gave me a huge WTF laugh, they obviously have a sense of humor. $150 for a rectifier and another $311 for the regulator????? "Well, if that's the way you're going to be we'll just sell you the whole thing for $254, reman. I wonder who put that math wiz to work?

Anyway, having been doing this for a few days now I know the rectifier is fried and probably took out the regulator when it did. *Start internet search* A few hours later I found Transpo manufactures what I needed and had a page listing a distributing warehouse right here in the river city. A brief call to a friendly voice and I located the rectifier for $28.70 and the regulator for $24.06. Kewl! In stock and I was on the way, with only one thing standing in my way. Yeah, a few of ya have probably guessed it. There's one those danged Hooters joints between here and there. Oh well, a groper sandwich - oops - I mean a grouper sandwich and couple frosties and I was on my way.

O.K. guys, I know how to do this crap blind-folded, I've done it once or twice in the past. In fact I used to do it before there was such a thing as a reman alternator. However, while I was searching for the parts manufacturer I tripped over this excellent page that illustrates how to replace the needed parts. Now this is a 3000 gt page, but the alternators are identical, as need be for this purpose. DO NOT use the part numbers on that page, the part numbers you need for the SVX are: IMR10068 for the rectifier and IM277 for the regulator. Here's the addy: http://www.stealth316.com/2-alt-rebuild.htm

Check this page to find your closest Transpo warehouse: http://www.transpo-usa.com/distr_us.html

Anyway this little job took me about twenty minutes, I suspect most of you will need to allow a couple hours. You will need a soldering iron of at least 75watts, 100 would be better. Also some thin rosin core solder and soldering paste. When you lay the stator wires into the rectifier grooves (and the regulator tabs into the rectifier grooves) tin the connections first by placing a small bit of paste on the connection, touch a bit of solder onto the preheated tip and then hit the joint. The paste will clean the joint and help cause the solder to sweat into the joint easily and cleanly.

Congrats! You will have rebuilt your first alternator! To be a complete reman the bearings should be replaced, but I'll leave that up to you.

Beav

BTW - now if anyone can come up with an inexpensive supplier for the engine mounts drop me a line. I found valve cover gaskets with sealing washers for $40-something, I'll post that in another thread.
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  #2  
Old 10-07-2004, 08:15 PM
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thanks - a most excellent write-up
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  #3  
Old 10-08-2004, 12:54 AM
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Yes! This should go in the How-To section. My alternator just kicked the bucket. They always seem to die on especially wet days. It only charges at about 12.75 volts and drains the battery overnight. Probably a bad diode. Fortunately, I had a spare, but now that I had a spare, I'd like to have one again. You know... Just in case.
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  #4  
Old 10-08-2004, 01:54 AM
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Thanks Beav. This is the cool way to fix the x'mas lights.
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  #5  
Old 10-08-2004, 06:01 AM
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Thanks Beav. I have two used alternators in my basement that could use this reman. I still only have one problem to conquer, the fear of soldering. I am the cold joint solder king.

Have you got a video on how to solder?
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  #6  
Old 10-08-2004, 06:10 AM
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excellent post, Beav - good to hear from you again! that got copy&pasted right into my "archives."


groper sandwich!
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  #7  
Old 10-08-2004, 06:58 AM
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John - start by getting yourself a decent soldering gun. It doesn't have to be expensive just hot. I've got one labeled 'Ungar', who the heck are they? Can't recall where I bought it, probably Home Depot or a hardware store, but I'm sure it was less than $20. It absolutely has to be a minimum of 75 watts and 100+ is better, as long as the tip size doesn't become unwieldy. Pick up some thin rosin core solder, about angel hair spaghetti thick and, my pref, Oatey's Soldering paste.

Tinning your iron: Get the soldering iron hot, stick it in the paste for a brief second, touch a bit of solder to both sides of it and wipe it off with a clean rag thick enough to not burn your fingers - just a quick pinch/wipe. Prepare your joint by first remembering a good, clean physical connection is always a good idea. Then apply a small dab of paste, heat and solder. Try to work as quickly as possible in order to not transfer heat too far away from the connection. It's pretty easy after one or two, adequate heat and cleanliness are the keys. The paste will make the joint so clean you'll hear it squeaking while you apply the solder.

