NAPA alternators

[71chevylongbed]

i'm on my third one this year. 1st one didn't work right, 2nd one lasted about 7 months then the bearing started making noise, 3rd one I got about a month and a half ago and the bearing is about to seize up. looks like i'm going on number 4 tomorrow. what is up with them?

[Longhorn Man]

They suck.
We refuse to use NAPA alt, starters, or batterys at the shop...they all suck pretty bad.
You are better off shopping in a junk yard.

[71chevylongbed]

i've had 2 of their starters on my truck too. 1 st one didn't work i was pissed. it was a pain to get the wires on and off and work around my headers and the tranny cooler lines and when the wind is blowing hard and it is cold it dosent make it any easier. i guess when the warranty period runs out i'll have to find a better alternator. i think NAPA is still better than Schmucks or Crappozone.

[roj2323]

car quest is just as bad. it sucks be i have to get parts somewhere. it's gotten to the point where we take a permenate marker and write the date on everyone we put on.

ondrew

[Longhorn Man]

NAPA is in fact better than the chain stores...but on electronic stuff, may as well go to auto zone if you don't want to go to the dealer.
We have a small local shop rebuild all our alt and starters...and many distributors too... and on the batterys we go with INterstate exclusivly.

[cableguy0]

when i was 16 i worked in an auto parts store. the rep came out to talk to us. he said they shoot for 1 in 3 to actually work outta the box on starters and alternators. they have eliminated quality control and found its cheaper to just warranty defects than to pay someone to check em all. find a local electrical rebuilder and have them do it. we got a couple places here local that rebuild starters and alternators.they do great work and the prices arent near as high as u would think.

[special-K]

All these big Parts chains just farm-out rebuilds to large rebuild shops.In many cases the same shops in a given area.It is all done on a regional basis.So,it`s a crap-shoot.I haven`t had that bad of luck with these parts.But,like Longhornman`s shop,as long as I have the turn-around time I take my electrical and carb rebuilds to a local shop that I know does it right.Never had a bad job from them,but if I did,they`d be fully accountable.How does rebuilt Quadrajet/&75.00 sound?

[Stocker]

I have worked for a TelCo for 29 years -- NAPA is the only parts store in our small town and we have bought many alternators from them for our fleet. Very high failure rate. Personally, I would buy a new Delco when my truck needs one. My '72 is driven every day and still has the OEM alternator.

[hgs_notes]

I use this place to get most of my electrical and other parts. You can find original parts numbers on the AC Delco site, then go here and order it for half the dealer price in most cases. So far I have bought a 1999 5.7 fuel pressure regulator and door lock solenoids, ignition switch, and a few other parts. Good supplier so far.
HG

http://www.oewarehouse.com/Merchant2...T&Store_Code=O

[71chevylongbed]

how much do new delco 1 wire alternators cost?

[VetteVet]

Not to suggest it but if you have too much belt tension it will cause premature failure on alternator bearings.

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by 71chevylongbed

how much do new delco 1 wire alternators cost?

I'm not aware of Delco making a one wire...that would be an aftermarket jobber there.

[mac]

How about 5 of 'em for a '97 Suburban 7.4 before they figured out the rebuilder was installing the wrong regulators. They never could figure out how many they sent out screwed up. Its hard to find good help !

[chevyfarmer]

I agree with the SUCK factor with NAPA alternators. Went through 3 in less than a year, bought one from Autozone, it has been on for 2+ years now.

[chevybill]

I have purchased 2 alternators from my local NAPA in the last 3 - 4 years both have performed perfectly. It depends on the source of the rebuilder as previously mentioned.

I am sad to hear that NAPA quality has sunk to autozone levels in other geographic regions.

[Longhorn Man]

NAPA has been like this for over a decade.

[hoser]

They are junk NAPA use to have the best quality remans not its all junk, I was 700 miles from home when my alt bearing went bad I found a NAPA and bought a reman, installed it in the parking lot started it up and it made as much noise as the old one, went inside got the guy at the counter he said he would replace it but didnt have another so I drove home with it making noise, it made it, took it off and to my local NAPA store he got me another one the bearings were tight, got another the bearings were ok but the fan and pulley was bent got a 3rd the bearings were tight, got a 4th one that was lifetime and it was ok cept for a few of the cooling fins were bent I straighten them out and took it, next time I will buy a DELCO reman, unreal how low quality the remans are now, all the parts are made in china the bearings look lke bearings thats about it...

NAPA counter guy said he was sending all the ones we looked at back, he was not happy.

[71chevylongbed]

yeah the last one i had the fan and pully were bent too. i went to exchange it today and the counter guy was like these are lifetime alternators and the bearings just dont go out on them in a month and that he has only had to warranty one of them out like 5 years ago and after he saw that the belt wasnt too tight and the bracket was straight he tried to convince me that the bearings were going bad because it was wired wrong and that they weren't going to warranty any more of them out for me without the factory saying it is bad. so it looks like im screwed if this one dies. i think it is a bunch of

[truckdude239]

i bought an napa for myb ford and the alt lasted 20 mins took it back and og tmy money back went to advance auto parts and bought an brand new one with life time warrenty and that was 3 years ago and its still runnign and chagering strong but if it ever goes back its free replace ment ad any advance auto

[Richard]

My suggestion is to buy or make the conversion to a newer internal regulator alternator and buy a new or reman from the dealer for a later model. The thing about buying parts from the dealer is that they are the same ones used for service repairs. They do not want vehicles coming back. You will pay more but the part will be good quality and will last. Napa went downhill a long time ago when they started competing with all the chains. Even with the lifetime warranty crap from them I got tired of constantly swapping parts. It is hard to find good parts now. I get everyting from the dealer unless I know the specific supplier for their parts. Everybody wants to pay less and less for parts, the result is we end up getting a crappy product.

[Longhorn Man]

so just go to another NAPA to get another new one.

[special-K]

I`ve pretty much been buying from the GM dealer,unless I`m tight on money and I know the vehicles not a keeper.I just bought an alternator & vlt-reg from Advanced cuz I`m trying to diagnose an elictrical problem.I was buying the guarantee,lifetime.But,I`d rather have my peice rebuilt at a shop I have confidence in or new from GM.

[gator2511]

I converted mine to an internal regulator with parts bought on line. I've always rebuilt my own alternators. If the rotor and field wires aren't burned or damaged its just bearings, diode pack and brushes. That way you don't get the damaged shafts and all those problems with re-mans. Its really simple to do.

[Andy4639]

I kept having alternator and water pump problems, bearing's going out, kept blaming the unit's I bought and quality of the rebuilt unit's. Come to find out it was my factory fan blade had hit the frame when the first water pump went bad. Didn't notice it until I was on #4 water pump and #5 alternator, didn't cost me anything after the first one of each, but time and it was alway's on the interstate coming home or going to work. Put new fan blade on and haven't had anymore trouble with them.