Sweating plumbing pipes works basically the same way - using a piece of emery cloth, a wire brush or similar clean the mating pieces, apply paste, assemble joint, heat sufficiently and tousch solder to the joint. Capillary action will suck the solder into the joint and you're all good. Amazing what you can learn watching 'This Old House'.

Thanx for the kudos elsewhere. Y'all are great.

p.s. My new job is only two blocks from Hooters - how the heck did that happen?
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Last edited by Beav; 10-08-2004 at 07:04 AM.
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  #8  
Old 10-08-2004, 08:43 AM
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Sweating copper pipes is something I do in my sleep. Well not really but I can do that quite well. It's hard to see with my eyes shut.

I'll have to get a soldering Iron and give it it a shot on one my old Alt's. I am always concerned about frying the electronics.
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  #9  
Old 10-08-2004, 09:59 AM
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Spoilsport Beav!

Makes me happy to drive with all those pretty lights.


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  #10  
Old 10-08-2004, 12:07 PM
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Excellent job Beav!

Make sure to let us know how the new parts hold up!
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  #11  
Old 10-08-2004, 07:42 PM
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I will get this in the How-To Docs.
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  #12  
Old 10-09-2004, 03:11 AM
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Lightbulb

Thanks Earl

This is invaluable stuff for owners who dabble a little in DIY

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J/K

While you are at it, there is another very frequent problem new owners face on another thread; you have seen it dozens of times. The owner who thinks the Tilt lever is for setting the steering wheel angle and can't get it to work, or stay in the desired position.

If you want, I will do a write-up, and you can add to the How-Tos.

Joe
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  #13  
Old 10-09-2004, 10:41 AM
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Thanks Joe. Do you have pictures, or do you need them?

To email me directly, click on "Earl" in my signature, and it will give you my email address.
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  #14  
Old 10-09-2004, 11:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by svx_commuter
I am always concerned about frying the electronics.
I had to warranty my cell phone a while back. They didn't have a way to upload all the programmed data into the new phone, so instead of reprogramming the new one, I just transplanted the brain. In general, electronics are just not that sensitive to heat. Really. I didn't have my soldering pencil at the time. All I had was an enormous soldering gun that must have been a billion watts. The radiant heat was enough to de-solder several neighboring joints at a time. In other words: It got hot. ...and the itty-bitty microprocessors didn't care.

The little epilogue to this story is that I got a letter a couple months later asking if I needed help activating my new phone. Apparently the new brain's ID didn't show up on their network.
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  #15  
Old 08-03-2006, 08:28 PM
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Many thanks for the rebuilding writeup Beav. My christmas tree lit up on Sunday morning. I ordered the parts on Monday and they came in at the local distributor yesterday. I picked them up this morning and I was back on the road this afternoon with lots of amps.

One thing that was a little different for me. The distributer was sent a IM278 Regulator instead of a 277. They were told that the 277 was on backorder and the 278 would work in our alternator. I couldn't see any physical difference between it and the one that came out of my SVX, and the voltage setpoint is the same. It seems to work, so I'm happy.

Here's a couple of web links for the Transpo parts, if anyone is interested

Application guide http://www.transpo.de/cgi-win/UnitCar.exe?A3T08891
Parts list http://www.transpo.de/cgi-win/unit.exe?A3T08891
Regulator http://www.transpo.de/cgi-win/product.exe?IM277
Regulator http://www.transpo.de/cgi-win/product.exe?IM278
Diode assy http://www.transpo.de/cgi-win/product.exe?IMR10068
Bearing http://www.transpo.de/cgi-win/product.exe?108004W

I was reviewing the instructions for rebuilding the 3000GT/Stealth alternator that Beav pointed out in his post. Has anyone looked at the instructions for removing the alternator on those cars? WOW, I'm sure glad I have the SVX to repair and not one of those. http://www.stealth316.com/2-alternator.htm
A friend of mine has one and they have to raise the engine just to replace the plugs!

Thanks again Beav!
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